If you’re craving childhood comfort foods but would like an easier and faster method of making them you’re in luck. Here are 10 good old-fashioned dinners like mom used to make only they are made in the Instant Pot instead of the oven.
10 Instant Pot Comfort Foods that Mom Used to Make
Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes
When I think of a typical dinner as I was growing up I think of meatloaf. It just seems so 80’s to me. Mom used to serve her meatloaf with baked potatoes, canned green beans and maybe some jello salad if we were lucky 🙂 . My version of meatloaf is made in the Instant Pot and it has bacon for the ultimate flavor experience. The cool thing about this recipe is that the mashed potatoes boil in the bottom of the Instant Pot as the meatloaf steams in the top of the pot. This is one of my family’s favorite Instant Pot recipes!
You might also like: Instant Pot Taco Meatloaf
Mom’s Version of Goulash
Okay I know that my version of goulash isn’t authentic Hungarian goulash. It’s the 70’s version that American moms would put together on a busy weeknight. It contains macaroni, ground beef and canned tomatoes. It sounds weird but believe me it is delicious! I always loved when my mom would make goulash for dinner and now my kids like it too!
You might also like: Instant Pot Taco Soup
Mom’s Pot Roast and Veggies
Nothing smells more like a Sunday dinner than a pot roast cooking in the oven. Now you can make the recipe like mom used to make in a fraction of the time in the Instant Pot. I add my veggies into the Instant Pot after the pot roast has cooked in order to ensure that they don’t get overdone and mushy.
You might also like: Instant Pot Beef and Gravy
Classic Macaroni and Cheese
This mac and cheese isn’t like the stuff from the box (although my mom would use that stuff for dinner every so often). It’s cheesy, with 3 types of cheese and it has a fantastic crunchy breadcrumb topping.
You might also like: Instant Pot Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese
Biscuits and Gravy
I didn’t have a southern mom but if I did I imagine that she would have made me biscuits and gravy for breakfast and she would look and sound like Paula Deen. My recipe for sausage gravy in the Instant Pot is easy to make for a small group or you can even triple or quadruple the recipe for feeding a crowd. You can make homemade biscuits to go with the gravy or make it easy and pop open a can.
Salisbury Steak and Mashed Potatoes
Don’t settle for a microwaved tv dinner of salisbury steak and mashed potatoes. Take 30 minutes and make yourself a beautiful homemade version of the classic dinner. Serve it with a side of corn and maybe some sauteed spinach.
You might also like: Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
Magical Chicken Noodle Soup
I call this soup magical because if you’re sick it magically makes you feel better. There’s nothing like mom taking care of you when you feel sick. Nobody else will do. And nothing but chicken soup will do either.
Chicken Pot Pie
I love chicken pot pie but I don’t love making the pie crust. So much work. My version makes the innards of the pie in the instant pot. Then instead of a pie crust you just top it with a biscuit. Tastes just as good with a fraction of the work.
You might also like: Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Beef Stew
My mom would always make something called No Peek Stew. The stew was cooked in a large pot with a lid in the oven for several hours. It was a beef stew recipe that required very little hands on time. Now I use my Instant Pot to make beef stew and it requires very little hands on time and very little cooking time as well.
You might also like: Instant Pot Cheater Beef Stew
No Peek Chicken
Chicken, rice and cream of chicken/mushroom soup in the oven for 45 minutes. This is the easiest of recipes. I took this one with me to college and made it often. Now I make this easy recipe in the Instant Pot with hearty brown rice.
You might also like: Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Rice Dinner
I’d love to know. What recipe did your Mom used to make that you’d like to transform into an Instant Pot recipe? Comment below and let me know and I’ll see what I can do!
What Pressure Cooker Do You Use?
I use a 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I love this Instant Pot because it has the yogurt making function which I use almost weekly. It has two pressure settings (high and low), and there are also little slots in the handles so that you can rest the lid there instead of putting it down on your counter-top.
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Growing up in the late 60’s early 70’s in the Boston area we called goulash, “American Chop Suey “.
I have no idea why.
Me either! Haha that is funny!
Can you make barbecue chicken in instant pot
Hi Kay, do you have a go-to bbq chicken recipe now that you like? I could look at it and see how to make it in the ip.
Another recipe I would love, but not something my mother ever made is Hot and Sour Soup. We first had this in a Chinese restaurant which has since closed! 🙁 I’ve tried a couple of recipes, but all have failed me. Can you help?
I don’t have a recipe for this but I should come up with something. Yum it sounds so good!
My mother (a business woman long before women were in business) was a fabulous hostess and cook. One of my favorite things that she made was Cabbage Borscht made with what we called meat, cabbage (of course), tomatoes and “sour salt”. I have lost the recipe but would sure love to resurrect that soup recipe. I love my Instant Pot and your recipes are great. Thanks.
Sounds interesting!! Do you have the original recipe?
I have a the mini instant pot 3qt, should cut the recipes in half? I can’t wait to try these recipes in my lil 3 quart instant pot.
My mom used to make cornbread dressing and turkey and I would love it if this could be done in an instant pot, let me know if you figure out a way to do it with out making the turkey dry.
Thanks Troy
Here Troy, this will help you! https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/how-to-halve-instant-pot-recipes/
My Mom made chicken and dumplings. I am from Georgia and we make our dumplings from scratch and roll them out thin and cut and drop
In broth. I do cheat now and cook my chicken with veggies in bottom in my instant pot for a really flavorful broth. Then make dumplings and drop
Them in. Cuts the time probably in fourth.
I love this idea Dee!
Please share recipe for chicken and dumplings in Instant Pot.
Here you go! https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-chicken-and-dumplings/
I made all of these, the things my mother didn’t make, my dad’s mom used to make so I had this all at some point in time. I had always loved these things, it’s just no body puts usual style meals I, but sometimes that’s all you want.Thank you .
I love them all too!
I made the chicken and rice soup and stuff cabbage soup was yummy I have to watch because I have to be gluten free so the recipes are great thank you
Hi Darlene, I’m glad you’re finding some good recipes that work for you!
Now I want to make ALL of these. 😄
Me too 🙂
My grandmother would make beef tips and gravy that she slow cooked in a dutch oven for hours and then you poured it over rice or egg noodles.
Also, i would love to know if i can do a brisket in my Ninja Foodie.
Yum! Sounds so good!
I made a brisket here is the recipe: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/instant-pot-bbq-brisket-sliders/