The Instant Pot is not something that I ever thought that I would want or need. I really do love my slow cooker, and despite how This Is Us viewers may feel, I am not afraid of it killing me. Though, I should re-phrase. I really DID love my slow cooker – that is, until a couple of weeks ago when the internal element decided that it was time to die. Lugging it to the curb was a sad day for me, but it meant that I could finally buy the hot new gadget that everyone had been talking about – that all-in-one pot meant to replace a slew of countertop appliances. Lo and behold, I headed over to Amazon in a flash and had an Instant Pot at my doorstep a few days later. (The 9-in-1 model that I so coveted was on back-order, and let me tell you that those 4 days it took to ship felt like an eternity!)
If you are considering buying an Instant Pot, I highly recommend it (this post is in no way affiliated or sponsored by the company!). It is important to note however that these meals are not quite instant – this little bit of information isn’t really advertised anywhere and needs to be said. All those people telling you that they made rice in 3 minutes? They really made it in 15. You see, it takes about 10 minutes to start up and pressurize, and then another 10 to de-pressurize. That being said, the Instant Pot is great for are things that would normally take hours to develop their full flavours on the stovetop, such as soups, stews and risottos. We’ve been on a bit of a pudding kick lately, and because the Instant Pot cooks rice SO well and because experimenting is fun, we decided it would be neat to try making some rice pudding in our Instant Pot. What a delicious success! I spooned it into wide-mouthed mason jars to take to school for lunches – a healthier alternative to the plastic-cup variety.
And, just in the name of variety, I’m going to give you two delicious recipes. The first, my fave – is cardamom-spiced and just the right amount of sweet. The second, Josh’s fave – is rich, chocolatey goodness. Can’t decide? Make both!
