Porcupine Meatballs made easy with uncooked rice, ground turkey, eggs and without tomato sauce. Then bake, cook in slow cooker or Instant Pot, or freeze for later.

I can’t decide which I love better! These meatballs, my Thai meatballs or Mexican meatballs.

I grew up eating porcupine meatballs. My mom always made them in a clear sauce with broth and spices. Also she made meatballs large, so you eat only one or two meatballs.

This slow cooker porcupine meatballs recipe is amazing! Meatballs hold their shape while being flavorful and tender. And so juicy, saucy and filling because of brown rice and turkey’s high fiber and protein content.

Ingredients for Porcupine Meatballs

• Ground turkey: I use extra lean ground turkey because it is healthier. You can use any meat like extra lean ground beef, ground pork or ground chicken.
• Rice: We use brown rice because it contains bran and fiber. You can use white rice. The key is to use long grain rice so it sticks out. But you can use any, to be honest.
• Eggs: Eggs act as a binder although you can skip them. I tried and porcupine meatballs do not fall apart.
• Broth: Meatballs actually cook in a broth because we use uncooked rice. You can use homemade chicken broth or vegetable broth, Instant Pot chicken broth, broth from a carton or organic bouillon cubes mixed with water.
• Cornstarch: For the slurry to thicken the sauce.
• Simple seasonings like Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

How to Make Porcupine Meatballs in Slow Cooker

This recipe yields 10 large porcupine balls. You can make 20 small ones.

I decided to make porcupine meatballs in slow cooker because I thought they make a perfect candidate for “dump and go” crockpot recipe. Even brown rice is uncooked!

• Shape the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, rice, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix very well and then shape into 10 large meatballs and place at the bottom of large crock pot.
• Slow cook: Cook for 4 hours on high heat or for 8 hours on low heat. While rice is slowly expanding it acts as a binder along with eggs to keep ground turkey shaped into meatballs.
• Thicken the sauce: At the end, whisk cold water with cornstarch, add to the slow cooker, cover and cook on High for 10-20 minutes or until thickened.

How to Make Porcupine Meatballs in Instant Pot

I am absolutely in love with my Instant Pot! No surprise, I cook meatballs in Instant Pot as well.

To cook porcupine meatballs in Instant Pot:

• Follow the recipe to form the meatballs.
• Pressure cook on High pressure for 15 minutes in 8 quart Instant Pot or for 20 minutes in 6 quart Instant Pot.
• You can release pressure using Quick Release method. Open the lid and separate meatballs from each other, if necessary.
• Press Saute, whisk in a slurry and cook until sauce has thickened a bit. It helps to remove a few meatballs and then add them back.

Can I Bake Them?

Yes. Bake porcupine meatballs in a baking dish while covered in preheated oven to 375 degrees F for 45 minutes. Check for doneness and if rice is ready, uncover and pour the slurry into the liquid spots. Bake for another 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

Tips for Best Results

• Don’t overwork the meat mixture: Once all ingredients are incorporated with ground turkey, stop mixing. This will ensure your porcupine meatballs turn out light and fluffy.
• Use cold ingredients from the fridge: The colder is meat and eggs, the easier it is to shape the meatballs. They also turn out more juicy because the fat melts during cooking and not before.
• For easier rolling: Dip your hands into a bowl with water in between rolling each meatball.
• Do not open the lid: During slow cooking do not lift the lid and peek inside to check on meatballs. Every time you do that, the steam escapes and cooking time increases. It’s OK to check on meatballs towards the end though.

What Do I Serve Porcupine Meatballs with?

Porcupine meatballs are a meal on their own including the meat and rice. However, if you’re super hungry you could serve it with extra starch like healthy mashed potatoes or Instant Pot mashed potatoes.

I usually make super simple cucumber and tomato salad or garlic green beans to go with meatballs. They also pair well with cabbage like this braised cabbage and apples.

On lazy days, it is a green smoothie or just some crusty bread for mopping up the sauce!

How to Store

Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Freeze cooked: Fully cook, cool completely, and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw porcupine meatballs in a refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a microwave or in the oven at 375 F for 10 minutes.

Or freeze uncooked: Form the meatballs, place on a baking sheet and freeze for up to 2 hours. Then transfer to a Ziploc bag and store in a freezer for up to 3 months.

When ready to cook, I would recommend to bake them from frozen with extra 10 minutes. For Instant Pot, no changes are necessary. And for slow cooker, you have to thaw meatballs first and then cook as per recipe.

FAQs

More Dinner Recipes to Try

• Healthy turkey meatballs
• Turkey meatball soup
• Slow cooker turkey meatloaf
• Cranberry turkey meatballs

You might also love to browse all of my healthy ground turkey recipes!

Print

Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs

Porcupine Meatballs made easy with uncooked rice, ground turkey, eggs and without tomato sauce. Then bake, cook in slow cooker or Instant Pot.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 12 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 12 minutes minutes

Servings 10 meatballs

Calories 193kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Slow cooker

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground turkey chicken, beef or pork
• 1 cup brown rice uncooked, rinsed & drained
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or 1/2 tsp dried basil + 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth low sodium
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons green onions, parsley or dill finely chopped (for garnish)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, add ground turkey, rice, eggs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix just enough to combine.
• Form 10 large meatballs a size just a bit shy of a tennis ball’s size. Or you can make 20 or so smaller meatballs.
• Place in a single layer on a bottom of large slow cooker. Meatballs will fit snuggly. Just pack them gently and tight. Pour broth gently over the meatballs.
• Slow cook on Low for 7-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours.
• In a small bowl, whisk cold water with cornstarch. Pour slurry over the meatballs, cover and cook on High for 10-20 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Serve warm.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
• Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely, and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in a refrigerator overnight. Reheat in a microwave or in the oven at 375 F for 10 minutes.
• In Instant Pot: Pressure cook on High pressure for 15 minutes in 8 quart Instant Pot or for 20 minutes in 6 quart Instant Pot. Release pressure right away and separate meatballs. Press Saute, whisk in a slurry and cook until sauce has thickened a bit.
• In the oven: Bake porcupine meatballs in a baking dish while covered in preheated oven to 375 degrees F oven for 45 minutes. Check for doneness and if rice is ready, uncover and pour the slurry into the liquid spots. Bake for another 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

Nutrition

Serving: 1meatball | Calories: 193kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 292mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

The post Slow Cooker Porcupine Meatballs appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes are creamy, fluffy and perfect side dish to anything! Ready in 30 minutes, making mashed potatoes in Instant Pot requires no dicing or draining the spuds.

We also love these Instant Pot baked potatoes and Instant Pot potatoes for an easy side dish.

My grandma always made the most simple healthy mashed potatoes with butter and milk. Now I do the same but I turn a lot of her dishes into Instant Pot recipes!

The Instant Pot has turned my cooking style upside down. For mashed potatoes in Instant Pot, you don’t have to cut potatoes super small, drain the water after pressure cooking or heat up the milk.

It’s made in one pot, just like Instant Pot meatloaf and mashed potatoes and Instant Pot potato soup.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Quick and easy: Peel or don’t peel your potatoes, and ready in 30 minutes.
• One pot: Less dishes to clean, more time to spend with your family!
• Fluffy and flavorful: Same smooth, creamy and full of buttery flavor side dish as you know.
• Make ahead: Save time at Christmas and Thanksgiving, make potatoes ahead, leave on Keep Warm and they are ready to serve at dinner time.
• Freezer friendly: Meal prep to always have some on hand for busy weeknights.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

To make creamy Instant Pot mashed potatoes, you will need 4 simple ingredients plus water, salt and pepper.

• Potatoes: Starchy russet or buttery Yukon gold potatoes work best.
• Cold water: Be sure not to use warm water or hot water because it will throw off the cooking time. The starchy, salty water from the Instant Pot is used after cooking to mash your potatoes. This means no draining!
• Whole milk: It will produce the creamiest mashed potatoes results without using sour cream or cream cheese. But you can use any milk you like to use in regular your mashed potatoes.
• Butter: Use unsalted butter or salted butter and adjust accordingly when adding additional salt.
• Garlic powder: For savory taste. You can also use grated small fresh garlic clove or omit all together.
• Simple seasonings: Salt and pepper.

How to Make Mashed Potatoes in Instant Pot

Here is a quick overview how to make Instant Pot mashed potatoes. You can find full recipe card down below.

• Combine ingredients: In any size Instant Pot, add potatoes, cold water and salt. Water doesn’t have to cover the potatoes. Adding salt before cooking helps to flavor the spuds.
• Cook the potatoes: Pressure cook potatoes on high pressure for 10 minutes Instant Pot Duo comes with low and high pressure, so pay attention. Instant Pot Lux cooks only on high pressure, so just press Manual button.
• Release the pressure: Release the pressure right away by turning valve to Venting, Quick Release. No need to drain the water as most of it should be absorbed by potatoes. But you can, if you wish.
• Season and mash: Add butter, milk, garlic powder, salt, pepper and mash potatoes with a potato masher until creamy and fluffy.

What Are the Best Potatoes for Mashed Potatoes?

The golden standard for mashed potatoes are starchy potatoes like russet potatoes.

However, I can’t say that you cannot use red potatoes, yellow potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes. Yes, they are more waxy but, in my experience, they still yield delicious mashed potatoes in Instant Pot. It comes down to personal preference.

Tips for Best Results

• Peel or don’t peel the potatoes: You can leave the skin on or peel it on any thin skin potatoes like red potatoes, yellow potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes. I recommend to always peel russet potatoes because their skin is quite thick.
• Do not use blender or food processor: To mash the potatoes. They will turn out sticky like glue. I have not tried an electric hand mixer but I know it is often used.
• To prevent lumpy potatoes: Mash right after cooking, while potatoes are still hot and the most starchy.
• To double the recipe: Perfect for serving a crowd. Double all ingredients, except water, in 5, 6, 8 or 10 quart Instant Pot but keep same cook time.
• Salt potatoes during cooking: Potatoes absorb salt and become more flavorful during cooking. If you salt potatoes after, there is a risk of overworking the potatoes, making them gooey.

Variations

• Milk: You can replace milk with buttermilk or plain yogurt. Both have more tang, especially yogurt. You can also use unsweetened non-dairy milk but keep in mind that taste will be different.
• Butter: You can use olive oil or vegan butter to make this Instant Pot mashed potatoes recipe dairy-free. Remember to use plant-based milk then as well.
• Sour cream or cream cheese: Add a small amount for loaded mashed potatoes. And might as well add freshly grated cheese and bacon bits at this point!
• Fresh chives: As a garnish to add fresh onion taste.
• Fresh herbs: Finely chopped parsley, dill, sage, thyme or rosemary add a special touch for a holiday dinner. 

What to Serve with Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes?

There are a million ways to serve mashed potatoes! They go just about with any protein, especially meat dishes with juice or sauce.

Making mashed potatoes in Instant Pot is super convenient for Holidays because they free up room on the stove. You can keep potatoes warm in your pressure cooker, right after cooking, until everyone is ready to sit down for a meal.

• Ground meat: With juicy turkey meatloaf or turkey meatballs.
• Chicken: With oven baked chicken thighs or creamy chicken and asparagus.
• Lamb: With saucy braised lamb shanks or succulent lamb roast.
• Thanksgiving: With turkey breast roast, drizzled with gravy, cranberry sauce, healthy green bean casserole and Instant Pot steamed vegetables on a side.

How to Store and Reheat

Storing: Refrigerate Instant Pot mashed potatoes leftovers for up to 3 days.

Reheating: You should try my favorite way to reheat mashed potatoes – on a skillet with oil or butter. They get a bit of an irresistible crust. Or warm up on the stove on low heat with a splash of milk.

Freezing: Unlike potato cubes, mashed potatoes freeze well because they are mashed with dairy products. Freeze the mash in portions with future use in mind, in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter for 4-5 hours or in the fridge overnight.

Make ahead by refrigerating peeled and cubed potatoes in a bowl covered with cold water for up to 2 days. Cook as per recipe.

FAQs

More Mashed Potato Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot potato salad
• Cauliflower mashed potatoes
• Healthy mashed sweet potatoes
• Slow cooker cauliflower mashed potatoes
• Instant Pot sweet potato casserole
• Instant Pot chicken and potatoes

Also I recommend you browse this collection of 45 healthy Instant Pot recipes.

Print

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Creamy, fluffy and buttery Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes made in one pot, no dicing, no draining and hassle free thanks to pressure cooker.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Pressure Up & Down Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 209kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 3 pounds russet or yukon gold potatoes peeled & cut into large rounds
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chives, parsley, dill or green onions for garnish (optional)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• To Instant Pot, add potatoes, cold water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Liquid will not and should not cover the potatoes.
• Close the lid, move pressure valve to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 10 minutes.
• After, release pressure immediately by turning pressure release valve to Venting. No need to drain the potatoes but you can, if you wish.
• Add butter, milk, garlic powder, remaining 1/4 teaspoons salt and pepper. Mash with a potato masher until creamy and fluffy.
• Garnish with fresh herbs and serve hot as a side dish.

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Freeze: Unlike potato cubes, mashed potatoes freeze well because they are mashed with dairy. Freeze in portions with future use in mind in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter for 4-5 hours or in the fridge overnight. Warm up on the stove on low with a splash of milk.
• Watch sodium: If using salted butter, add less salt.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.75cup | Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 333mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g

The post Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Homemade Instant Pot Chicken Broth is flavorful, easy and so budget friendly. Making it in your electric pressure cooker is completely hands-off method.

Instant Pot chicken noodle soup and Instant Pot chicken and rice soup are just a few favorite recipes to use homemade chicken broth.

As you may know, Instant Pot recipes make quite a large chunk of recipes on iFoodReal, and Instant Pot chicken broth along with Instant Pot beef bone broth are the ones I make almost weekly!

Because it’s so easy to throw in any meat or bones along with whatever vegetables I have going in my fridge drawers, and end up with a giant pot of “liquid gold” at the end. Kids love it and healthy dinner is taken care of for about $15.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Budget friendly: Use affordable cuts of chicken, chicken necks, bones or even put leftover carcass from cooking whole chicken in Instant Pot to use. Chicken broth is also a great way to use up veggie scraps, just collect them in the freezer over time.
• Hands off cooking method: Unlike stovetop chicken broth recipe, with chicken broth in Instant Pot you don’t have to wait for it to boil and then skim the foam.
• Control the sodium level: Store bought chicken broth, whether bouillon cubes, carton or in a can, can come with a lot of sodium in a shape of added salt or MSG. When you make it at home from scratch, you have complete control over the ingredients.
• More flavorful: Pressure cooker really does a good job extracting the flavor from meat, skin and bones of the chicken. Homemade chicken broth is much more flavorful than store-bought.

What Is the Difference Between Chicken Broth and Chicken Stock?

When it comes to cooking chicken with water, there are 3 main types of the end result to expect:

• Chicken broth: It is usually made with bone-in and some skin on chicken meat, vegetables and seasonings. Simmered for not as long, chicken broth has a lighter consistency and weight to it but more flavor than chicken stock.
• Chicken stock: Making a stock always involves the bones of the chicken, not the meat. A stock isn’t always seasoned but can be made with an optional mirepoix of onions, celery and carrots.
• Chicken bone broth: Then there is also bone broth which is simply chicken stock simmered over a long period, sometimes up to 24 hours. Apple cider vinegar can be used to draw out the collagen from bones. With the Instant Pot, these 24 hours are drastically reduced to just under 3 hours. You can use it for cooking, however, traditionally it has been sipped on and enjoyed for all of its nutrients and healing properties.

All 3 have similarities and each one has a place in our food and our bodies!

Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Broth

To make Instant Pot chicken broth, all you need is almost any chicken, veggies and cold water.

• Chicken: You will need 2-3 pounds of bone-in chicken but not chicken breasts. Use chicken thighs, drumsticks, wings, necks, raw chicken carcass with some meat on it, or whole raw chicken or what’s left from cutting a whole chicken.
• Vegetables: Have you been collecting veggie scraps in the freezer? This is a great time to toss them in here. Or if you don’t have any, use carrots and celery stalks. I also added a few leeks. Then one garlic head and a whole onion.
• Seasoning: Bay leaves, whole black peppercorns, and salt.

How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Broth

Here is a photo overview how to make chicken broth in Instant Pot. You can find full recipe card below.

• Add chicken and veggies: In 6, 8 or 10 quart Instant Pot, add chicken, vegetables, bay leaves and peppercorns. Don’t add salt yet, we season chicken broth at the end.
• Add cold water: Now pour cold water up to 2/3 max fill line. It’s important not to use warm or hot water to avoid cloudy broth.
• Pressure cook: Close the lid and set vent to Sealing. Pressure Cook chicken broth on High pressure or Manual for 30-45 minutes. Instant Pot will take about 30 minutes to come to pressure.
• Release: Let the pressure release naturally for 30 minutes. This means don’t do anything to it until the pin drops. After turn valve to Venting position to release remaining pressure.
• Drain and season: Open the lid and strain the stock into a mesh strainer over a large bowl or clean pot. Remove cooked chicken into a bowl and separate later into meat and bones. Do a little taste test and season to your liking, I like to add 1-2 teaspoons of salt for low sodium chicken broth.

Tips for Best Results

• Start with cold water: Do not add hot water or warm water along with chicken and vegetables. It will make the broth more cloudy.
• Use only some chicken skin: Some chicken skin in chicken broth adds flavor. But if you add too much, broth will turn out too rich. If I am using chicken drumsticks or bone-in chicken thighs, I like to remove chicken skin by holding onto it with paper towel from about half of the meat.
• Avoid chicken breasts: Chicken breasts are white meat which is lean, it does lack flavor and fat. I don’t suggest you use them to make chicken broth as it will come out quite thin and flat.
• Add other seasonings: Feel free to add dried thyme, rosemary, parsley, oregano, Italian seasoning, or spices like cayenne, or turmeric before or after pressure cooking.
• If using frozen chicken or veggies: If your vegetable scraps and the chicken are frozen, no need to thaw anything ahead of time. Your Instant Pot will just take a bit longer to come up to pressure.

Ways to Use Instant Pot Chicken Broth

Other than many soups and stews, Instant Pot chicken broth can be added to other recipes like Instant Pot rice for more flavor, as a base for gravies, chicken chili, chicken stew, and Instant Pot soup recipes.

Here are a few of my favorite healthy Instant Pot recipes that call for chicken broth:

• Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup
• Instant Pot chicken wild rice soup
• Instant Pot Thai chicken soup
• Instant Pot chicken breast

Substitute Instant Pot chicken broth in any recipe that calls for water to add additional flavor!

How to Store and Freeze

Store: Chicken stock in an Instant Pot is perfect to make in big batches. It can be stored in jars or resealable gallon size bags for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Freeze: Store in the freezer for up to 3 months in a freezer-friendly container, leaving room for expansion. Or portion out between the ice cube trays to use when recipe calls for a small amount of chicken stock.

Reheat: You can reheat chicken broth on the stovetop. You want to thaw it in the fridge overnight or simmer on low heat in a pot while covered.

FAQs

Print

Instant Pot Chicken Broth

Homemade Instant Pot Chicken Broth is flavorful, easy and so budget friendly. Making it in your electric pressure cooker is completely hands-off method.

Course Soup and Stew

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Pressure Up & Down Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings 12 cups

Calories 11kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Mason jars
• Strainer

Ingredients

• 3 pounds bone-in chicken like chicken drumsticks, thighs, carcass or whole chicken
• 2 large carrots
• 1 large whole onion peeled
• 1 head of garlic halved
• 2 large celery stalks
• 1 cup veggies scraps
• 5 bay leaves
• 10 whole peppercorns
• 10-12 cups cold water
• 1-2 teaspoons salt

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot, add chicken, carrots, onion, garlic, celery, veggie scraps, bay leaves, peppercorns and cold water not exceeding 2/3 PC Max line.
• Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 45 minutes. After let pressure come down on its own for 30 minutes and then turn valve to Venting to release remaining pressure.
• Open the lid and first discard the vegetables with a mesh strainer. Then remove chicken and bones onto a large plate, let them cool down and remove meat from the bones. Season broth with salt and then strain through a fine mesh strainer.
• Add meat back in or use in other meals. Use broth for making soups or drink hot with fresh herbs and freshly cracked pepper.

Notes

• Store: Let cool completely and refrigerate in Mason jars or resealable silicone bags for up to 5 days.
• Freeze: Let cool completely, transfer to Mason jars or resealable silicone bags (leaving some room for expansion) for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or simmer in a covered pot on low heat.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 11kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.05g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 407mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

The post Instant Pot Chicken Broth appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

In this Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes recipe juicy, tender meatloaf and creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes cook at same time in an electric pressure cooker. It’s classic comfort food at its best!

It’s turkey meatloaf meets Instant Pot mashed potatoes in one pot!

If this Instant Pot meatloaf recipe doesn’t convince you to buy an Instant Pot, I don’t know what or who else will! You can make so many one pot meals in it!

This meatloaf in Instant Pot comes out mind blowing and kids gobble it up. I just love healthy Instant Pot recipes!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy: You will skip turning on the oven, stove and washing a few bowls. You mix, cook, slice and serve entire dinner in same 2 pans in your Instant Pot! You can even refrigerate leftovers in the same 2 pans. And then reheat them in the same 2 pans in Instant Pot.
• Juicy meatloaf: Meatloaf can be made with any ground meat and it always comes out juicy thanks to captured steam inside.
• Creamy mashed potatoes: Mashed potatoes in Instant Pot always come out extra tender and creamy.
• It can be made ahead: You can make it in the morning and press Keep Warm for hot dinner later. I often make it on the weekend and go shopping.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

There are two parts to the ingredients for this Instant Pot meatloaf recipe – for meatloaf and for mashed potatoes.

For the meatloaf you will need:

• Ground meat: Use ground beef, ground chicken, ground pork or ground turkey like me. It turns out delicious either way. For red meat, I recommend to go for extra lean ground beef or ground pork.
• Egg: For binding meatloaf ingredients. You can try to replace it with one flax egg or chia egg.
• Oats: We use oats in place of breadcrumbs (forgot to picture it). I like to use rolled oats but you can also use quick oats, quick cooking steel cut oats or even steel cut oats. You can use equal amount of regular breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs as well.
• Garlic powder: To add flavor. Onion powder works just as well.
• Dried oregano: For more flavor. Also use your favorite dried herbs like dried thyme, dried basil or Italian seasoning.
• Salt and pepper
• Ketchup: For the glaze. I like to keep meatloaf recipe simple and it turns out delicious!

For the mashed potatoes you will need:

• Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes are the best choice for mashed potatoes since you don’t have to peel them, just cut into large chunks. You can also use russet potatoes but be sure to peel first.
• Water: Cold water to cook the potatoes in.
• Milk: Classic ingredient to make mashed potatoes creamy. I use whole milk but any milk works.
• Butter: To add another layer of flavor and creaminess to the potatoes. You can also use ghee.
• Salt and pepper

How to Make Instant Pot Meatloaf

To cook meatloaf and mashed potatoes in the Instant Pot, I’m using these two stainless steel pans. They are stackable, fit 6 quart and 8 quart Instant Pots and you can buy them on Amazon.

But don’t worry, if you don’t have them, below I share how to cook meatloaf with tin foil.

While this Instant Pot meatloaf recipe might seem hard and labor intensive, I assure you it’s one of the easiest Instant Pot recipes! There is also detailed recipe card with video below.

• Prep the potatoes: To the bottom pan, add chopped into large pieces potatoes and cold water.
• Prep the meatloaf: To the top pan, add ground meat of choice, egg, oats and spices. Mix with your hands and shape meat mixture into oval or round shape. Do not add water.
• Close and stack the pans: Stack the pans with meatloaf on top, making sure the lids cover them tightly. Then secure the easy-lift handle around them.

• Cook meatloaf and potatoes: Into 6 quart or 8 quart Instant Pot, add 1 cup cold water. Pressure cook on High Pressure for 25 minutes. You will either press Manual or Pressure Cook button. After release pressure right away, called Quick Release, by turning the valve to Venting position.
• Open the pans: They are hot and full of steam, so do it carefully wearing the oven mitts.
• Bottom pan with potatoes: Drain water. Add butter, milk, salt and pepper and mash the potatoes with a potato masher.
• Top pan with meatloaf: Squirt some ketchup on top and spread with a mini spatula or pastry brush.

That’s it! Your Instant Pot meatloaf and mashed potatoes are ready! As an option, you can place the meatloaf on a baking sheet and broil under the oven’s broiler to brown the top.

Tips for Best Results

• Do not overwork the meat: When mixing the meat mixture, mix just enough to combine. Otherwise, your meatloaf might turn out tough and rubbery.
• If you would like to use 2 pounds of meat: The question I get asked the most about this Instant Pot meatloaf recipe. I would recommend to shape it into a round shape instead of oval shape to make sure it cooks through. Pressure cooking time will not change.
• To cut recipe in half: Cut all ingredients in half but keep same cooking time. Just use same 1 cup of cold water added to the bottom of pressure cooker.
• With 3 quart Instant Pot: You will need to use smaller mini pans or the foil method. Use half the amount of ingredients, keeping the same cook time.
• If using ground beef or pork: If the meat you use is not lean, I recommend to drain the extra fat from the pan after cooking the meatloaf.

Can I Make Meatloaf in Instant Pot Using Foil?

If you do not have or do not wish to buy stainless steel pans, you can use aluminum foil to cook meatloaf and potatoes in Instant Pot. You will create “a pan” for the meatloaf to place on top of the potatoes.

Here is a quick photo visual with instructions:

• Add potatoes: Add chopped potatoes and cold water in the Instant Pot.
• Place trivet on top: Then put trivet that came with Instant Pot on top of the potatoes. Doesn’t matter if it has handles or not.
• Shape meatloaf in a foil “pan”: Mix and form meat mixture into an oval meatloaf on top of double layered foil and then shape foil into “a bowl”.
• Pressure cook: Cook as per recipe.

What to Serve with Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes?

While this is a one pot dinner, adding a few colorful vegetable side dishes is always a good idea!

Try to serve meatloaf and potatoes with quick and simple garlic green beans, sauteed broccoli or Instant Pot steamed vegetables (make them in 3 minutes after cooking the meatloaf).

As for the salad, I think this arugula feta salad, cucumber tomato feta salad or bell pepper salad with pair nicely.

If you have time, try your hand in making Ukrainian garlic bread.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Refrigerate leftovers in the same pans you cooked meatloaf and potatoes in for up to 2 days. Or transfer them into two separate airtight containers.

I personally find that mashed potatoes do not taste fresh after 2 days but you can store them another 1-2 days, if you wish.

Reheat: I recommend to slice leftover meatloaf for even reheating. To reheat, pop covered stainless steel pans into the Instant Pot, add 1 cup water and press Pressure Cook or Manual button for 1 minute.

Or reheat in a microwave for 2 minutes, check back and see if it needs more time.

FAQs

More Instant Pot Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot chicken and potatoes
• Instant Pot potatoes
• Instant Pot ground beef stroganoff
• Instant Pot meatballs
• Instant Pot pork chops

Print

Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes

In Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes recipe juicy, tender meatloaf and creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes cook together in one pot, in your electric pressure cooker.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Pressure Up & Down Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4 servings

Calories 413kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Stackable stainless pans
• Trivet
• Mini spatulas

Ingredients

For the Meatloaf (Top Pan):

• 1 pound ground meat beef, turkey or chicken
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup oats any
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano basil, thyme or Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons ketchup

For the Mashed Potatoes (Bottom Pan):

• 2 pounds potatoes cubed
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

How to Make Meatloaf in Stackable Pans

• Bottom pan: Add potatoes and water.
• Top pan: Add ground turkey, egg, oats, balsamic vinegar, dried herbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Using your hands mix well. Shape meat mixture into oval or round meatloaf shape. Do not add water.
• Place lid on a pan with meatloaf. Then stack it on top of pan with potatoes. You want top pan to sit comfortably. If too many potatoes, remove some and save in a bowl with cold water for another recipe.
• Into 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot, add 1 cup water. Place both pans in a trivet (sling) that came with pans, secure it and place inside Instant Pot.
• Close the lid, set pressure release valve to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High Pressure or Manual for 25 minutes. After release pressure using Quick Release method – turn valve to Venting immediately after cooking.
• With a mitt on, remove pans from Instant Pot on a towel and open them.
• Bottom pan with potatoes: Drain the water and add butter, milk, salt and pepper. Mash.
• Top pan with meatloaf: Squirt some ketchup on top and spread with a mini spatula or brush. Slice meatloaf right in a pan and serve!

How to Make Meatloaf Using Foil

• Potatoes: Place potatoes and water at the bottom of Instant Pot. Then put trivet that came with Instant Pot on top. Doesn't matter if it has handles or not.
• Meatloaf: And then shape meat mixture into a meatloaf on top of double layered foil and then shape foil into a bowl. Place on a trivet.
• Close the lid, set pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual button for 25 minutes. After release the pressure immediately.
• Drain and mash potatoes with butter, milk, salt and pepper. Glaze loaf with ketchup. Slice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate leftovers in the same pans for up to 2 days. Or transfer to an airtight container. Mashed potatoes do not taste fresh after 2 days.
• Reheat: Slice loaf for even reheating. To reheat, pop covered stainless steel pans in Instant Pot, add 1 cup water and press Pressure Cook or Manual for 1 minute. Or reheat in a microwave for 2 minutes, check back and see if it needs more time.

Nutrition

Calories: 413kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 119mg | Sodium: 886mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g

The post Instant Pot Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

This wholesome soup is a delicious cross between meaty stuffed peppers and tomato soup that the entire family will love!

As the weather starts to cool, I love turning family favorites into hearty, warming soups and stews that warm you to the bones and fill up your belly. And this healthy stuffed bell pepper soup is at the top of mine and my family’s list!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy and versatile: Cook on the stovetop, Instant Pot or slow cooker (please see FAQs below). 
• One pot meal: No extra pots and bowls to wash.
• Budget-friendly: Made with pantry staples you probably already have on hand!
• Nourishing and immune-boosting: Tender rice, veggies, ground meat and herbs provide fat, fiber and protein. Loaded with vegetables high in both antioxidants and vitamin C, A, and E.
• A crowd pleaser: Even veggie-hating children gobble up this delicious soup. It is also naturally gluten-free and dairy-free which means you can serve it to a crowd.
• Freezer and meal-prep friendly: A big batch of soup means you can save some for later.

Ingredients for Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

While the list may look a little long, this stuffed pepper soup is primarily made of pantry staples and easy-to-find ingredients.

• Protein: You can use ground turkey, ground beef or ground chicken. I usually use ground turkey for a lower fat, lower cholesterol and lower calorie option.
• Aromatics: You’ll need yellow onion, garlic cloves and a few bay leaves. 
• Vegetables: All you need is celery and bell peppers. You can use a combination of green, yellow, orange or red bell peppers. Note that green bell peppers aren’t as sweet and are slightly bitter.
• Rice: White rice or brown rice works in this soup recipe although brown rice requires longer cooking time.
• Seasonings: I used a combination of dried thyme, oregano, salt and ground black pepper.
• Tomatoes: Unstuffed pepper soup requires a can of diced tomatoes plus some low sodium tomato sauce.
• Broth: Feel free to use vegetable broth, chicken broth, beef broth, or even water.
• Sweetener: A little honey or maple syrup will help balance the acidity in the tomato products.
• Vinegar: Just a teaspoon of white vinegar adds depth to the flavor of the soup. Alternatively, you can add a little lemon juice or Worcestershire sauce. 
• Herbs: Finely chopped fresh parsley or fresh dill will add even more flavor as garnish.
• Oil: Use any neutral cooking oil like olive oil or avocado oil.

How to Make Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

Here is a quick breakdown how to make stuffed pepper soup. There is full recipe card below.

We saute veggies, meat and cook the rice all in one pot. I use my beloved 6-quart Dutch oven.

• Sear the meat: Heat a large pot over high heat with a swirl of oil. Add diced onion, fresh garlic and ground meat. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring often and breaking the meat down into smaller pieces.
• Saute the vegetables: Then add bell pepper, celery, rice, and spices. Saute for a further 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Add the broth ingredients: Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, sweetener, vinegar, and bay leaves. Stir well and bring to a boil.
• Allow the soup to simmer: Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover pot with a lid and simmer soup for 20 minutes with white rice or for 40 minutes if using brown rice. After ensure rice is tender. If not, simmer covered for a few more minutes.

Tips for Best Results

• If you decide to use ground beef: Choose a lean beef option like 90% lean ground beef whenever possible. I recommend to drain the fat after browning it.
• If you would like to cook rice separately: Some people prefer to cook and store rice separately and only add to the soup bowls when serving. That way, it won’t become mushy while sitting in the broth. Also reduce broth in the soup by about 2 cups then.
• Using leftover rice or meat: You can use leftover cooked rice or ground beef in this soup. You can still add the meat at the beginning and add rice in the last few minutes, just enough to warm up in the broth. However, I still recommend simmering the soup broth for 30-40 minutes for the best flavor. 
• Don’t take simmering shortcuts: Even when using leftover rice or meat, I don’t recommend reducing the cook time to below 35-40 minutes for the best flavor. If you do it much less, the tomatoes will taste overly acidic and overpower entire dish.
• If you don’t have any low sodium products: If you use regular canned diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, I recommend to skip adding any extra salt until the very end. Then season to taste.
• Fresh herbs: Add the fresh herbs to the pot right before serving. Otherwise, they will “cook”.

Variations

• Spice: If you’d like to add a hint of heat to this unstuffed bell pepper soup, I recommend adding either a little chili powder, red pepper flakes or even hot sauce to taste. You can also add some canned diced chilies for an extra heat kick.
• Seasoning: Swap out Italian herbs for taco seasoning.
• Lower carb: Use cauliflower rice in place of regular rice. No need to pre-cook it, just add at the end and hot soup broth will soften it within minutes.
• Other vegetables: Beef up this soup more with extra veggies like fresh or frozen peas, frozen or canned corn, canned beans etc. at the every end of cook time.
• Lemon: You can serve this stuffed pepper soup with lemon wedges to add some bright flavor to the soup like we do in lemon chicken orzo soup.
• Cumin: A pinch of cumin adds a wonderful extra layer of flavor.

What to Serve with Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup?

We like to serve stuffed pepper soup topped with more chopped fresh herbs, a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt in each individual bowl. And with a few slices of toasted rye bread, whole wheat bread or sourdough bread.

You could also sprinkle each hot bowl with a bit of mozzarella cheese and it will melt into it. Delicious!

As for side dishes, I don’t think you need anything heavy to go with it as it’s a meal on its own. But here are a few ideas if you are serving a crowd:

• Side salad: Stuffed pepper soup pairs well with a simple green side salad like this simple butter lettuce salad or lemony kale salad.
• Bread with dip: Any crusty bread or flatbread like naan can be served with olive oil dip. Or serve with garlic bread, cornbread or cornbread muffins.

How to Store and Reheat

Make ahead: Truth is that majority of soup recipes, especially my beloved borscht, taste even better on day 2 and 3 after the flavors have had some time to meld. So feel free to prepare it in advance!

Store: Allow soup to cool and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freeze: Cool soup completely before transferring to airtight containers or Ziplock bags. Freezing in portions is also great for meal prep. Freeze soup for up to 3 months. You can allow soup to thaw in the fridge or add it to a small covered saucepan over low heat to thaw and reheat.

Reheat: To reheat stuffed pepper soup, I recommend adding your desired amount to a small saucepan or heating in the microwave.

FAQs

More Stuffed Pepper Recipes

• Mexican stuffed peppers
• Ground chicken stuffed peppers
• Instant Pot stuffed peppers
• Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup
• Cream cheese stuffed mini peppers
• Goat cheese stuffed mini peppers

More Soup Recipes to Try

• Chicken wild rice soup
• Minestrone soup
• Instant Pot minestrone soup
• Instant Pot taco soup

Alternately, browse 35 healthy soups recipes and 45 healthy ground turkey recipes!

Print

Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup

Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup is everything you love about stuffed peppers in a fuss-free warming bowl of soup. One pot meal ready in 50 minutes!

Course Soup and Stew

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 249kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Dutch oven

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef , turkey or chicken
• 1 large onion diced
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 4 large bell peppers chopped
• 2 large celery stalks diced
• 1 cup white rice or brown rice rinsed & drained
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme dried
• 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano dried
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 28 ounces diced tomatoes low sodium
• 14 ounces can tomato sauce low sodium
• 8 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth low sodium
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 3 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup parsley or dill finely chopped

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat large Dutch oven or pot on high heat, swirl oil to coat and add onion, garlic and ground meat. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring often and breaking meat into pieces.
• Add bell pepper, celery, rice, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Saute for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, broth, maple syrup, vinegar, bay leaves and bring to a boil covered. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 20 minutes with white rice and 40 minutes if using brown rice.
• Stir and adjust any seasonings to taste. If you have time, let stuffed pepper soup sit covered for 5 minutes.
• Add dill or parsley, stir and serve hot with a dollop of plain yogurt and slice of toasted bread.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat by simmering on low desired amount of soup in a small pot.
• Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a stovetop covered on low.
• Peppers: Green bell pepper tastes less sweet than orange, yellow or red. I love its addition, if you have it on hand. Mix as you wish or go even all one colour peppers.
• Ground beef : If using ground beef, I recommend to drain the fat. Do so in a city collected compost or garbage to prevent clogging your pipes.
• Not low sodium: If your canned tomatoes and broth are not low sodium, do not add salt and adjust to taste at the end.
• Herbs: Add fresh herbs right before serving to the pot. Otherwise, they will “cook”.
• Slow cooker: Saute ground meat until broken into small pieces on the stove. Then add all ingredients to a crock pot and cook on Low for 8 hours or on High for 4 hours.
• Instant Pot: To make soup in Instant Pot, saute meat first, then add remaining ingredients and cook on High pressure for 15 minutes with Quick Release.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 249kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 577mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g

The post Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Simple Butter Lettuce Salad tossed in an oil and vinegar dressing and layered with green onion and fresh dill. This very simple side dish is fresh, crisp, and goes with anything!

We also love this 10-minute simple spring mix salad!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Very simple recipe: This quick and easy butter lettuce salad recipe is a variation of my lettuce salad with cucumber and tomatoes, but I wanted to keep this one simple and the dressing very heavy on vinegar with lots and lots of fresh herbs. I love those!
• Healthy and delicious: Butter lettuce is brimming with vitamins making it very nutritious, and fresh herbs are both healthy and add tons of flavor.
• Versatile: You can make this delicious side with any green leaf lettuce like romaine lettuce, green lettuce or iceberg lettuce and it will be perfect year round for any occasion.

What Is Butter Lettuce?

Butter lettuce is named for its soft, tender texture and large delicate leaves. Also called Bibb lettuce, Boston lettuce, or butterhead lettuce, this variety of green leaf lettuce is bright green with a mild floral flavor that’s sweet to taste.

It’s great for salads and the outer leaves make perfect lettuce wraps.

Ingredients for Simple Butter Lettuce Salad

Butter lettuce salad is made with bright green lettuce, fresh herbs, and a tangy homemade healthy salad dressing.

• Butter lettuce: I used one head, which gave me 7 cups once chopped. You can use any lettuce you like, and remember a salad spinner is the quickest way to wash and dry your greens.
• Fresh dill: I love the citrus-like taste of dill, it’s always my go-to for simple healthy salad recipes, especially those dressed in a vinaigrette.
• Green onion: This small veggie adds a punch of flavor. If you want a less oniony taste omit the white bulbs, the green part has a milder flavor.
• Salad dressing: An easy and healthy mixture of extra-virgin olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.

How to Make Butter Lettuce Salad

4 easy steps and 10 minutes is all it takes to make butter lettuce salad. You can make it any time and pair it with any main dish.

There is also a full recipe card below.

• Combine vegetables and herbs: Add chopped lettuce, green onion, and dill to a large mixing bowl.
• Dress the salad: You don’t need to whisk the dressing separately, just drizzle the oil and vinegar on top, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Mix: Gently toss salad until combined. I find salad serving spoons are easiest to use for mixing.
• Serve: This delicious salad is best served immediately and goes well with any meat, chicken or seafood.

Tips for Best Results

Here are 5 tips for making the perfect salad with butter lettuce.

• Add a lot of fresh herbs: Large handfuls of herbs add so much flavor and keep the salad light and fresh.
• Make and serve it right away: Lettuce salads are best served within the first hour after tossing. Even with a small amount of dressing, the leaves wilt quickly.
• Treat it as a simple side dish: This simple green salad is a delicious co-star to your favorite main dish.
• Reduce vinegar: I wanted a dressing that was heavy on vinegar but a little goes a long way for flavor, so feel free to reduce it. If you’d like to add a citrus kick, then adding some lemon juice or lime juice would work well.
• Season more to taste: Measure with your heart, herbs and spices really up the flavor. Try a variation of herbs like fresh parsley, mint, basil, or chives. Garlic is another easy way to add more taste.

Variations

• Make it creamy: If you’re in the mood for a creamier salad, add a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt or my personal preference, sour cream. A dash of Dijon mustard also makes the dressing creamy with a touch of heat.
• Add crunch: My boys will always top their salads with sourdough croutons. You could also add some toasted nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cashews, or pecans. Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds also add crunch while keeping it nut-free. And sometimes I’ll even sprinkle some panko breadcrumbs on top.
• Crunchy vegetables you can add: Cucumbers, carrots, radishes, and bell peppers cut into bite-sized pieces are great for adding crunch, color, and flavor. Apples are great too for a sweeter crunch.
• Play with lettuce: I love tender butter lettuce leaves but any green leaf lettuce would work for this recipe.
• Other ingredients that would go well: Parmesan cheese is always a go-to garnish. Add olives, banana peppers, artichokes or sun-dried tomatoes. And if you’re a huge dill fan, you could also chop up some pickles.

What Do You Serve This Salad with?

This very simple green salad goes with literally anything from cozy weeknight dinners like easy spaghetti recipe, cauliflower shepherd’s pie or a delicious sirloin tip roast, to grilling season must-haves, and lunch time favorites grilled cheese and healthy tuna melt.

How to Store

Store: You can refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container, make sure to use up within 24 hours for best results.

Freeze: Do not freeze, because of the high water content lettuce will turn to mush and salad will be soggy.

FAQs

More Lettuce Recipes to Try

• Healthy chicken lettuce wraps
• Grilled romaine lettuce
• Italian chopped salad

More Salad Recipes to Try

• Arugula feta salad
• Arugula beet salad

Print

Butter Lettuce Salad

Simple Butter Lettuce Salad tossed in oil and vinegar and layered with green onion and dill. 10 minute side dish that goes with anything!

Course Salad

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 76kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Salad spinner

Ingredients

• 7 cups butter lettuce or any green lettuce chopped
• 1/2 cup dill finely chopped
• 3/4 cup green onion finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large bowl, add lettuce, dill and green onion.
• Drizzle with oil and vinegar, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Using salad serving spoons, toss salad gently until combined.
• Serve immediately as a simple side dish with any meat, chicken or seafood.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 24 hours.
• To make ahead: Refrigerate lettuce and herbs covered in a bowl for up to 24 hours. Add oil, salt and pepper right before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 76kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 137mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g

The post Simple Butter Lettuce Salad appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers recipe made with ground beef or ground turkey, rice, and simple seasonings. Then cooked in an array of beautifully colored bell peppers topped with zesty tomato sauce.

For a quicker version, try my Instant Pot stuffed pepper soup.

My mom and grandma made ground chicken stuffed peppers non-stop from September to October during the bell pepper season. These days, I make Instant Pot stuffed peppers twice as fast, anytime throughout the year.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy: It’s a great weeknight healthy dinner that you can pull off in under 1 hour. And it makes up to 8 or 9 peppers, depending on the size of your Instant Pot.
• One pot meal: You can use pre-cooked rice or cook rice in the Instant Pot.
• Classic taste: It’s one of Instant Pot recipes that has the traditional flavors and feel of classic comfort dish but with modern conveniences of fast and easy.
• Budget-friendly: A great money saving meal as most ingredients are in your budget or in your pantry.
• Can easily serve a crowd: But the recipe can also be cut in half for a smaller meal.
• Makes great leftovers: And truth be told, they taste just as good cold!

Ingredients for Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers

To make Instant Pot stuffed peppers you will need just a handful of simple ingredients.

• Bell peppers: Red peppers, orange peppers and yellow peppers are sweet. Green bell peppers are more bitter but can be used, I love them! Pick large and straight bell peppers, firm to the touch and without soft spots.
• Ground meat: Lean ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken, ground pork or ground lamb works. If you use ground poultry, it is more lean, so I recommend to add a few tablespoons of oil.
• Rice: White rice or brown rice works. Prep time will be a bit longer because you have to pre-cook the rice and both require different cook times. If you have leftover rice like Instant Pot jasmine rice or Instant Pot basmati rice, you can use that.
• Tomato sauce: Low sodium canned tomato sauce.
• Onion: Yellow onion or white onion.
• Simple seasonings: Dried thyme, dried oregano, dried basil or replace with Italian seasoning. Red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

How to Make Stuffed Peppers in Instant Pot

Here is a quick overview how to make stuffed peppers in Instant Pot.

• Prep rice and peppers: I like to cook brown rice in the Instant Pot while I am prepping the peppers. Wash bell peppers and cut the tops off with a paring knife as close to the tail part as possible. Then scoop out seeds with a tablespoon.
• Make stuffing: In a large bowl, combine pre-cooked rice, ground meat, minced onion, dried oregano, thyme and basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands.
• Stuff the peppers: Divide stuffing evenly among the hollowed out peppers. They will be pretty full and it is fine as mixture will not double in size. Place them on top of trivet in the Instant Pot and pour broth on the side. Top each pepper generously with tomato sauce.
• Pressure cook stuffed peppers in Instant Pot: Close the lid, set vent to Sealing position and press Pressure Cook button on High pressure or Manual button for 10 minutes. Once cook time is over, you can release pressure using Quick Pressure Release or let it subside on its own. Open the lid and your Instant Pot stuffed peppers are ready to be served.

What Size Instant Pot Can I Cook Stuffed Peppers in?

Size of Instant Pot you have changes how many stuffed bell peppers you can pressure cook at same time.

I have 8 quart Instant Pot and it’s large enough to cook all 8-9 bell peppers at once. If you own 6 quart Instant Pot, cook stuffed peppers in 2 batches or cut the recipe in half.

3 quart Instant Pot should fit 4 large peppers. Cut recipe in half and keep same pressure cooking time.

Tips for Best Results

• You can use different rice: White rice and brown rice have different cook times. White rice in pressure cooker is ready in 3 minutes and brown rice needs 22 minutes.
• You can replace rice with uncooked quinoa: To skip on pre-cooking the rice step, use dry quinoa instead. Pressure cooking time will change to 15 minutes in 8 quart Instant Pot and 20 minutes in a 6 quart Instant Pot.
• If using ground turkey or ground chicken: Add a few tablespoons of oil to add moisture as poultry meat is pretty dry on its own.
• Stacking peppers is fine: There is enough space between peppers for pressure to build up.
• Add some cheese: If you would like a bit of melted cheese on your Instant Pot stuffed bell peppers, sprinkle a little on top before serving and let the residual heat melt it. Mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, provolone cheese or parmesan cheese are great choices.
• Make them vegetarian: You can replace ground beef with finely diced sautéed mushrooms and black beans or pinto beans, or crumbled tofu. Cook time will stay the same.

What Should I Serve Stuffed Peppers with?

These juicy stuffed peppers are filled to the brim with seasoned tender meat and rice and topped with rich tomato sauce. We like to serve them with cool creamy yogurt or sour cream and rye bread. Toasted whole wheat bread mimics freshly baked rye bread as well.

I like to break stuffed peppers on my plate, mix with yogurt and dip bread into the sauce. The flavorful combination of tomato sauce and tangy yogurt or sour cream is delicious!

Stuffed peppers are a complete meal because every bell pepper comes with a vegetable, grain, and protein. However, if we serve it with something, it’s usually a simple salad like butter lettuce salad or cucumber bell pepper salad.

How to Store and Reheat

Storing: Refrigerate Instant Pot stuffed peppers for up to 5 days. I do not recommend to freeze cooked or uncooked peppers because the fibers in bell pepper are not strong enough for the freezer. Peppers will almost disintegrate once thawed.

Reheating: To reheat stuffed peppers, place them in a pot with the juices, cover and cook on low heat on the stove for 10 minutes. The steam will warm them through.

Can I Make Them Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can prepare stuffed peppers ahead of time and cook them in Instant Pot later. Stuff the bell peppers, place them in a large baking dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Cook as per recipe when ready to eat!

I do not recommend to freeze assembled bell peppers because peppers will disintegrate upon thawing. Some readers still do it and are OK with the results.

FAQs

More Stuffed Recipe to Try

• Mexican stuffed peppers
• Stuffed bell pepper soup
• Cream cheese stuffed mini peppers
• Goat cheese stuffed mini peppers

More Instant Pot Recipes to Try

• Instant Pot cabbage rolls
• Instant Pot chicken and rice
• Instant Pot jambalaya
• Instant Pot chicken and rice soup

Looking for more dinner ideas? Check out my most popular collection of 45 healthy Instant Pot recipes.

Print

Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers

Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers with ground beef, rice, and simple seasonings cooked in bell peppers topped with tomato sauce. 1 hour one pot meal!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Pressure Up & Down Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 6 servings

Calories 547kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

• 8-9 medium-large bell peppers
• 2 pounds ground beef, ground turkey or ground pork
• 3/4 cup uncooked rice or 2 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 1 large onion minced
• 1 teaspoon oregano dried
• 1 teaspoon thyme dried
• 1 teaspoon basil dried
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 15 ounces can tomato sauce low sodium
• 1 cup vegetable stock or chicken stock low sodium

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In Instant Pot, add 3/4 cup rice and 3/4 cup cold water. Close the lid, set valve to Sealing and pressure cook on High pressure white rice for 3 minutes and brown rice for 22 minutes. After natural release the pressure for 10 minutes.
• While rice is cooking, using the paring knife cut around the tail of each bell pepper and discard seeds using a tablespoon. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, add ground beef, cooked rice, onion, oregano, thyme, basil, salt, red pepper flakes and ground black pepper. Using your hands or spatula, mix really well. Stuff peppers with mixture, dividing evenly.
• To Instant Pot, add trivet and vegetable stock. Arrange 1 layer of peppers and top with half of the tomato sauce. Lay remaining peppers and top with remaining sauce.
• Close the lid, turn release vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook or Manual on High Pressure for 10 minutes. Release pressure right away by turning the valve to Venting, Quick Release. Or let it subside on its own.
• Serve stuffed peppers with their juices from the bottom of the pot (turkey baster is the best to scoop those up), plain yogurt or sour cream and toasted whole wheat or rye bread.

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Not recommended to freeze.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5peppers | Calories: 547kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 615mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g

The post Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Tomato Cucumber Bell Pepper Salad is flavorful and ready in 10 minutes. Tossed in a simple olive oil dressing, it’s a delicious way to showcase summer’s finest veggies.

Use up more produce with my traditional Greek salad and Thai cucumber salad.

This is my kind of salad! A little crunchy, a little juicy, and a lot healthy. When I was a kid, we made cucumber bell pepper salad often. It’s always been a vibrant addition to the dinner table.

It’s a simple variation of cucumber and tomato salad with the addition of bell peppers. We’ll add, or not add, fresh herbs depending what’s on hand. This time I wanted a more simple salad with a bright olive oil flavor dressing.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Easy: As many know already, I absolutely love easy, one bowl salad recipes with little prep time and minimal clean up. You just need 10 minutes to make this amazing side dish.
• Beautiful: Super bright and flavorful, this veggie salad has a rainbow of color, texture, and taste.
• Healthy: This bell pepper salad is light, delicious, and gluten-free! Instead of a heavy dressing, the fresh ingredients are tossed in olive oil then seasoned with salt and pepper.

Ingredients for Cucumber Bell Pepper Salad

You’ll need a healthy mixture of fresh, wholesome ingredients to make this cucumber bell pepper salad.

• Bell peppers: Use any color of sweet bell pepper you like. I used yellow bell pepper and red bell pepper this time, you can also add orange bell pepper.
• Cucumber: I like English cucumber because it is sweeter, adds the perfect crunch, and you can leave the skin on.
• Tomatoes: Any tomato in season such as heirloom tomatoes or Roma tomatoes will add juiciness and a balanced tangy taste. My preferred store-bought kind is “tomatoes on the vine”. Cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes are always great for salads too.
• Red onion: I love adding sharp flavor and crispy texture with thin strips of red onion.
• Salad dressing: Extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper perfectly coat the vegetables, add a hint of nutty flavor, and some healthy fats.

How to Make Bell Pepper Salad

All it takes to make this bell pepper salad is chopping up your veggies then tossing in a simple dressing. Here’s a quick overview, there is a full recipe card below.

• Combine vegetables: Add all chopped bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and red onion to a large mixing bowl.
• Add dressing ingredients: Drizzle vegetables with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Stir and chill: Using a big spoon or fork, start from the bottom of the bowl in the center and gently stir until well combined. Set the mixed salad in the fridge for 10 minutes, this is important to let the flavors blend and mingle. Give it a taste, adjust any seasonings to taste, and toss once more.
• Serve: This tomato bell pepper salad is best served fresh, enjoy!

Tips for Best Results

This salad recipe is super easy to make, here are some easy tips that make it the best!

• Use sharp knife: Always slice vegetables with a sharp knife. It’s much easier and won’t mash the veggies.
• Pick fresh vegetables: Your salad will have the best flavor and texture when you pick fresh vegetables.
• Don’t use green bell pepper: This is a sweet, tangy salad and green bell peppers are too bitter, they’ll throw off the flavor.
• Let it chill: Even a short 10 minute chill gives the flavors time to mingle for a much tastier salad.
• Adjust seasonings to taste: Season as per recipe first and then adjust after sitting with more salt, pepper, and fresh herbs if you wish.

Variations

With all great salads comes a wide range of variations. Here’s a few ways you can make it your own and use what you have on hand.

• Use sunflower seed oil: Original bell pepper salad recipe calls for unrefined sunflower oil. It adds a very distinct flavor. You can find it in many Slavic and Eastern European stores.
• Add toasted sesame oil: Another oil with a very distinct taste. Add 1-2 tablespoons instead of some olive oil and this salad will taste next level amazing! But be sure to use only toasted sesame oil not just regular sesame oil.
• Add fresh herbs: I think most fresh herbs would add a nice finishing touch. Try fresh dill, flatleaf parsley, cilantro, or oregano. You can even add green onion as a garnish.
• Add white vinegar: Make a vinaigrette dressing by adding 1-2 tablespoons of white vinegar in addition to the olive oil. This also softens the bite of the red onion. If you don’t like vinegar, swap with fresh lemon juice.
• Add cheese: I’ll always add freshly crumbled feta cheese if I have it.
• Make it taste like viral salad: Sprinkle some everything but the bagel seasoning, chili crisp or red pepper flakes, and dress it with a sesame ginger dressing and it will taste like the viral cucumber bell pepper salad. I’m excited to give it a try!

What to Serve Bell Pepper Salad with?

This colorful salad is the perfect side dish to pair with all roasts, summery chicken, or your favorite grilled meat. Our favorites include boneless leg of lamb, chimichurri chicken, ground chicken burgers, and grilled salmon.

If you’d like to make it a meal just mix in some protein or grains. Make a veggie-loaded tuna salad, add chickpeas for a vegetarian main dish, or mix in some cooked quinoa.

How to Store

Store: What I love about this salad is you can store it in an airtight container for up to 24 hours and it stays crisp and tasty.

Freeze: This salad is not freezer friendly, the vegetables will go mushy once thawed.

FAQs

More Salad Recipes to Try

• Tomato avocado cucumber salad
• Creamy tomato cucumber salad
• Mediterranean chickpea salad
• Italian chopped salad
• Cucumber tomato feta salad

Print

Tomato Cucumber Bell Pepper Salad

Easy Tomato Cucumber Bell Pepper Salad is flavorful, refreshing, veggie loaded with simple olive oil dressing. Takes only 10 minutes to make!

Course Salad

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 83kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Ingredients

• 2 large bell peppers coarsely chopped
• 1 long English cucumber coarsely chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup red onion thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil extra virgin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large bowl, add bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and red onion.
• Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Stir gently from the bottom of the bowl in the center until well combined. Let salad chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes (don't skip!). Then taste and adjust any seasonings to taste, if you wish.
• Salad tastes best when served immediately.

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate salad for up to 24 hours.
• Make ahead: Refrigerate all vegetables in a bowl covered. Then add oil, salt and pepper right before serving.
• Best tomatoes to use: In summer heirloom varieties, Roma tomatoes. Year-round we love tomatoes on the vine.
• Other additions to taste: Fresh dill or parsley, grated garlic clove, white vinegar, a touch of toasted sesame oil.

Nutrition

Calories: 83kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 295mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g

The post Tomato Cucumber Bell Pepper Salad appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes tossed with simple spices, garlic, and oil. Then baked until chicken is juicy with crispy skin and onions are roasted. Delicious one pan dinner!

We also love these oven baked chicken thighs and sheet pan chicken and veggies.

These roasted chicken thighs and potatoes is my mom’s recipe. She didn’t cook often (grandma did) but this was her absolute staple for a healthy dinner. Crispy potatoes, roasted onion and garlic combined with juicy dark meat and crispy chicken skin, it will become your family’s favorite!

I’m obsessed with any chicken and potatoes combo because I am Ukrainian. Like Instant Pot chicken and potatoes and one pan chicken and potatoes are just other variations of this recipe. My kids rave about this chicken dish for days!

I often double the recipe, bake one right away and refrigerate another one to bake the next day. It is called “make ahead”.

Ingredients for Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

• Chicken: It’s best to use bone-in chicken thighs with skin on. It will be the juiciest baked chicken and potatoes you ever tried!
• Potatoes: Best potatoes to roast are yellow potatoes, red potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes or baby potatoes.
• Onion, carrots and garlic: There is something about soft sweet carrot and roasted onion. And even maybe burnt slivers of garlic. Use the largest onion ever. There will be a fight for the caramelized roasted onion, trust me.
• Seasonings: You can use any dried herbs you like or have on hand for extra flavor. My family used only salt, pepper and fresh garlic. My rule of thumb is 1 teaspoon of salt, plus 1 tablespoon of dried herbs, plus 1 teaspoon cumin. You can skip cumin or use ground coriander instead.

How to Make Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

Here is a quick overview how we make roasted chicken thighs and potatoes using only one dish. Everything is combined and baked in same baking dish!

• Prep: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and get a large 9 x 13 baking dish with deep walls.
• Combine everything: To the dish, add chicken, potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Drizzle with oil and then sprinkle with ground cumin, dried herbs, salt and pepper. Using your hands or large spoon, toss well to coat.
• Bake: Roast chicken and potatoes uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender, and chicken juices run clear or instant read thermometer inserted in the center close to the bone registers 165 F.

Tips for Best Results

• Stretch the chicken skin: After seasoning unbaked chicken thighs and potatoes, stretch the skin to cover the meat to prevent it from drying out.
• Do not use russet potatoes: They do not taste as good when roasted and make the best healthy mashed potatoes.
• Choose deep dish: You can use any large 9 x 13 inches or even bigger baking dish with deep walls. Oven-proof glass or ceramic baking dish is great. You want to be able to mix ingredients with your hands without chicken and potatoes “flying” around your kitchen.
• Do not place chicken on top of the potatoes: Arrange potatoes and carrots around the chicken thighs so they cook evenly. If you place chicken on top of the vegetables, they won’t cook at same rate and won’t crisp up.

What Do I Serve It with?

Since this is one pan meal with protein, carbs and even some vegetables, we usually serve it with some light and simple salad. I particularly like to serve it with vinegar centered salads like butter lettuce salad and vinegar based coleslaw. If you prefer more traditional salad, try this simple spring mix salad.

Sliced cucumbers and tomatoes with healthy veggie dip or cottage cheese dip would pair nicely as well.

I don’t recommend to roast other vegetables at same time in the oven as it may create extra steam preventing chicken and potatoes from crisping up. If you have an air fryer, you can make air fryer broccoli or air fryer brussels sprouts as a simple side dish.

Can I Make It Ahead of Time?

You can make ahead this chicken thighs recipe. In fact, I do it all the time. I prep 2 recipes at same time. Then I bake one tonight and refrigerate second one assembled and covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours, then bake tomorrow.

Because you coat potatoes in oil and spices, they will not turn brown.

How to Store and Reheat

Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Roasted potatoes, carrots and onions will lose their crispness over time but it’s normal.

Reheat: You can reheat chicken thighs and potatoes in a non-stick skillet to bring some of the crispness back and without much oil thanks to the coating.

FAQs

More Chicken Thighs Recipes to Try

• How to grill chicken thighs
• Crockpot chicken thighs
• Oven baked boneless chicken thighs
• Chimichurri chicken
• Chicken stew

You might also enjoy this list of 65 healthy chicken recipes.

Print

Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes

Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes tossed with simple spices, garlic and oil. Then baked until chicken is juicy with crispy skin and onions are roasted.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Ukrainian

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 424kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Equipment

• Baking dish

Ingredients

• 2 lbs chicken thighs bone in and skin on
• 6 large yellow or red potatoes cut into 1.5" cubes
• 4 carrots peeled and cut into large pieces
• 1 large onion cut into large chunks
• 3 large garlic cloves sliced
• 2 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
• 1 tsp cumin or coriander ground
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp salt
• Ground black pepper to taste
• 3 bay leaves

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and prepare large 9 x 13 baking dish with walls.
• To the dish, add chicken, potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic and bay leaves. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with cumin or coriander, dried herbs, salt and pepper, and mix well, using your hands.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes uncovered or until potatoes are fork tender and chicken juices run clear when poked.
• Remove from the oven and dig in!

Notes

• Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Veggies will lose their crispness though.
• Reheat: You can reheat meat and potatoes in ceramic non-stick skillet, to bring some of the crispness back and without much oil thanks to the coating.
• Meal prep and make ahead tip – double the recipe: Bake one tonight and refrigerate 2nd one assembled and covered, then bake tomorrow. I do it all the time.
• Seasonings: You can use any dried herbs you like or have on hand. You can skip cumin.

Nutrition

Calories: 424kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 410mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g

The post Roasted Chicken Thighs and Potatoes appeared first on iFoodReal.com.

Creamy Cucumber Salad is fresh, crunchy and creamy with cucumbers, dill, yogurt or sour cream. A 10 minute salad recipe that is perfect for any potluck, BBQ or backyard gathering.

We also love this Thai cucumber salad and healthy cucumber salad.

Creamy cucumber salad screams summer due to its light taste and the fact that cucumbers are at their seasonal peak. I grew up eating this salad in Ukraine during July-August.

In North America, we are lucky to make cucumber salad year round, although I do encourage you to try it at least once with some fresh garden cucumbers. So good!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Simple ingredients: This easy cucumber salad uses only 5 ingredients.
• Quick: It takes only 10 minutes from start to finish to make this salad. There is no peeling or deseeding of the cucumber required.
• Versatile: Use what you have on hand. We go over many variations below.
• Affordable: Cucumber is a budget-friendly vegetable year round.
• Goes with anything: Serve this light and refreshing salad alongside any grilled protein like chicken burger recipe, yogurt marinated chicken or even carne asada steak!

Ingredients for Creamy Cucumber Salad

To make this creamy cucumber salad recipe, you will need only 5 simple ingredients, including salt and pepper.

• Cucumbers: The best part about this salad is that it tastes very good with available year-round and affordable long English cucumber. Its skin is soft enough to avoid peeling. Mini cucumbers or Persian cucumbers are also great! In summertime, try pickling cucumber or dill cucumbers.
• Greek yogurt: 2% and higher fat content would be comparable to the creaminess of sour cream but healthier.
• Dill: Fresh dill is the best accompaniment for cucumbers. Please do not use dried dill weed. Swap out the fresh dill for fresh herbs that you have on hand like fresh parsley, chives or green onion.
• Salt and pepper: For seasoning.

How to Make Creamy Cucumber Salad

Here is a quick overview how to make creamy cucumber salad in just one bowl. Full recipe card is located below.

• Slice cucumbers thinly into half-moon shapes using sharp knife.
• Add chopped dill, yogurt, salt and pepper.
• Mix salad well with a wooden spoon. It might appear too dry like not enough yogurt at the beginning, but just keep mixing.
• Refrigerate cucumber salad for 10 minutes for best results.

Tips for Best Results

• It tastes best fresh: Serve salad right after initial 10 minutes of chilling in the refrigerator. I recommend to enjoy it within 2-3 hours.
• Not planning to eat salad right away? Store ingredients separately, combine 10 minutes before serving and let salad chill in the fridge.
• Deseed cucumber: If you are worried your cucumber salad will be watery or if you are using field cucumbers with large seeds, deseed the cucumbers before slicing.
• Less watery salad tip: Scraping out the seeds of any cucumbers, even long English cucumber, will prevent the salad from getting watery.
• Freshen up leftovers: If it has been a day or two, refresh the salad by adding fresh chopped cucumbers or onion and now it has crunch again.

Variations

• Use sour cream or mayo: Classic cucumber salad is made with sour cream or even addition of mayonnaise. Use that instead, if you wish. Add 1-2 tablespoons of mayo for additional tang.
• Add onion: Add up to 1/4 cup of thinly sliced red onion or white onion.
• Other vegetables: Replace half of cucumber with sliced tomatoes like in creamy cucumber tomato salad or radishes for extra crunch.
• Add acid or sugar: Add a splash of vinegar, or fresh lemon juice and sugar for more traditional cucumber salad recipe.
• Add garlic or garlic powder: Add 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or grate small clove of garlic for a savory taste.
• For ranch flavor: Replace the sour cream or yogurt with my healthy ranch dressing or cottage cheese ranch dip.

What Can I Serve Creamy Cucumber Salad with?

Creamy cucumber salad recipe is quick and refreshing side dish for hot summer night dinner, poolside BBQ or unexpected company as it takes only minutes to make!

Since it’s light and “cool”, you want to serve it with something more bold in flavor. Which is like many dishes and here are my top recommendations:

• Grilled proteins: Cucumber salad is delicious with grilled chicken thighs or chicken breast on the grill. Or flavor it up with something like chili lime chicken or check out all of our healthy grilling recipes.
• Picnic style with Instant Pot corn on the cob, healthy broccoli salad and Instant Pot baked beans.
• Make a wrap with a whole wheat tortilla for quick vegetarian lunch.
• Light side dish: Serve with hearty Instant Pot meatloaf and mashed potatoes.
• Easy mid-week meal: With healthy turkey burger recipe, black bean burgers, ground chicken burgers, or salmon burgers at a BBQ or for a midweek meal!
• Pizza night side dish: With cauliflower pizza or cottage cheese pizza crust.

How Long Does It Last?

It is best to consume creamy cucumber salad within 2-3 hours. Cucumbers consist of 99% water, so as soon as you add salt they start to “leak”. Photo above shows well how dressing becomes more and more runny and cucumbers lose their crunch within minutes.

Cucumber salad will last in the fridge for 24-48 hours. You can drain the excess liquid or mix it up. You can also add more yogurt or sour cream to freshen up the salad.

FAQs

More Cucumber Salad Recipes to Try

• Cucumber and tomato salad
• Cucumber tomato avocado salad
• Traditional Greek salad
• Lettuce salad recipe
• Chickpea avocado salad
• Avocado corn salad
• Mediterranean quinoa salad
• Cucumber bell pepper salad

You might also enjoy browsing through this list of over 50 healthy salad recipes!

Print

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Creamy Cucumber Salad recipe is fresh, crunchy and creamy with cucumbers, dill, yogurt or sour cream. Easy 10 minute summer side dish!

Course Salad

Cuisine North American

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 21kcal

Author Olena Osipov

Ingredients

• 2 large cucumbers thinly sliced into half moons
• 1/4 cup fresh dill finely chopped
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt at least 2%
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Ground black pepper to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine cucumber, dill, yogurt, salt and pepper.
• Stir gently with a wooden spoon until well combined.
• Let the salad chill for 10 minutes in the fridge.
• Serve immediately within 2-3 hours.

Notes

• Make ahead: Keep chopped ingredients (without salt) covered  in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Add yogurt and salt, then stir before serving.

 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 21kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g

The post Creamy Cucumber Salad appeared first on iFoodReal.com.