Weekend Bonus Recipe

I don't usually post on the weekends, but tonight's dinner turned out really well and I want to get it here in the blog so I don't lose the recipe. That has been known to happen. If I post it here, there's not much chance that I can't find it next time.

Instant Pot Chicken & Potatoes

I had a dinner plan for tonight. But then I sat here all afternoon and knitted the same three rows over and over. And over. Note to self: do not watch intense drama at the point where I'm establishing the pattern repeat. And when episode 2 ended and I FINALLY got the pattern repeat right, I looked at the clock and I knew I needed to change my plan.

A quick Google search for "instant pot chicken & potatoes" led me to this recipe from Creme de la Crumb. This is a new-to-me site. I'll explore later when I have more time.

As usual, I didn't quite follow the recipe. But the basic directions were spot on. I only had two chicken breasts. I didn't have any thyme. And there was no parmesan cheese here. It was one of the most "instant" recipes I've made in the Instant Pot. I typically say the the word "instant" is a misnomer. It takes quite some time for the food to heat up and reach pressure even though the cooking time might be shorter.

Maybe it's because I was only cooking two pieces of chicken and fewer potatoes, it didn't take too long to reach the pressure point. When it was done, I sliced the larger breast and we shared it. It was actually easier to eat it after it was sliced. And that was plenty for us tonight. I made a plate with the smaller piece of chicken and the rest of the potatoes for Daddy-O to have tomorrow. I'm hitting the road early in the morning for a couple of days of Mimi duty.

INSTANT POT CHICKEN & POTATOES

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I only used 2)
2 lbs. red baby potatoes (I tossed in about 3/4 lb)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme (I didn't have any)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons dry Ranch seasoning mix
1 cup chicken broth (I did use the whole cup)
chopped parsley, optional

Toss chicken breasts and potatoes in oil. Mix seasonings and sprinkle over chicken and potatoes and toss to coat. (I used about half the seasoning mix for my smaller amount of chicken & potatoes.) 
Pour chicken broth in IP. Put chicken pieces into broth and put potatoes on top of chicken. Fasten lid and close valve to seal. Set timer to MANUAL for 15 minutes.
When cooking time is up, do a quick release. Remove chicken and potatoes from broth. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.


This was ridiculously good for the effort that went into it. The potatoes were perfect. The chicken was moist and tender.  And I only had the one pot and one bowl to wash. You could certainly use different seasonings. It's the cooking directions that I was looking for.

Take a few minutes and go to the original recipe and then read the comments. Lots of other good ideas there.

Now I might better go throw a few things in a weekend bag. I'm leaving early-early tomorrow.