TIDBITS Best Instant Pot Recipes 2018

It's time for the annual roundup of TIDBITS Best Instant Pot Recipes of 2018!  Let the party begin! 

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Before I get too carried away, I've only been blogging for a year and a half now, so calling it an “annual event” might be a stretch.  Since I plan to carry on this tradition for the remainder of my blogging life, can we all agree to parade this as an exciting “annual event”?

I love taking a moment at the end of the year to look back and see what you all found to be the most helpful/delicious/shareable recipes.  It is very insightful and helps me plan things going forward.

What I'm seeing is a strong emphasis on people wanting to learn key basics of pressure cooking which in reality are the recipes that we all come back to time and time again.

I will admit, my sister, Cami told me I needed to focus more on basic pressure cooker recipes.  As much as I wanted to dive head first into all of my more elaborate creations, I heeded her advice, and sure enough, SHE WAS RIGHT – in all caps because I like to admit I'm wrong in a loud and proud manner.  Helps with the sting a bit if I do it with confidence 😉

So here we go – TIDBITS Best Instant Pot Recipes for 2018!  Starting with #11 and finishing with the #1 most viewed recipe.

11 – Instant Pot Mexican Inspired Healthy Crack Chicken

If you're wondering why I went with the top 11 recipes instead of a more logical 10, it's so I could include this super creamy, flavorful, healthier version of the well known Crack Chicken.  It has a Mexican twist and is amazing on tacos, quesadillas, nachos, rolls, etc.  This one is a BIG crowd pleaser!

10 – How to Cook a Whole Butternut Squash in the Instant Pot

I 100% understand that a “how to” for dealing with a difficult to peel and dice squash has become such a popular post.  The Instant Pot makes breaking down a Butternut Squash so quick and easy.  I would trust my young daughter to cut up a butternut squash with this trick!  This also works great for Spaghetti Squash.

9 – Instant Pot White Rice

Rice is one thing that I'm guessing every Instant Pot owner has made at some point.  Perfect rice every time without the need to babysit it at the stove top.  Brown Rice is incredible in the Instant Pot too and is THE reason I decided I actually like it.

8 – Instant Pot Whole Wheat Crusty Bread

The beloved yogurt function is a must have in my opinion.  Don't even buy a model that doesn't have it!  Using the yogurt function on low turns a 24 hours process of making rustic crusty bread into a 5 hour deal because it speeds up the proofing step.  Once you've conquered this basic recipe, try these other No Knead Crusty Bread recipes: Jalapeno Cheddar, Cranberry Pecan, Sundried Tomato and Feta, Spinach and Artichoke.

7 – Instant Pot Yogurt

This is the recipe that made me fall in love with the Instant Pot.  I say it all the time: You have never tasted yogurt this good and you will never go back to store bought once you try it.  So flippin' amazing!  This Skyr Yogurt is equally dreamy.

6 – Instant Pot Vanilla Extract

What started out as a friendly chat with a small town liquor store owner (who turned out to be my late dad's childhood friend, go figure) turned into an internet sensation of an idea.  Vanilla Extract in under an hour vs 6 months.  Storebought extract is so expensive now, making your own is truly the way to go!  It may feel like an investment at first because beans can be pricey, but once you learn this trick of how to make your extract last forever, you'll have affordable extract on hand for many years to come.

5 – Instant Pot Mozzarella

Possibly one of the funnest recipes to make is this stretchy, soft mozzarella cheese.  Again it uses the yogurt function to best regulate the temperatures for perfect cheese every time.  There is a bit of a learning curve here, but there's nothing like a slice of warm, fresh mozzarella.

4 – Instant Pot Oatmeal Muffins AKA Beebo Bites

These cute, portable bites of oatmeal became all the rage when I told you how they related to my sweet son and his struggle with a bus bully.  They still hold a special place in my heart and are a much loved breakfast/packed lunch item in my home.  My husband even packs them along on his many snowbike adventures in the mountains.  “Survival Food” he calls them.  My kid's favorite is this Pumpkin Chocolate Chip version.

3 – Instant Pot Pot Roast and Which Cut is Best

I've been known to say, “I've had enough Sunday pot roast in my childhood to make me happy for the rest of my life” but again my smarty pants sister Cami told me, “you need a pot roast on your site.”  And what do you know, it becomes a top 3 for 2018.  The incredible seasonings for this pot roast came from my youngest sis, Maegan, and I dare say it will reignite your love for pot roast as well.

2 – Instant Pot Infused Water

Number 1 in 2017, number 2 in 2018, and I suspect it'll still be around in 2019.  Flavored water can be so expensive to buy, and there is literally no simpler recipe out there for the Instant Pot.  If you or your kids struggle with drinking enough water or you just want something with flavor without resorting to soda, this Infused Water is a life saver.  Try these other flavors: Fall, Holiday, and for a sweetened version – Instant Pot Healthier Lemonade.

1 – Instant Pot Perfect Pasta

A fist bump goes out to all my carb-lovin' readers out there for making pasta the #1 recipe on my blog for 2018.  It seems we all agree that the days of overflowing stove top pasta are behind us.  Never again stinky, starchy water burned all over my range top!  This trick works on all kinds of pasta too: Regular, whole grain, lentil, etc.  Have you tried this yet?

What an amazing year!  Thank you so very much to everyone for hanging around here, making these recipes, and telling me all about it.  I simply can't get enough of good food and recipe chit chat.  I can't wait for all the goodies to come in 2019!

Be sure and check out:

• My Favorite Recipes of 2018 (according to you)
• Best Recipes of 2017