If your Instant Pot is going un-used, we should change that!! These recipes are EASY for week nights and fairly healthy, too.
And because of our family’s dietary needs, they’re also gluten and dairy free. However, I’ve added notes to each recipe about how to easily add the dairy back in if that is your family’s preference!
You’ll also find a section of FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS below about the size of our instant pot, what else we cook in it and more!
But, first, lets get to the quick and easy week night instant pot recipes!
5 FAST Week night Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Ham & Potato Soup:
This soup is QUICK & EASY and perfect for the instant pot novice. Simply sauté your diced onion and garlic and throw everything into the pot and set it for 12 minutes.
INGREDIENTS:
1 Ham Steak, cubed
1 Medium yellow onion
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
4-5 Yellow Potatoes (medium sized)
1 Carton Chicken broth (4 cups)
1-2 Cup(s) chopped broccoli
1 Tsp. Seasoning Salt (or regular salt)
3/4 Tsp. Pepper
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2-1 cup cream
Bacon bits, sour cream and chopped green onions to make “loaded” potato soup :)
DIRECTIONS:
Set instant pot to “SAUTE.” Sauté the onion and garlic in the bottom of the instant pot with butter or oil of choice. Once the garlic is browned and the onions are translucent add remaining ingredients (EXCEPT optional ingredients. Place lid on instant pot and set for 12 minutes on manual (also called “HIGH”). Perform quick release (or allow to slow release if you’re not serving right away). Add cream and shredded cheese if using. Serve with optional toppings if desired.
Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
Don’t you just love a good copycat recipe??? Once you perfect this one, you’ll not only have a quick weeknight dish, you’ll also save a trip to the restaurant!
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. ground sausage (Italian sausage is even better or spicy if you like a little heat!)1 Medium yellow onion
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
4-5 Yellow Potatoes (medium sized), peeled and cubed
1 Carton Chicken broth (4 cups)
1 cup chopped Kale (we often substitute spinach)
1 Tsp. Salt
3/4 Tsp. Pepper
1 Tsp. Italian Seasoning
Hot pepper flakes to taste
OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS:
1 cup heavy cream
DIRECTIONS:
Set instant pot to “SAUTE.” Brown sausage in bottom of instant pot. Remove and drain. Sauté the onion and garlic in the bottom of the instant pot with butter or oil of choice. Once the garlic is browned and the onions are translucent add remaining ingredients (EXCEPT optional ingredient and kale*). Place lid on instant pot and set for 12 minutes on manual (also called “HIGH”). Perform quick release (or allow to slow release if you’re not serving right away). Add cream if using.
*NOTE: The kale can be added at the beginning or end of the cooking process depending on your texture preference. As you can imagine, it becomes rather soft if you add it at the beginning. You can also add it at the end and let it sit in the pot for 5-8 minutes until it is “wilted.”
Sweet Potato & Sausage Soup
If your family doesn’t care for sweet potatoes, you can just skip them! That is the great thing about all of these recipes, make changes to fit your tastes.
INGREDIENTS:
1 package beef sausage link (or any kind of sausage you like!)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1 Large sweet potato, peeled and diced
2-4 Yellow Potatoes (medium sized), peeled and cubed
1 Carton Chicken broth (4 cups)
1 cup chopped Kale (we often substitute spinach)
1 Tsp. Salt
3/4 Tsp. Pepper
1/2 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
DIRECTIONS:
Set instant pot to “SAUTE.” Sauté the onion and garlic in the bottom of the instant pot with butter or oil of choice. Once the garlic is browned and the onions are translucent add remaining ingredients (EXCEPT kale*). Place lid on instant pot and set for 12 minutes on manual (also called “HIGH”). Perform quick release (or allow to slow release if you’re not serving right away).
*NOTE: The kale can be added at the beginning or end of the cooking process depending on your texture preference. As you can imagine, it becomes rather soft if you add it at the beginning. You can also add it at the end and let it sit in the pot for 5-8 minutes until it is “wilted.”
Instant Pot Beef Stew
This classic meal meets the instant pot! Its quicker than making it in a dutch oven and the meat always turns our PERFECTLY! And of course, here is just one way to make it, or use your favorite stew recipe :)
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 Pounds Beef Stew Meat, cubed
7-8 yellow potatoes, peeled & cubed
1 carton beef broth
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper
1 Tsp Italian Seasoning
2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
2 Tbs Minced garlic
1 Large Onion, diced
1 16 Oz Bag Baby Carrots, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
2 Tablespoons Water
DIRECTIONS:
Set your Instant Pot to sauté, add butter, add stew meat, salt and pepper and sear on multiple sides. Add all ingredients except cornstarch and water. Cook on high for 35 minutes, allow pressure to naturally release for 5-10 minutes and then release the rest. Mix together the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl and stir into the stew until thickened.
Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole
This recipe is FAST and full of flavor! I love that you can have all of the ingredients prepped ahead of time, so you just need to sauté the onions, garlic and chicken for a few minutes and then dump everything else in!
I based this recipe off of Ashley’s at I Don’t Have Time for that. However, like I’ve said, we took out the dairy and I actually skip the flour as well! So it is even quicker, but if you’d like something creamier, you can make it to her specs ;)
INGREDIENTS:
2 Tbsp Butter
1½ – 2 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast cut into cubes
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Small Onion
1 Tsp Salt
3/4 Tsp Pepper
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1⅓ Cups Long Grain Rice
1⅓ Cups Chicken Broth
½ Cup Milk*
1½ Tbsp Flour*
1-2 Cups Fresh Broccoli cooked
1½ – 2 Cups Mild Shredded Cheddar Cheese*
*We skip these and substitute a 1/2 cup of water for the milk at the end
DIRECTIONS:
Ashley has GREAT step by step instructions with pictures, so stop by there to see them! You’ll master this recipe in NO time and can experiment with different variations. Tom loves to add a pre-made teriyaki sauce to his :)
EASY Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Who doesn’t love a good chicken wild rice soup recipe?? Well my kids didn’t…or Tom…BUT…with a little patience, and by basically removing all fo the flavor from this recipe and then slowly adding it back in, they’ve come around!!
INGREDIENTS:
5 medium carrots, chopped *I use my food processor to chop carrots, celery & onion
5 stalks celery, chopped
half of an onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup uncooked wild rice
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
CREAM SAUCE INGREDIENTS:
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
DIRECTIONS This recipe is from Pinch of Yum, you can find the Instant Pot DIRECTIONS HERE. I’ve made hardly any modifications! I go a little lighter on the poultry seasoning and thyme, I don’t like it to taste quite as earthy. And we usually skip the sauce at the end to eliminate the dairy…but of course, for most that probably would seem silly ;)
MY INSTANT POT:
We have the 6 quart Instant Pot 7-in-1 Programmable electric pressure cooker. You can find it here on Amazon for around $79. They also makes one with blue tooth capabilities that runs a little more. For us, the 6 quart has been GREAT.
FAQ:
What size should I get? 6 quart or 8 quart?
For us, 2 adults and 4 kids ages 4-9, the 6 quart has been adequate. The only time I wish that we had the 8 quart was when we cook whole chickens in it, there are times that it isn’t quite big enough. And, as the kids get older and we want to cook bigger batches of food, I think we’ll want to get the next bigger size. But, if you are feeding 2-4 people, I think the 6 quart would work well. Bigger crows? Best opt for the 8!
What else do you cook in it?
Like I just mentioned, we cook whole chickens in it and LOVE how they turn out. I like to thaw them first but you don’t have to! We always hard boil eggs in it, make bone broth and have a handful of other recipes besides these that we make consistently. And I haven’t tried making yogurt yet, but that’s next up on the list!
Can I adapt these recipes for a crock pot if I don’t have an instant pot?
Yes, I think all of these would work just fine in the crock pot except for the chicken and rice, but that you could certainly make in a casserole dish :)
Instant Pot Recipes YOU Suggested!
THANK YOU to everyone who sent links for their favorite instant pot recipes! I’m excited to try more :)
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

From Jo Cooks, find the recipe here!
Asiago Shrimp Risotto
Find the recipe from the Instant Pot website HERE!
Spicy Taco Soup

You can find the recipe from 101 Cookbooks HERE!
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I hope you find these recipes helpful! Please leave any questions that you have down below!
Dawn
P.S. Thank you for sharing on Pinterest & Facebook, we are so grateful!!! :)
I am so thankful to find recipes with out cheese and sour cream!!! My husband has hated cheese and most dairy his whole life no matter how we’ve tried to convert him. And most EVERYTHING has cheese!!!! I always thought it would ruin the effect of the recipe if I took out the dairy but it appears not!! So glad it’s worked for y’all!
Dawn, Dawn, Dawn —- THANK YOU! You are adorable and so is your family. When my kids were young I batch cooked food and kept most stuff out of our house so I had more time with them. Then people started giving us stuff and the guilt of giving away was intense. You have helped me release much guilt and our house is becoming ours again. But I wanted to say you are spot on with these recipes. I have made a soup a week for my guys (I am vegan due to allergies, they are not) and they have loved everyone. And I also bought the cookbook you recommended in previous video (Cook once eat all week) and I have made 5 weeks (5th week now) and they have absolutely loved every single meal. I already batch cooked my meals so now I spend an extra 90 minutes in the kitchen on Sunday and it is worth it because our evenings are ours to relax and spend time together now and I am never too tired to clean my kitchen fully now after dinner. It has been joyous waking up to my clean house. Thank you so much! Kim
Mine didn’t turn out at all, rice was undercooked. Almost brand new instant pot, and I just used it so it isn’t the IP. The only other thing I can think of is.. Do you use quick rice?
I doubled the Ham & Potato Soup recipe and thought it would be too much even for my big family, but it’s all gone! Thank you for sharing it!
Thank you, Dawn, for recipes with whole foods. I just got my Insta pot for Christmas – .so much to learn. I have been dairy free for years, and gluten-free for six years. Like you, I find myself sneaking in the vegetables and hoping the grandchildren and the husband don’t notice, and I find that they are more receptive. Cauliflower can be tricky, but even that went from “no way” to pretty good, that is with Parmegiano reggiano cheese or Pecorino Romano (sheep) or manchego (Spanish sheep) cheese, or imported feta (sheep). I didn’t know why I was able to tolerate all goat or sheep cheeses, family as well, but learned the reason in the book, The plant paradox- by Dr. S. Gundry. It’s the cows! So when you find “A-2” milk ( now found in stores from different cows like European cows) it is reliable, and same with the European cheese. As for wheat, I can now eat the Imported pasta from Italy, as I learned their wheat is not like our wheat.
I am looking for more seafood recipes for the Instant Pot.
Again, thanks a bunch!
Great recipes, recently got a mini duo and would like to know how to downsize the recipes for a 2-3 quart instant pot.
Perspective is a funny thing. After doing quite of bit of Instant Pot cooking research, I was thinking as I went through this that it was wonderful to read a blog with so FEW ads on it, that gets right to the purpose without filling pages with side thoughts and comments to increase the number of ads! Good on you.
This is just what I needed. I am teaching a class for our Super Saturday pre-Christmas activity and you are echoing so many thoughts that I had. Thank you for giving me some extra details to use as well.
Thank you for the video and recipes! I’m trying to get comfortable using my instant pot. It kinda scares me..lol Is there a way that I can easily print out the recipes? I don’t see a print button so it would be difficult to print these recipes out with all the ads and pictures, etc! Pls Help!
I’m not the blog owner, and it’s been a year, but…
To print the recipes:
Highlight what you want to print
Right click – select Print (Or Save to PDF if you want to save and print later)
On the printing screen, scroll down and select “Selection Only”
That should show you only what you selected (the recipe and any recipe pics) and you can print from there.
Hope this helps!
Tanya
Hi Dawn,
I enjoy your videos so much. I am 66, and have been minimizing my entire house. Thanks for your encouragement and your faith!! Such a blessing to me. I must say, I chuckle out loud Everytime Tom says “By bye!” Keep your eyes on Jesus always. Thanks again.
Wish your page didn’t have so many ads on it, but guess that’s what you are about
Hey Joe, we gotta do what we gotta do. Ads help her continue to offer us new ideas and solutions by paying for the time required to to research and write the blog. Have a great day. I’m not finding ads either but understand why bloggers have them.
Found of ads.
Thank you for sharing all this
I have a daughter who is dairy free she can’t eat anything that has dairy on it. I would love to see more videos of you giving more ideas for recipes non dairy .
Thank you for sharing these wonderful recipes we don’t have an instant pit but are looking forward to making these in our ninja 4 in 1 slow cooker If you have more recipes please send to my email
Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom for simpler ways to live. You are an inspiration.
Great recipes! We have a family of 4 who live at home but 6 when my son and daughter in law are here. My kids are 22 ( daughter in law 23)21,15 as well as my husband and I. My 6qt is perfect for us, when we feed 6 there are rarely leftovers, but if it’s just the 4 of us we have a little left for lunches. I hate throwing food away; it’s llike torture for me. My mom never seemed to mind throwing food out and we never ate leftovers but…. I just can’t. I make what we’ll eat although I do add in salads/sides. My 15 year old is tiny but could out eat 2 grown men so I do need to add some extra for him. I love how your recipes are Whole Foods! Thank you for the inspiration.