Instant Pot Magic Meal

Instant Pot Magic Meal is a smoked sausage, corn, zucchini, pesto and tomato dish that is magic because it doesn’t need any liquid to come to pressure! Read on to find out why…

Instant Pot Magic Meal

This recipe is sort of like a fresh, hot corn salad of sorts. It has lots of flavor from the smoked sausage and the pesto. If you’re looking to eat something fresh but also filling for dinner tonight this meal will fit the bill.

If you’re familiar with the Instant Pot you know that it needs some sort of liquid (usually water or broth) to come to pressure and work properly. This recipe is sort of fun and magic because it uses the liquid from its ingredients to bring the pot to pressure.

The onions put off a lot of liquid as they caramelize. But the main liquid giver is the shredded zucchini. If you’ve ever made a baking recipe with zucchini usually there is an instruction to squeeze the excess liquid out of the zucchini (I find these types of instructions annoying). This recipe is fun because there’s no squeezing of the zucchini but you use the liquid from the veg to help the pot come to pressure.

Ingredients/Substitution Ideas

• Olive oil
• Chicken smoked sausage–or beef smoked sausage
• Onion–I used a yellow onion
• Salt and pepper–I use kosher salt
• Baking soda
• Zucchini
• Uncooked quinoa–or 1/2 cup cooked rice
• Frozen white sweet corn
• Pesto
• Cherry tomatoes–or grape tomatoes
• Goat cheese–or feta cheese

Steps

1. Brown the sausage: Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the oil and swirl it around. Add in sliced sausage and brown for about 2 minutes on each side. Add in the onion, pinch of salt and baking soda and saute for about 2-3 minutes. The baking soda helps to speed up the maillard reaction (the browning process of onions that gives it that sweet, golden flavor). After a couple minutes the onions will start releasing juices and turning yellow.
2. Scrape pot: Use the moisture that releases from the onions to scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. I like using a wooden saute paddle*.
3. Dump in ingredients: Turn off Instant Pot. Dump in the zucchini. Rinse the quinoa. Then dump the quinoa on top of zucchini. Cover the quinoa with the corn.
4. Pressure cook: Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 1 minute. When time is up let pot sit for 5 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
5. Add fresh ingredients: Stir in the pesto, tomatoes and goat cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve: Scoop onto plates and enjoy!

Notes/Tips

• We served this as an all in one pot meal. But if you’d like you can serve a slice of fresh bread or a spinach salad to go along with it.
• I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.
• This recipe is gluten-free. It can be dairy free if you leave out the cheese.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I wouldn’t freeze this particular dish.
• Other recipes you can make with quinoa are Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Quinoa and Slow Cooker Blueberry-Coconut Breakfast Quinoa.
• Other recipes you can make with pesto are Instant Pot Spinach And Ravioli Lasagna and Instant Pot 5-Ingredient Broccoli Pesto Tortellini.

More Instant Pot Recipes with Corn…

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. 

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*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.