When I get a call to bring something over to someones home for a luncheon, or an impromptu gathering of friends, I don't always have a lot of time to put something together. When I got a call asking me to bring my Chicken Salad, I said sure and then thought this is a job for my Instant Pot. The Waldorf Chicken Salad turned out delicious and everyone at the luncheon just loved it. It took no time to prepare the chicken and it was so much better than the Grocery Store Rotisserie Chicken. The mix of the Waldorf Salad and chicken is a great combination and made a fantastic salad!

It finally happened, I got a Instant Pot for Christmas, and I have been having fun! I have used a pressure cooker for years and really wasn't afraid of the pressure and love the fact that I can set the pressure and the cooking time then walk away, whereas with the pressure cooker, it requires a constant watch. It is cold weather here so I thought I would start out with a very simple Italian Stew, it was delicious and sure didn't take very long to prepare, plus it gave me a lot of freedom to take care some something else in the kitchen while it cooked. Thanks so much family, I sure am enjoying this new kitchen toy!

I always save some of the  Baked Country Ham for this soup. The flavor of this soup when cooked in the pressure cooker is fantastic. Making the Split Pea Soup in the pressure cooker makes a very smooth soup. The peas dissolve into a puree, without putting it into a blender and no soaking the peas the night before. This is a Southern Split Pea and Ham Soup that has been passed down in our family and adapted to the pressure cooker.

When we had family living in Germany we were able to visit several times for extended time frames. One of the many foods I really enjoyed was Sauerbraten, which is a roast that has been marinated for 3 or 4 days in wine and vinegar. This recipe takes less than 2 hours from beginning to going on the table and the flavor is just as good. Cooking it in the pressure cooker is truly one of the best recipes that I have tried for Sauerbraten. The pressure cooker allows all those spices to be locked into the beef and it is so tender it falls apart.

We have family and friends that are from Cajun Country, and through the years we have developed a love for Cajun food. This Pressure Cooker Cajun Chicken is one of the recipes that we love and it is so easy and quick in the pressure cooker. The flavor of the chicken is amazing and makes you think you are sitting at  a family table in the middle of Cajun Country. Served over rice it is a complete meal, that will have your family asking for seconds.

I grew up in a home where my Mother and my Grandmothers all cooked with Pressure Cookers. They would use them in the summer for canning and in the other times to cook very delicious dishes in a short time frame. It was a natural process that I would use my Pressure Cooker in our meal preparations for my family. I also have a large pressure cooker that I use to preserve garden vegetables. With the arrival of the Instant Pot, I began to think about my Pressure Cooker once again and decided to pull it off the top shelf and use it once again and I am so glad I did. The first recipe that I made is one of our favorites and perfect for a cold day. This Classic Beef Stew is a very satisfying dish that is ready in no time to set on the table.