Pressure Cooker Porcupine Meatballs

I've come to find that I use my electric pressure cooker at least once a week, usually more, and this is one of our favorite meals.  Quick to prep, quick to cook, and enjoyed by the whole family!  No, it's not porcupine meat, but the rice gives the meatballs a prickly look, thus the name.  This is best suited for an electric pressure cooker, such as an Instant Pot.


Pressure Cooker Porcupine Meatballs

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 c. uncooked long grain rice
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 15 oz. tomato sauce
• 1/2 c. water

Mix together the beef, rice, salt and pepper.  Form 3/4 to 1 inch meatballs and set aside on a plate.

In the pressure cooker pan, saute onions and garlic in olive oil.  Add the tomato sauce and water and stir.  Add the meatballs and GENTLY stir so that the meatballs are coated.

Set the pressure cooker to cook for 15 minutes, making sure the vent is set to the sealed position.

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

Here's a new take on the comforting traditional tater tot casserole.  It was pretty good!


Jalapeno Popper Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

• 2 lb. bag frozen tater tots
• 2  8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 cups shredded Mexican or sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 3 cups diced cooked chicken
• 3 green onions (more, if you like)
• 2 to 4 Tbsp. diced jalapeno peppers (to taste)
• 12 oz. bacon, cooked and diced (or diced and cooked, your preference 😊)

Spread the tater tots in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and flatten slightly with spatula. 

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, garlic salt and pepper until well mixed.  Stir in half of the cheese, half of the green onions, 1/2 of the bacon, and all of the jalapeno peppers. 

Spread chicken over the tater tots and cover with the cream cheese mixture.  Top with the remaining cheese, green onions, and bacon.  Return to oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.  Let cool a few minutes before serving.

Chicken Cheddar Broccoli Pot Pie

Chicken Cheddar Broccoli Pot Pie

1 unbaked double pie crust (homemade or from the store's refrigerator section)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 green onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. flour
1 1/4 cup milk
4 oz. tub of onion and chive cream cheese
1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. ground mustard, optional
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups broccoli flowerets, steamed
3 cups cut up cooked chicken (great use for leftovers!)

Line a deep pie pan with one crust.

Melt butter, add green onion and saute for a minute or two.  Add flour and stir until thick.  Gradually stir in the milk, whisking to avoid clumps.  Add cream cheese and spices.  Stir until thickened and smooth.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the cheese to the mixture and stir until cheese melts.  Add broccoli and chicken and mix.  Pour into bottom pie crust in pan.  Top with second crust.  Crimp edges to seal. 

At this point you can brush with a beaten egg if desired.  Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, then sprinkle the last 1/2 cup of cheese on the top of the pie and return to oven for another 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.  Serve.

Cowboy Caviar

This is a new favorite of my family, it could be a meal in itself!  I'm sure there are other versions of it, but this is the one that we tried.  Thanks to my son for snagging the recipe from a co-worker.

Cowboy Caviar

1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. white wine vinegar (no substitutes for this!)
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. salt
1 pound Roma tomatoes, diced
1 can black-eyed peas, drained & rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can sweet corn kernels, drained
1 red onion (size depends on your tastes), diced
1 cup diced bell peppers
1 c. cilantro (optional)

Mix first 5 ingredients. Mix everything else together, pour first mixture over the veggies and stir well. Serve with plain tortilla chips, or on salad greens.

This is good eaten right away, even better if the flavors are allowed to mix for a few hours.

Store in refrigerator.

"Instant Pot" Hamburger Goulash

I am not one to have all kinds of gadgets and small appliances, but I broke down a year ago and bought an inexpensive electric pressure cooker very similar to the well-known Instant Pot.  Since then we've been trying various recipes, and this is one that we like better than the stove top version.


"Instant Pot" Hamburger Goulash
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 large onion, diced
2 1/2 c. water
28 oz. or two 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
15 oz. or two 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 beef bouillon cube or 1 tsp. beef soup base
2 c. dry elbow macaroni
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Using the Saute function, brown the ground beef and onion together in the pressure cooker pot.  Turn the Saute function off.

Add the rest of the ingredients, put the lid on the pressure cooker and lock it, and set the vent to "Sealed" position.

Set the pressure cooker to a 5 minute cook time under pressure, then naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before doing a quick release.

NOTE:  Please study all instructions accompanying your electric pressure cooker and learn to use the various functions as recommended.  To not follow the instructions could result in damage and injury.

Hot German Potato Salad

It's been a while since I last posted!  I've been busy with gardens and another wedding and grandkids (now numbering 8) and went back to work full time. 

Enough with excuses.  I like having all of my recipes in one place, and last night realized that I stand to lose some of them if I don't keep them here.  So, here's another family favorite that's definitely comfort food:


Hot German Potato Salad

9 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 to 3/4 cup diced onion
6 to 8 slices of bacon
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. celery seeds
1/8 tsp. black pepper
3/4 c. water
1/3 c. vinegar

Cook potatoes to fork-tender using your preferred method.  I like to use my pressure cooker, but they can also be boiled.

Cook bacon to almost-crispy stage.  Remove from pan and drain all but 2 to 3 Tbsp. of bacon fat from the pan.  Saute onions in the bacon fat.  Crumble the bacon and set aside.

Mix flour, sugar, salt, celery seeds and black pepper in a small bowl and add to sauteed onions in bacon fat in the pan.  Stir and cook for about a minute. 

Add the water and stir until smooth, then add the vinegar.  Remove from heat and stir in hot cooked potatoes and bacon.

Serve.

We enjoy serving kielbasa with this dish, or in it, with coleslaw as a side.