Beef Stew (Instant Pot, Gluten Free)

There are some days that just don't go as planned.
This week, I had planned on grocery shopping Saturday morning, but other things came up and I never made it there.  So, I went on Sunday afternoon.  By the time I got home it was almost 4:00, and the Beef Stew I had planned to make for dinner from Once Upon A Chef wasn't going to work.

Enter my Instant Pot.  I had a fresh package of beef stew meat, but was lacking hours of cooking time.  I quickly searched online (Pinterest, of course, where else?) and found the perfect recipe for Instant Pot Beef Stew from Family Fresh Meals.  The only problem was, it wasn't gluten free and I was starving.

So, I adapted the recipe a little bit to make it gluten free.  I thickened the gravy differently, using a packet of McCormick's Gluten Free Brown Gravy mix.  I also didn't add the corn or the peas because I didn't have any in the freezer.

But it was so good!  We all liked it, and I didn't tell anyone else it was gluten free and they never asked.  There were 4 of us, and even though we all had seconds, there was still enough leftover for lunch the next day.  I really liked this recipe!  It took about an hour from start to finish, and that hour includes the time for the Instant Pot to heat up and the sitting time afterwards while it depressurizes.

Here is what it looked like in the pot before I cooked it:

And here it is ready to be spooned into bowls:

And here is a bowl ready to eat:

This is a great recipe, and using the Instant Pot really saves time!  Thank you Family Fresh Meals!

Here is the recipe I used, adapted from Family Fresh Meals:
For a printable copy, please click HERE.

So yummy!  Definitely a keeper!

If you like this recipe, check out my Pinterest Instant Pot Board!  Just click on the Pinterest button at the top of the right sidebar to check out all of my boards.
To see where I share my blog posts, click HERE.

Geezer Chili

Yes, it's true.  Geezer in the house.  And that makes me a Geezer-ette, I guess.

Truth is, we still like to eat the same things we've always eaten.  Except at night.  Or after 4:00 in the afternoon.  Or in large amounts.  Or as spicy.  Or as salty.  The list goes on. And on.

Enter Geezer Chili.  We still like to eat chili, but we DON'T like not being able to sleep at night because the heartburn is so bad we want to call the fire department.

This recipe is just a good, basic chili that warms you up without so much heat.  I use mild chili beans, and leave the hot sauce out to make it even more Geezer-friendly.

But this is family friendly too!  My grandkids love to eat this chili, and they each put their own little spins on it.  The youngest one eats it on top of spaghetti, topped with grated cheddar.  The oldest ones top big bowls of it with grated cheddar cheese, more chopped onions, and crackers.  I like to put it in a dish, top it with cheddar cheese, and scoop it with Frito scoops or Tostito scoops.  Grown up kids like it just as much as the younger kids and the geezers!  You can add whatever toppings you like to make it your own.  However you like it, a big bowl of chili on a chilly day can't be beat!

Here is the recipe card:

For a printable version, please click HERE.  

Hope you like it!

Click HERE to see where I share recipes.

Don't forget to check out my Pinterest boards by clicking the link in the sidebar up at the top!

Taco Pasta Skillet (Gluten Free)

You know how sometimes things don't go like you had it planned out in your head?  Well, this recipe is one of those things.

I meant to make the recipe from Chef In Training titled Taco Pasta Casserole.  It looks so good, and I'm sure it is!  I chose it to make this week, and while making my shopping list I quickly scanned the ingredients and jotted down the few things I needed that weren't in my pantry already.

So here is what happened.  We just got back from a 2 week vacation.  There is a TON of laundry and cleaning to be done, and lots of suitcases to unpack.  I had my yearly mammogram scheduled for 9:00 AM this morning, and lots of other errands to run besides grocery shopping.  So I was in my high speed mode.

By the time I got back home from the doctor and running errands, it was after noon.  I grabbed my shopping list, and on the way to the store I decided that I was starving.  Really really starving.  But I couldn't take time out to eat because I had to get home to finish unpacking and do more laundry.

So I decided that I would make the casserole gluten free by using gluten free pasta, so I could eat it too.  I grabbed a box of Ronzoni elbow macaroni and finished the rest of my shopping.

By the time I got home it was almost 4:00.  I unloaded groceries, and immediately started dinner because I WAS REALLY HUNGRY.  I pulled out my trusty Dutch oven, made the whole 12 oz. package of gluten free pasta, started browning the hamburger, and then looked at the directions for the recipe.

Uh-oh.  It pays to read the directions before starting the recipe.  I know that!  I am not exactly new to the kitchen.  As I looked at the directions on the Chef In Training blog, I saw that it called for a sauce using milk and FLOUR.  Well, bummer.  That would throw my gluten free idea right out the window.  Then I saw that it needed to be baked.  It was about 92 degrees here today, and no way was I turning on the oven and no way was I waiting that long for dinner!  So here is what I did:  I threw in a jar of salsa con queso cheese dip from Aldi's, a large jar of mild salsa from Aldi's, and although I meant to throw the dry ranch dressing seasoning in I forgot all about it.  I just threw in one package of McCormick's gluten free taco seasoning.  I also threw a diced onion and green pepper in with the hamburger.  I just cooked it on the stovetop in my Dutch oven, and at the end I threw about a cup of grated cheese into it and stirred it up.

And guess what?  It turned out good!  We really liked it, and have plenty left for lunches this week.   am sure the original recipe I intended to make would taste wonderful and a bit different - probably creamier.  So I can't wait to try it next week!  But I will still make it gluten free.  All I will do is sub cornstarch for the flour.

I would definitely make this again, but next time I will use gluten free penne pasta or a more substantial pasta.  I will also add sliced black olives, but I was out of them.  I think black beans might be a good addition too!

Here is a copy of the recipe.  If you would like a printable copy of the recipe, click HERE.

The Salsa Con Queso and Mild Salsa I used were both from Aldi's.  

I am sure you could easily use regular pasta in place of the gluten free pasta and it would be delicious!

This was an easy, quick stovetop dinner.  I think you'll like it!

Classic Meatloaf

Classic cars.  Classic television.  Classic books.  Classic clothes.

It seems I like just about everything classic.

Including meatloaf.  Trying new recipes is fun, and I like tasting a new twist on an old recipe.  But sometimes tried and true is IT.  True comfort.  Just-so-good-that-you-hate-to-mess-with-it good.

This is that kind of meatloaf.  The kind my mom made when I was little.  The kind that just makes you feel good when you eat it.  And the kind that is GREAT on sandwiches the next day - and you will have plenty left for leftovers!

Sometimes simple is best, after all.

Here is the recipe.  If you would like a printable version of this recipe, please click HERE. 

This recipe is being shared at Meal Plan Monday #112 at Southern Bite.

Chili for a Wintery Spring Day

Is it spring, or is it winter?  Hard to tell by looking out my window this morning!

The good news?  It was almost all melted by this afternoon!  Whew!

Still, it seemed like a good day for chili!

This chili is not too spicy, just right for warming you up!  You can always add some cayenne pepper if you want to spice it up!  I like it on the not-too-spicy side.  Straight, no cheese.

Here is the recipe I used:

  For a printable copy, click HERE.

This recipe is linked to Meal Plan Monday #105.

Gluten Free Salisbury Steak and Gravy (Instant Pot)

Remember these?  I used to LOVE TV dinners when I was little.  It was a real treat to eat out of aluminum foil tins, and what a challenge it was to try and eat those vegetables!  As a child, that was the only way I got to eat Salisbury Steak.

Throughout the course of our marriage, over 100 or 200 years now, I've tried to make Salisbury Steak a couple times.  It never turned out very well, so I gave up and figured it was one of things that Swanson mastered but I would never get.

Fast forward to Monday and my Instant Pot.  And a wonderful recipe from the blog Live Simply.  Oh, my goodness.  We really enjoyed this!  To me, pure comfort food!

I tweaked the recipe just a little bit.  For one thing, I used all gluten free items.  I did not have gluten free panko bread crumbs (Live Simply's recipe called for panko bread crumbs), so I just used plain gluten free bread crumbs.

The other tweak I made was that I browned the beef patties in a skillet on the stove.  Live Simply's recipe said to brown them on Saute in the Instant Pot, but that seemed like a no-no to me.  First off, I don't want to be reaching down into a deep hot pot to flip over beef patties.  And I made 7 patties, so it would take too long to do 2 patties at a time in the Instant Pot.  So I just used a large skillet and browned the patties 2-3 minutes on each side.  To me, much quicker and I didn't worry about burning my arm.

This turned out so good!!  We loved the gravy!  It was so good on the mashed potatoes AND the beef!  My new favorite gravy recipe!  Here is what my dinner plate looked like:

So good!

Here is the tweaked recipe, or you can head over to Live Simply and use that one!

For a printable version, click HERE.

Thanks, Live Simply, for a wonderful recipe!

This recipe is linked to Meal Plan Monday #103.

French Dip Sandwiches

I guess I was late to the Instant Pot Party.  Really L.A.T.E.

In fact, I just got to the party this week.  After a couple weeks of staring at it sitting on my counter, looking through the manual and walking over to my Instant Pot and thinking NO WAY, I finally got up the courage to try it.  I made sure our homeowner's insurance was current, I put on an asbestos HazMat suit, and got a frozen roast out of the freezer.

After reading I don't know how many Instant Pot New Users suggestions online, and looking up several thousand Instant Pot recipes, I finally decided to try French Dip Sandwiches as my first attempt.

The main reason I chose to make French Dip Sandwiches was because my son was raving about the French Dip and Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches he had this week at a restaurant close to where he works.  I wanted to see if I could come up with a reasonable facsimile at home.  

After looking at quite a few recipes, I decided to combine and/or tweak them, and see what came out of the pot!  The result:  REALLY GOOD!  I could not believe how tender and juicy the beef was, and the dipping sauce was yummy!  

I immediately was SOLD on the Instant Pot!  

Here is the recipe:

French Dip Sandwiches:  (very easy to make gluten free)

4 lb. top round roast, thinly sliced (put in the freezer for about 2 hours to make slicing easier)

1 can (14 oz.) beef broth

1 can (10 oz.) French Onion soup 

1 can (10 oz.) beef consommé

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 hoagie rolls, split and toasted  (I used a Schar ciabatta roll for my gluten free sandwich!)

16 slices Provolone cheese, if desired

1.  Spray the removable pot from the Instant Pot lightly with cooking spray.

2.  Place the sliced beef, beef broth, French onion soup, consommé, garlic powder, and salt into the cooking pot.

3.  Place the pot into the Instant Pot base.  Cover and lock.  Make sure the valve is on Seal.

4.  Select the Meat button, and adjust to High Pressure and 15 minutes.

5.  When the timer beeps, turn the Instant Pot off and do a natural release for 10 minutes.

6.  After 10 minutes of natural release, do a quick release to release any remaining pressure.

7.  Remove the meat from the broth.  Strain the broth to remove any fat.

8.  Top each toasted roll with slices of meat and two slices of provolone cheese, if desired.  Serve with small bowls of au jus (broth) for dipping.  

What I learned is, it takes the Instant Pot time to preheat.  So even though you set the timer for 15 minutes, it actually takes about an extra 10 minutes to preheat plus the pressure release time.  So it isn't as fast as I thought it would be, BUT it is still way faster than a slow cooker!  And you can put the meat in FROZEN!  We also liked the texture of the beef much more than we do when it comes out of the slow cooker.  All in all, I loved making dinner this way!