Instant Pot Lighthouse Inn Potatoes–cubed potatoes in a creamy sauce with a crispy, cheesy, satisfying topping.
Instant Pot Lighthouse Inn Potatoes
Lighthouse Inn Potatoes were originally served at a restaurant called Lighthouse Inn in New London, Connecticut. The potatoes were such a favorite that even after the inn closed the recipe was shared in community cookbooks and newspapers.
The original recipe had a 2 day process…luckily for you and me I’ve made it into a quick and easy Instant Pot recipe. I’ve also skinnied the recipe a bit by using a can of evaporated milk instead of the original recipe that uses 2 cups of heavy cream. These potatoes are luscious and addicting. You’re going to love the crispy salty topping. It gets perfectly browned with your air fryer lid. Even if you don’t have an air fryer lid you can finish this dish off in the oven.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Russet potatoes–or yellow potatoes
- Evaporated milk–or heavy cream or half and half
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Baking soda
- Butter
- Parmesan cheese
- Panko breadcrumbs
Basic Steps
- Pressure cook the peeled, cubed potatoes in a steamer basket. By using a steamer basket you will prevent the potatoes from getting grainy.
- Stir the potatoes in simmering milk. The potatoes will start to almost melt and they will thicken the milk into a creamy sauce. You will need to stir constantly so the milk doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the pot.
- Make the parmesan/panko topping and then use an air fryer lid to crisp it up. You can also use your oven to crisp up the top.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes/Tips
- Serve with ham, turkey, chicken or pork. This makes a great side dish to any meat entree. Serve alongside asparagus or green beans.
- I used my 6 quart Duo Crisp Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.
- If you don’t have an air fryer lid you can finish off the dish in your oven.
- I used my silicone steamer basket* to cook the potatoes.
- You can easily double this recipe. Double the ingredients but keep the cooking time the same. If you double the recipe you will still only need 1 ½ cups of water beneath the steamer basket.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with panko breadcrumbs are Instant Pot 3-Cheese Macaroni And Cheese and Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Casserole.
More Fancy Instant Pot Potato Recipes…
Instant Pot Fancy Potatoes
A 5-ingredient recipe for the tastiest whipped potatoes. A better version of mashed potatoes!
Instant Pot Thanksgiving Cheesy Potatoes
A homemade cheesy potato casserole that is a perfect side dish to your holiday meals. The recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving because the entirety of it is made in your Instant Pot…so it doesn’t take up any precious oven space. Plus it stays perfectly warm until you’re ready to feast.
Instant Pot Classic Dauphinoise Potatoes
A simple French dish of thinly sliced potatoes with heavy cream and gruyere cheese.
Instant Pot Wedding Potatoes
Homemade cheesy, saucy potatoes topped with crispy, crunchy BBQ potato chips.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.Print
Instant Pot Lighthouse Inn Potatoes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
Cubed potatoes in a creamy sauce with a crispy, cheesy, satisfying topping.
Ingredients
- 2 pound Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
- 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp butter
Topping:
- 3/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3 Tbsp melted butter
- 1/8 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Pour 1 ½ cups water in bottom of Instant Pot. Add potatoes to a steamer basket. Drop the steamer basket into the Instant Pot. Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 4 minutes. When time is up move valve to venting and remove the lid.
- Move steamer basket out of pot and set aside. Dump the water out of the pot. Turn Instant Pot to saute setting (“less”). Pour the milk, salt, pepper and baking soda into the pot. Stir constantly until milk starts to simmer. Stir the potatoes into the pot. Stir constantly for 5 minutes so the sauce doesn’t scorch on the bottom of the pot. The sauce will thicken. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Make the topping by stirring together parmesan, panko, melted butter and 1/8 tsp of kosher salt. Sprinkle the topping over the potatoes. Cover the pot with an air fryer lid. Air fry at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Then turn to 450 and air fry for 1 minute.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
If you don’t have an air fryer lid then scrape the potatoes into a 9×9 inch baking dish after step 2. Sprinkle the topping on and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.
- Category: Side
- Method: Instant Pot
*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.
3/26/23 – Made this for a large family dinner. Used 2 lbs russet potatoes and 1 lb red potatoes. Cut the potatoes to be ¾-1 inch chunks. Scaled the recipe to 1.5 times. Used 1 can evaporated milk and 6 oz of heavy cream. Used freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Came out fabulous! Everyone raved about it. This will become a regular go-to recipe for potatoes. Quick and easy. I don’t have an air-fryer lid for my instant pot so I just placed the potato mixture in a casserole dish and baked at 325° for 15 minutes in the toaster oven. Another great recipe from Karen!
★★★★★
Yay! So glad it was a hit!
Can these be made ahead and frozen?
Sure! WIll be great!
Hi Karen, can I microwave the potatoes or bake them then add to the sauce.? Thanks Sandy
Sure you could do that!
Hi Karen , can these lighthouse potatoes go in the slow cooker? Thanks. Sandy
I’m sorry I don’t have a slow cooker version of this particular recipe.
I grew up near New London and worked at Lighthouse Inn for a summer while I was in college. Lighthouse Inn potatoes have been a non- negotiable part of our family Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners since I was a teenager. I’ll have to try the Instant Pot recipe ! And Joyce, the original recipe calls for one inch cubes.
Oh wow! That is so cool!!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
How large of cubes should the potatoes be cut up? it’s hard to see from the photo.
Anywhere from 1/2 inch to 1 inch cubes will work!