Unlock the Sweet Magic of Roasted Garlic—In Minutes! 🧄✨

 

If you’ve ever loved the rich, caramelized flavor of roasted garlic but dreaded the hour-long wait in the oven ⏳, I’ve got exciting news. There’s a faster way to get that golden, buttery goodness—and it only takes a few minutes in the Instant Pot ⏱️ and then finish it off to carmelize in the air fryer 🍳!

Why Roasted Garlic Is a Kitchen Superhero 🦸‍♀️

Roasted garlic isn’t just delicious—it’s packed with benefits:

• Immune Support 🛡️: Garlic contains allicin, a compound known for its antibacterial and antiviral properties.

• Heart Health ❤️: Regular consumption can help lower blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels.

• Digestive Aid 🥗: Gentle roasting makes garlic easier on your stomach than raw garlic.

• Antioxidants Galore ✨: Roasting boosts its antioxidant activity, helping fight free radicals.

• Culinary Versatility 🍝: Spread it on toast, mix into mashed potatoes, fold into pasta sauces, or add to soups for a sweet, mellow garlic flavor.

My Quick Roasted Garlic Method 👩‍🍳

Forget the long bake—here’s how I get perfectly caramelized garlic in minutes:

Instant Pot:

1. Use as many heads of garlic as you want. Slice the top off exposing the garlics, leaving any skins that are intact as well as the bottom of the cloves 🧄.

2. In Instant Pot with bottom covered with water, place a trivet or steamer basket and then the garlic cloves Cook on high-pressure for 7 minutes ⏱️.

3. Let it naturally release for 10 minutes, then remove.

Air Fryer:

1. Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (200°C) 🔥.

2. Take the garlic heads, drizzle with olive oil 🫒, and place on top a small piece of foil (I don't wrap it up as I want it to carmelize and brown).

3. Cook for 10 minutes until soft and golden ✨.

Once done, the cloves are soft, sweet, and spreadable—perfect for a quick flavor boost 😋.

Ways to Enjoy Roasted Garlic 😋

• On Steaks 🥩: Mash a few cloves and spread on top of a hot steak for an instant flavor boost.

• In Sauces 🍲: Blend into pan sauces like spaghetti or bolegnese (serve over sautéed cabbage for a low-carb meal).

• With Eggs 🍳: Mix roasted garlic into scrambled eggs or omelets for a sweet, savory touch.

• On Toast 🥖: Spread on warm bread with a drizzle of olive oil—simple and irresistible.

• In Soups & Mashed Veggies 🥔: Stir into soups, mashed cauliflower, or potatoes for depth and sweetness.

Storage Tip 💡: Roasted garlic keeps beautifully! Store in a small jar with olive oil in the fridge 🥶 for up to two weeks, so it’s always ready to elevate your meals.

Elle's Elegant Everyday Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes shouldn’t be complicated — they should be creamy, dreamy, and effortless. This gives you beautifully tender potatoes in minutes, with that smooth, rich - never gluey - texture that we all crave. 

When you want silky, no-fuss mashed potatoes without babysitting the stove, the Instant Pot is your best friend. This recipe gives you consistently fluffy, perfectly seasoned potatoes in a fraction of the time — and once you try them the “Elle way,” you’ll never go back.

Elle's Elegant Everyday Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

2 pounds potatoes washed, peeled, and cut into 1 inch cubes (Yukon, Russet or Red Potatoes all work)
1 cup water or chicken broth, to cover bottom of instant pot
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), mic to melt
1 cup milk or half and half, mic 15 seconds to warm (you may not need all of this)
salt and pepper to taste
good dollop of sour cream
parsley

Steps

I start this 25 to 30 minutes before I need to mash the potatoes to allow for pressurizing. Allow more time than you think as you can always put it on 'keep warm' and let it release naturally.
In Instant Pot, put in water or broth to cover the bottom
Place a trivet or steamer basket and add prepared potatoes
Lock and seal the lid then cook on manual high pressure for 8 minutes (Add additional time for larger potato cubes, about 2-5 minutes)
Let naturally release or perform a quick release to release all the steam and pressure.
Open the lid and check the potatoes with a knife. If there is any resistance, the potatoes are not cooked all the way. Add 1 more cup of water, replace the lid, and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Drain the water out of the Instant Pot.
Mash potatoes to your desired consistency. Add melted butter, warmed milk (add as much or little as you need), salt and pepper, sour cream and mix in. Sprinkle parsley on top and you can also add more melted butter (makes it look pretty and is so decadent)
The mashed potatoes may be kept on "keep warm" in the Instant Pot until ready to serve.

🥓 Elle's Fall-Off-The-Bone Instant Pot Pork Ribs

 The bane of every carnivore (or even keto-vore) is having good, cooked meat ready to go. We want to stick to our way of eating — but life gets busy! Well, here’s a simple and incredibly delicious way to make sure you’ve always got scrumptious meat on hand in the fridge. Any way you eat it, this is fabulous but I love the crispy air fryer method.

This takes just a few minutes of prep, and the Instant Pot does all the work while you go on with your
day.

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🥓 Elle's Fall-Off-The-Bone Instant Pot Pork Ribs

🛒 Ingredients:

• Pork ribs (as many racks as will fit in your Instant Pot)

• Garlic salt

• Onion powder

• Salt & pepper

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👩‍🍳 Directions:

1. Prep Your Ribs
   If needed, cut your pork ribs into smaller racks so they fit nicely into the Instant Pot.

2. Season Generously
   Coat both sides of the ribs with a mix of garlic salt, onion powder, salt, and pepper.

3. Pressure Cook Like a Pro
   Place the ribs on a trivet inside your Instant Pot. Set to High Pressure for 60 minutes — yes, a full hour! That's the secret to fall-off-the-bone perfection. Do a quick release.

4. Remove the Meat
   Carefully pull out the ribs and remove meat from the bones. It will practically slide off.

5. Choose Your Finish

   • Fridge-Ready: Place your ribs in a glass container and chill. The fat will crystalize into these crunchy, savory bites that taste like cracklin'. (You're welcome!)

   • Crispy Treat: Toss the rib meat in the air fryer with a little extra garlic salt. Cook at 400°F for about 8–10 minutes until crispy.

6. Eat Any Time!

   • Straight out of the fridge (don't knock it till you try it — cold rib fat is next-level good)

   • Quickly microwaved

   • Or heated up in a skillet or oven

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These ribs make a perfect high-fat, protein-rich breakfast with eggs, or a no-fuss savory dinner. Great for meal prep, carnivore snacking, and staying on track — without sacrificing flavor. 🙌🔥

This recipe is the perfect mix of comfort and convenience — ideal for meal prep, savory snacks, or impressing guests with minimal effort. Enjoy!

Instant Pot Sesame Chicken - 10 minutes!

Once you prep all the ingredients, this takes less than 10 minutes till it is on the table! Tasty, fast and easy! Gotta love that.

Instant Pot Sesame Chicken - 10 minutes!

Ingredients

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into approximately 1 inch pieces
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup soy sauce reduced sodium is best
3 Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp sriracha sauce
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger or 1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp water
GARNISHES:
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
sliced green onions
 
Broccoli, cooked in microwave
Rice

Steps

Cook rice in instant pot. Remove and clean to proceed with chicken.
Add cubed chicken, salt, pepper, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, ginger and sriracha to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine in instant pot
PRESSURE COOK:
Secure lid, making sure the valve is set to “sealing”. Select manual or pressure cook and use the +/- buttons to set it to 3 minutes.
Once pressure cooking is finished, turn the valve to “venting” to perform a quick pressure release.
THICKEN SAUCE:
Open lid and select “saute”. Add brown sugar, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Stir to combine.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir into chicken and sauce. Continue cooking, stirring with a wooden spoon until sauce is thickened to your liking. This usually takes me about 2-3 minutes.
Serve over rice or cooked cabbage with broccoli on the side.

Easy Instant Pot Yogurt

The first step sounds so obvious you may be tempted to skip it....DON'T! It is: Make sure all your glass jars fit in the instant pot. We won't talk about how I learned to do this step.

After that, it simply combining the ingredients and letting the instant pot do it's thing for as long as you can wait. I always try to do AT LEAST 

Ingredients

jars - as many as will fit in your instant potjars - as many as will fit in your crock pot
2 Tbsp store bought PLAIN yogurt - I like greek OR 2 Tbsp yogurt left over from a prior batch2 Tbsp store bought PLAIN yogurt - I like greek OR 2 Tbsp yogurt left over from a prior batch
4 C milk4 C milk
probiotics, optional (I like inulin powder/jerusalem artichoke)probiotics, optional (I like inulin)

Steps

Make sure your jars fit in the instant pot
Make sure your jars fit in the instant pot
Mix inulin and milk with whisk to REALLY combineMix inulin and milk with whisk to REALLY combine
Gently stir in yogurtGently stir in yogurt
Pour into glass jarsPour into glass jars
Put glass jars in instant pot with lids on top but NOT fastened downPut glass jars in instant pot
Set instant pot to yogurt setting for 36 hours on highSet instant pot to yogurt setting for 36 hours on high
You can always open the instant pot at any time to take one or more jars out early as the instant pot is not pressurized on the yogurt setting

Instant Pot Spicy Peanut Chicken

I find that recipes like this are so easy in the Instant Pot. I cook up my rice ahead of time and reheat it by pouring boiling water over it a sieve over the sink. That means you just have to saute the chicken, add the rest of ingredients and, voila, 5 minutes in the Instant Pot and you have dinner. So fast and delicious!

Instant Pot Spicy Peanut Chicken

Ingredients

PEANUT CHICKEN:subheading: FOR PEANUT CHICKEN:
2 teaspoons oil2 teaspoons oil
2 cloves garlic minced2 cloves garlic minced
1 ” fresh ginger minced or 1 tap powder1 ” fresh ginger minced or 1 tap powder
2 green onions sliced2 green onions sliced
1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breast diced into 1-1/2” pieces1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breast diced into 1-½” pieces
2 teaspoon garlic chili paste or 3 tsp siracha2 teaspoon garlic chili paste or 3 tsp siracha
1/2 cup coconut milk½ cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons soy sauce3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Snow peas, cut in half and add at endSnow peas
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
Salt and Pepper to tasteSalt and Pepper to taste
FOR SERVING:subheading: FOR SERVING:
RiceRice
CilantroCilantro
Chopped PeanutsChopped Peanuts
Bean sproutsBean sprouts

Steps

Add oil to the insert of a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot. Press the saute function, and heat the oil. Once hot, add the garlic, ginger and green onions and cook while stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook until the outside is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.Add oil to the insert of a 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot. Press the saute function, and heat the oil. Once hot, add the garlic, ginger and green onions and cook while stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook until the outside is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
Shut off the saute function.Shut off the saute function.
Add in the chili paste, coconut milk, soy sauce, honey and fresh lime juice and stir to combine.Add in the chili paste, coconut milk, soy sauce, honey and fresh lime juice and stir to combine.
Place the peanut butter on top of the chicken and do not stir.Place the peanut butter on top of the chicken and do not stir.
Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. Once finished, move the steam release valve to quickly release the steam pressure. When the floating valve drops, remove the lid.Cook on manual high pressure for 5 minutes. Once finished, move the steam release valve to quickly release the steam pressure. When the floating valve drops, remove the lid.
Stir the peanut butter into the chicken. Taste and adjust the seasoning.Stir the peanut butter into the chicken. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Serve over rice or rice noodles with cilantro and chopped peanuts

The Absolute BEST Instant Pot Roast

This was an AMAZING roast - Mark said the best we have ever done. I think you could season it with whatever seasonings you want but the worcestershire ingredients down really make it. Also, putting each of the vegetables into their own foil packet and placing on top of the roast mean the veggies are cooked the PERFECT amount (not mushy). It has a lot of liquid so can be served in a bowl (like a stew) with bread or, you can use a slotted spoon and dish up the pieces without as much juice. This would also be amazing served over mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

3-5 lb chuck or London Broil roast MARBLED3 to 5 lb chuck or London Broil roast MARBLED
2 tsp of Lawry's seasoned salt2 tsp of Lawry's seasoned salt
1 tsp Montreal steak seasoning1 tsp Montreal steak seasoning
2 tsp of garlic powder2 tsp of garlic powder
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp of salted butter1 tbsp of salted butter
2 yellow onions, sliced longways into thick wedges2 yellow onions, sliced longways into thick wedges
2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
6-8 oz of Portobello mushrooms, sliced6 to 8 oz of Portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 cups of beef broth2 cups of beef broth
1 cup of a dry red wine (cheap cooking wine is fine)1 cup of a dry red wine (cheap cooking wine is fine)
3 tbsp of cornstarch + 3 tbsp of water to form a slurry3 tbsp of cornstarch + 3 tbsp of water to form a slurry
1 oz packet of any beef gravy or au jus flavor1 oz packet of any beef gravy or au jus flavor
VEGGIES TO BE WRAPPED IN SEPARATE FOIL:subheading: VEGGIES TO BE WRAPPED IN SEPARATE FOIL:
4 large carrots, sliced4 large carrots, sliced
1 lb of baby red potatoes, quartered1 lb of baby red potatoes
Any other veggies of your choosing - wrapped in separate foilAny other veggies of your choosing - wrapped in separate foil

Steps

Rub the roast all over with the seasoningsRub the roast all over with the seasonings
Add the olive oil to the Instant Pot and hit “Sauté”. Allow the oil to heat up for 3 minutes and then sear the seasoned roast in the oil for about 1-2 mins on each side. Remove the roast when done searing and set aside on a plateAdd the olive oil to the Instant Pot and hit “Sauté”. Allow the oil to heat up for 3 minutes and then sear the seasoned roast in the oil for about 1 to 2 mins on each side. Remove the roast when done searing and set aside on a plate
The bottom of the pot will likely have some spice remnants stuck on it from searing the meat. Add in the butter and as it melts, immediately scrape/deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden or plastic spoon to remove any remnants of the spices from the roast. Add the onions and they will release water as they cook making it easier to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Cook for 2 minutes an then add in the Worcestershire sauce and stir for another 2-3 minutes while deglazing. The bottom of the pot should be nice and smooth by now with most spices no longer stuck to itThe bottom of the pot will likely have some spice remnants stuck on it from searing the meat. Add in the butter and as it melts, immediately scrape/deglaze the bottom of the pot with a wooden or plastic spoon to remove any remnants of the spices from the roast. Add the onions and they will release water as they cook making it easier to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Cook for 2 minutes an then add in the Worcestershire sauce and stir for another 2 to 3 minutes while deglazing. The bottom of the pot should be nice and smooth by now with most spices no longer stuck to it
Place the trivet over the onions with the handles facing upwards and place the roast on top of the trivet, fat-side up (so it allows the juices to coarse through the meat as it cooks), along with the mushrooms. Pour the wine and beef broth over everythingPlace the trivet over the onions with the handles facing upwards and place the roast on top of the trivet, fat-side up (so it allows the juices to coarse through the meat as it cooks), along with the mushrooms. Pour the wine and beef broth over everything
Lastly, securely wrap the potatoes and carrots each in their own foil pouches and place in the pot on top of the roast.Lastly, securely wrap the potatoes and carrots each in their own foil pouches and place in the pot on top of the roast.
Secure the lid and then hit “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” High Pressure for 60 mins. When done, allow a 15 minute natural release (meaning you do nothing for 15 minutes) and then follow up with a quick releaseSecure the lid and then hit “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” High Pressure for 60 mins. When done, allow a 15 minute natural release (meaning you do nothing for 15 minutes) and then follow up with a quick release
Once the lid comes off, first remove the foil-covered veggies and set aside and then carefully remove the roast using the trivet’s handles and flip it onto a cutting board. Allow to the roast and veggies to cool a few momentsOnce the lid comes off, first remove the foil-covered veggies and set aside and then carefully remove the roast using the trivet’s handles and flip it onto a cutting board. Allow to the roast and veggies to cool a few moments
Go back to the pot, hit cancel, and then hit “Sauté” and bring the sauce to a bubble. Add the cornstarch and gravy mix.Go back to the pot, hit cancel, and then hit “Sauté” and bring the sauce to a bubble. Add the cornstarch and gravy mix.
Unwrap the foiled potatoes and carrots and add/stir them into the sauce. Allow to bubble for one minute and then turn the pot off.Unwrap the foiled potatoes and carrots and add/stir them into the sauce. Allow to bubble for one minute and then turn the pot off.
Slice up the pot roast against the grain in strips about 1/4 inch thick (or make thicker cuts if you wish). Then, cut each strip into good-sized chunks and immediately add them into the sauce and let sit in there for a few moments to soak it in. Make sure you toss in any remaining little strands of meat into the sauce too and give everything a final stirSlice up the pot roast against the grain in strips about ¼ inch thick (or make thicker cuts if you wish). Then, cut each strip into good-sized chunks and immediately add them into the sauce and let sit in there for a few moments to soak it in. Make sure you toss in any remaining little strands of meat into the sauce too and give everything a final stir
Serve on a plate or in bowls with some crusty bread (for soaking up the sauce) or over Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

I never though I would be doing something as simple as 'mashed potatoes' in the instant pot as I thought it was easy on the stove. HA! It is so much easier in the Instant Pot and no possibility of boiling over. Not to mention the fact that you don't boil them, they retain so much more flavor. That being said, you can use with regular 'stove top' potatoes and use the additional ingredients in this recipe to your conventional mashed potatoes - so good! Enjoy.

Ingredients

2 pounds potatoes washed, peeled, and cut into 1 inch cubes (Yukon, Russet or Red Potatoes all work)2 pounds potatoes washed, peeled, and cut into 1 inch cubes (Yukon, Russet or Red Potatoes all work)
1 cup water or chicken broth1 cup water or chicken broth
 
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)½ cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup milk or half and half warmed1 cup half and half warmed
salt and pepper to tastesalt and pepper to taste
2 to 4 oz cream cheese, softened in the microwave (20 secondish)good dollop of sour cream
parsleyparsley

Steps

In Instant Pot, place prepared potatoes in a steamer basket or on the trivetIn Instant Pot, place prepared potatoes in a steamer basket.
Pour water or broth into the potPour water or broth into the pot.
Lock and seal the lid then cook on manual high pressure for 7 minutes (Add additional time for larger potato cubes, about 2-5 minutes)Lock and seal the lid then cook on manual high pressure for 7 minutes (Add additional time for larger potato cubes, about 2 to 5 minutes)
Perform a quick release to release all the steam and pressurePerform a quick release to release all the steam and pressure.
Open the lid and check the potatoes with a knife. If there is any resistance, the potatoes are not cooked all the way. Add 1 more cup of water, replace the lid, and cook for an additional 2 minutesOpen the lid and check the potatoes with a knife. If there is any resistance, the potatoes are not cooked all the way. Add 1 more cup of water, replace the lid, and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Drain the water out of the Instant Pot. If you placed the potatoes straight into the pot (no steamer basket or trivet), you should not have any additional liquid in the pot, but if you do, drain itDrain the water out of the Instant Pot. If you placed the potatoes straight into the pot (no steamer basket), you should not have any additional liquid in the pot, but if you do, drain it.
In a bowl, microwave the butter till melted, add the milk or half and half and mic for an additional 10 to 15 seconds to warm. Mash potatoes to your desired consistency. Add butter, milk, salt and pepper, sour cream and mix inIn a bowl, microwave the butter till melted, add the milk or half and half and mic for an additional 10 to 15 seconds to warm. Mash potatoes to your desired consistency. Add butter, milk, salt and pepper, sour cream and mix in.
The potatoes may be kept on "keep warm" in the Instant Pot until ready to serve