Easy Instant Pot Lasagna

•  1-lb lean ground turkey
• 11oz (12 sheets) lasagna noodles
• 2-14oz cans tomato sauce, low sodium
• 3 cups kale or spinach, chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 4oz (1 cup) shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
• parmesan cheese (optional)
• parsley for garnish

1. On Instant Pot, press Saute and wait until display says Hot (takes 2-3 minutes).  Swirl oil to coat and add ground turkey.  Start breaking into pieces with spatula.
2. Add Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Keep cooking until brown or about 5 minutes, constantly breaking into small pieces and stirring.
3. Press Cancel and remove half of ground turkey into a bowl.  Time to layer lasagna.
4. Layer #1: Add water and break 4 noodles in half and lay on top.
5. Layer #2: Add half of kale/spinach and break 4 noodles in half and lay on top.
6. Layer #3: Add remaining ground turkey from bowl, remaining half of kale/spinach, and pour 14oz tomato sauce on top.
7. Layer #4: Break 4 noodles in half and lay on top. Pour remaining 14oz can of tomato sauce on top.
8. Pressure cook on high pressure for 7 minutes.  Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then turn valve to vent remaining pressure.
9. When you open the lid, lasagna will be like a casserole, a bit saucy.  Not soupy though.  The longer the lasagna sits, the more it will be like lasagna as pasta absorbs the liquids and settles.
10. Sprinkle cheese on top, cover, and let lasagna sit for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted. Do not cook with cheese.  Instant Pot will stay warm for a while, especially if you have Keep Warm on.  Covered pot is enough to melt the cheese.
11. Cut with a spoon or spatula and serve hot. Keep warm to eat later.  To reheat, add 1/4 cup of water and pressure cook for 1 minute or Steam.

Refrigerate up to 3 days after cooking; Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months.

Notes:

• Ground meat: Ground turkey, beef, chicken, or venison will work. I've used beef and venison.  You can make it vegetarian by swapping the meat for tofu or cooked white beans.
• Lasagna noodles: no need to pre-cook pasta.  
• Spinach or kale: you can skip if you are not a fan.
• Ricotta or cottage cheese + egg (optional): you can mix those and layer on top of meat mixture.
• DO NOT DOUBLE THE RECIPE. There will be too much food for the pot to come to pressure, even if it's an 8qt Instant Pot.

fiber: 3g

sugar: 4g

sodium: 580mg

carbs: 38g

protein: 24g

fat: 7g

sat fat: 2g

Hamburger Mushroom Bake

•  1lb lean ground beef
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 6oz cream cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1-lb fresh sliced mushrooms
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp seasoning salt
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• grated cheese (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In large frying pan over medium heat, brown ground beef and sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Set aside to cool when done.
3. In a food processor, process cream cheese and add eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Pour over ground beef and stir to combine. Pour into the bottom of a small 4-cup casserole dish.  Press down.
4. In frying pan over medium heat, melt butter and cook mushrooms until softening and turning brown.  Sprinkle with seasoning salt, parsley, and pepper.  Place on top of the hamburger mixture.  Sprinkle the top with cheese if desired and bake 20-25 minutes or until set.  Do not overcook.

Mongolian Beef

•  1.5lbs flank or skirt steak, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1.4 cup cornstarch
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• green onions, sliced (optional, for garnish)
• white or brown rice, cooked

Place meat and cornstarch into a ziploc bag, zip close and shake to evenly coat the meat.

Add the olive oil, garlic, soy sauce, water, brown sugar, carrots, and red peppers into crockpot, stir to mix.  Add the steak and stir.  Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or HIGH 2-3 hours.  Serve on top of rice and garnish with green onions.

To make for freezer:  Follow steak instructions above, leaving bag zipped closed.  Place second group of ingredients in a separate ziploc bag and zip closed.  Place both bags in freezer.  When ready to cook, thaw in fridge overnight. Empty contents into crockpot and cook on LOW 4-5 hours or HIGH 2-3 hours.  Serve over rice and garnish with green onions.

You can cook this in the Instant Pot on high pressure for 10 minutes.  

Healthy Instant Pot Egg Roll in a Bowl

 prep time: 10 minutes

cook time: 10 minutes

total time: 20 minutes

yields: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 c low sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 2-16oz bags coleslaw mix
• optional garnish - diced green onions
• salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Press the saute button on your Instant Pot.
2. Once the pot has preheated, add sesame oil, ground turkey, yellow onion, and garlic. Brown meat until cooked.  Press the cancel button.
3. Add remaining ingredients without stirring.
4. Close the lid, make sure your valve is set to "Sealing", and set the machine to high pressure, setting the time to 0 minutes.
5. When the cooking cycle is complete, carefully do a quick release and allow to depressurize.
6. Stir and add garnish.

Notes:

• The coleslaw mix fills the pot above the fill line of your pot.  Push the coleslaw down as much as possible and make sure the cabbage is not covering the vent on the lid

Nutrition

• serving size: 1/6 of total
• calories: 90
• sugar: 2g
• sodium: 741mg
• fat: 9g
• saturated fat: 3g
• unsaturated fat: 0g
• trans fat: 0g
• carbs: 6g
• fiber: 1g
• protein: 22g
• cholesterol: 86mg

find it online: https://soveryblessed.com/healthy-instant-pot-egg-roll-bowl-recipe/

Monterey Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

 Prep time: 15 minutes

cook time: 40 minutes

total time: 55 minutes

Equipment: glass mixing bowls, 9x13 baking dish

Ingredients

12oz uncooked spaghetti

4 cups chopped cooked chicken

1-16oz container sour cream

2-10.5oz cans condensed cream of chicken soup

1-10oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

2 garlic cloves, minced

1-6oz can French's French Fried Onions, divided

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray the 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
2. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Drain
3. In a large bowl, combine cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream drained spinach, 1 cup cheese, garlic, and 1/2 can of the fried onions.
4. Stir in cooked spaghetti.  Pour into prepared pan.
5. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese and onions over top of pasta mixture.
6. Bake, uncovered, for 40-50 minutes.

Can make dish ahead of time and refrigerate or freeze for later.

If baking after refrigerating, add a few minutes to cooking time.

To bake after freezing, thaw completely in fridge and bake as directed.

French Onion Chicken Skillet

 Ingredients

2lbs Vidalia onions, sliced

2lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

2 cups beef broth

1 cup swiss cheese, grated

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried sage

kosher salt and freshly ground peper, to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large, oven-proof pan or skillet over medium heat.  Add onions, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, or until softened and caramelized.
3. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until darkened, but not burned.
4. Remove onions from heat and transfer to a medium bowl.
5. Heat remaining olive oil in skillet and raise heat to medium-high.
6. Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, thyme, and sage, then place in skillet and sear on both sides until golden brown.  Remove chicken from heat and set aside.
7. Pour beef broth into skillet and bring mixture to a boil, scraping up stuck bits from the bottom of pan.
8. Return heat to medium-low and whisk in flour, stirring until smooth. Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until mixture has thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
9. Return chicken and onions to pan, stir together with beef gravy, then top with grated swiss cheese.
10. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly, and chicken is cooked through.
11. Remove from oven and serve hot. 

Slow Cooker Black Bean & Corn Chicken

 Ingredients

2-14oz cans black beans, drained & rinsed

2-14oz cans corn, drained

1-1oz package taco seasoning

4-6 boneless chicken breasts

1 cup salsa

3/4 cup water

1. Split ingredients in half.
2. Place all ingredients in ziplock freezer bag. Zip closed and place in freezer.
3. When ready to cook, remove from freezer and thaw overnight in fridge.  Empty contents into crockpot and cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours, or LOW for 7-8 hours.
4. When finished cooking, shred chicken and serve over rice, in a salad, or in a wrap.  Top with cheese, sour cream, avocado, lettuce, tomato, etc.

We have rolled this into burritos or soft tacos, served with tortilla chips, and over assorted flavors of rice.  It is very yummy!

Crockpot Crack Chicken

 Cook time: 3 hours

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken breast

2-8oz packages cream cheese

1oz packet Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning

1 cup cooked, crumbled bacon

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

Instructions

1. Spray a 4 quart slow cooker with cooking oil.  Add the chicken, top with the ranch seasoning and cream cheese.  Cook on low up to 8 hours, or 3-4 hours on high.  The chicken is done when it has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
2. Shred the chicken right in the slow cooker, mixing the ranch and cream cheese in with the chicken.
3. Top with the shredded cheese, cooked bacon, and chopped green onions

Nutrition information

yields: 8 servings

serving size: about 3/4 cup

calories: 439

total fat: 31g

cholesterol: 166mg

sodium: 550mg

carbs: 1.2g 

net carbs: 1.1g

fiber: 0.1g

sugar: 0.2g

protein: 35g

Mozzarella-Stuffed Turkey Pesto Meatballs

 Yields: 18 meatballs or 6 servings of 3 each

Ingredients

14.5oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

1.2lbs ground turkey (1lb works as well)

1 large egg

1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1/2 cup pesto

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

7oz container of Bocconcini mozzarella balls

4oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (one cup) 

Materials

9x13 baking pan

foil

plastic wrap

Prep

1. Fill out your freezer label with the name of the meal, cooking instructions, and "use by date". (for standard fridge/freezer combos, this will be 3 months from the prep day).

2. Prepare 9x13 pan by dumping diced tomatoes into it.

3. In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, pesto, and grated parm. Form into 18 meatballs.

4. Cut mozzarella into 18 even-sized pieces and press inside meatballs.

5. Add to pan and top with shredded mozzarella.

6. Cover pan with layers of plastic wrap and foil, and freeze.

Cook

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bake 90 minutes or until heated through. (To shorten cooking time, thaw overnight in refrigerator).

Serve with extra sauce, spaghetti, and a vegetable.

Life-Changing Chicken Salad Bites (High Protein Snack)

 Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 long English cucumber, cut into thick slices

2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced (2 lg cans of chicken may be substituted)

1/3 cup diced celery

4 tbsp cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp sour cream

4 tbsp Frank's Red Hot sauce

3 tbsp blue cheese, crumbled

1 green onions, sliced

salt & pepper

Instructions

In a bowl, place the cream cheese, sour cream and hot sauce; stir to combine. Add the chicken, celery, crumbled blue cheese, green onions, salt, and black pepper; toss to combine.

Place 1 tbsp of chicken salad on each of the cucumber slices.  Serve.

serving size: 1

calories: 91

carbs: 1.6g

fat: 4.1g

sugar: .7g

protein: 11.5g

find it online at: https://healthysubstitute.com/chicken-salad-bites