Recipes

4 Easy Instant Pot Recipes for Weeknight Cooking

February 20, 2020

With an Instant Pot®, incredible weeknight meals are mere minutes away. Just add cheese and you’re well on your way to a delicious masterpiece.

4 Easy Instant Pot Recipes for Weeknight Cooking


We know the scenario; it’s Wednesday night and you can’t decide if you’re hungry or just exhausted from work (spoiler, it’s both). You want some cheesy homecooked goodness, but the thought of spending hours of your precious relaxation time in the kitchen is less than appealing. Why not take the pressure off yourself and put it on your food instead? 

Instant Pot® Spring Veggie and Cheese Risotto


Few dishes say comfort food more than a warm bowl of cheesy risotto. It’s basically fancy Italian mac and cheese. Risotto has earned a reputation as being a major pain to prepare, and if you’re doing it the traditional way, that status isn’t exactly inaccurate. That’s where your Instant Pot comes in. With an Instant Pot you can cut the active cooking process down to 35 minutes. Don’t believe us? Just check out the recipe

Featured Cheeses

Roth Original Grand Cru®: Old-world cheese meets Wisconsin innovation. This alpine-style cheese from Roth Cheese has so many awards it could use its own trophy room. Once you get a bite of its full-bodied and nutty flavor you’ll understand why. Another perk? It melts beautifully, making it ideal for a Risotto.

Cello® Copper Kettle: As the name suggests, this parmesan is cooked in copper vats before being carefully aged for 16 months to get its uniquely rich and nutty flavor. No risotto would be complete without parmesan and this flagship cheese from Cello is our top pick for this dish.

Stella® Asiago: With mild, medium, and aged varieties of asiago to choose from, you can decide exactly what kind of flavor profile you want. Start with the fresh and buttery “mild” variety or go for Stella’s sharp and robust “aged” asiago. How will you choose, you ask? Get all three and try them out, more cheese is always a good thing.

Cheese Fun-Fact

Why do copper vats matter for cheesemaking? Copper is an excellent conductor of heat which means that copper vats can heat quickly and evenly for better cooking. Many cheesemakers also swear that cheese made in copper vats tastes better. There’s only way one to know for sure; taste test more cheese and let us know what you think.

Get the full ingredient list and recipe here.

Instant Pot® Mexican Chicken and Rice


Say hello to the champion of easy weeknight cooking. One pot is all you need to make this cheesy and satisfying Mexican Chicken and Rice meal. No extra dishes. No-fuss. Just a warm bowl of chicken and rice topped with melted, creamy queso quesadilla cheese. 

Featured Cheese

La Morenita™ Queso Quesadilla: There are other melty cheeses out there, but queso quesadilla is the one we keep coming back to. We don’t know what kind of magic was infused into this cheese but there’s simply no better combo of sturdy yet meltable out there. Whether it’s nestled between tortillas or shredded on top of our Mexican Chicken and Rice, we couldn’t survive without it.

Get the full ingredient list and recipe here.

Instant Pot® Short Rib-Gouda Ragu


Melt-in-your-mouth short ribs in just one pot? We know, sounds impossible. At least it would be, without an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Just combine short ribs, Wisconsin gouda, and traditional marinara sauce and what you get is a cozy and satisfying ragu that’s exactly what you need after a long day. 

Featured Cheeses

Caves of Faribault® Jeffs’ Select Gouda: Throw away whatever preconceived notions you have about what gouda can be. Jeff’s Select Gouda takes traditional gouda flavor and transforms it into something extra special. Flavor-wise you can expect a full-bodied cheese with sweet and salty notes. This gouda is the finishing touch to add even more depth and flavor to our short rib ragu.

Cheese Fun-Fact

It took not one, but two Jeffs to make this award-winning gouda. Jeff’s Select Gouda was made as a collaboration between Wisconsin Master Cheesemaker, Jeff Wideman and Caves of Faribault’s, Jeff Jirik. Proof that cheese is better when you share the love with a friend.

Get the full ingredient list and recipe here.

Instant Pot® Italian Wedding Soup


Why is it called Italian Wedding Soup? The recipe name is coined from the Italian phrase "minestra maritata" or “married soup.” What does any of this have to do with marriage? Well, when the meatballs and veggies taste this good together, you could say they’re married—thus the name.

No matter its marital status, this hearty soup is even better when topped with Wisconsin made parmesan. Featuring plenty of fresh veggies and turkey meatballs married in a savory broth, happiness is just a bowl of soup away.

Featured Cheeses

Cello® Parmesan: Well flavored soups need bold cheeses that won’t get overpowered and this parmesan fits the bill perfectly. Cello ages this cheese for more than 12 months to develop its signature nutty and deep flavor, you might even notice some notes of apple.

Get the full ingredient list and recipe here.

Conclusion

Weeknight cooking doesn’t have to be something you dread. Armed with these recipes and your trusty Instant Pot pressure cooker you’ll be enjoying easy and scrumptious meals in no time.  Looking for more inspiration? Choose from our selection of over 300 handcrafted recipes featuring Wisconsin cheese. Share your weeknight cooking with us on Instagram or Facebook and become part of the largest cheese community in the world.





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