My Christmas present to myself was an Instant Pot and I could not be happier with it.
I immediately started scouring Pinterest for recipes and this beef stew was one of the first ones I tried. It was so, so good and so easy. Photo and recipe courtesy of thedomesticman.com.

• 3 pounds stew beef (or chuck roast or short ribs, see note below), cut into chunks
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons ghee, or butter
• 1/2 onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3/4 cup red wine
• 3 cups beef broth
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 celery stalks, cut into chunks
• 1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes, cut into chunks
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 small handful parsley, chopped

Combine the beef, salt, pepper and flour; toss to dust the beef evenly. Plug in your Instant Pot and press the “Sauté” button. Add the ghee (or butter) and warm until melted and shimmering, about 3 minutes. Add 1/3 of the beef and sauté until browned, about 6 minutes, then remove the beef and add another 1/3 of the beef. Continue until the rest of the beef has cooked, about 20 minutes total; set the beef aside. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes, then add the garlic and tomato paste. Sauté until aromatic, about 30 seconds, then add the wine and broth. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the beef (and any accumulated juices), carrots, parsnips, celery, potatoes, and thyme. Cover and set the Instant Pot to “Meat/Stew” (high pressure) for 20 minutes. Once the Instant Pot finishes, wait until it depressurizes, about 15 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when you can remove the lid easily. Gently remove the solid ingredients from the pot (the carrots and parsnips will be very tender) and set aside. Set the Instant Pot to “Sauté” again and simmer the sauce until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Taste and add salt or pepper if needed. Return the solid ingredients to the pot, stir in the chopped parsley, then serve.

I always up for trying a new slow cooker recipe and this one was really good. I especially liked the cheesy sauce that goes over the top. Perfect for a cold winter night. Recipe and photo courtesy of barefeetinthekitchen.com.

Chicken Filling:

• 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Burrito Ingredients:

• 6-8 flour tortillas or 12-16 corn tortillas
• 3/4 cup chopped roasted green chile or (1) 10-ounce can
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• 2-3 tablespoons light flavored olive oil

Sauce Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose or brown rice flour
• 1 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

Place chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle with cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover with lid and cook on low for 3-4 hours. When the chicken can be easily pulled apart, shred it and toss it in the juices in the crockpot. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl, add 1 cup of shredded cheese, and the green chile. Stir to combine. Scoop the chicken mixture into the tortillas, about 3/4 cup of filling fits nicely in each flour tortilla. (About 1/3 cup of filling fits easily in the smaller corn tortillas.) Roll them up and place them snugly into a baking pan. Brush with olive oil. Bake 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned and crispy. While the burritos are in the oven, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly add the chicken broth and whisk until smooth. Add the cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes, whisking and simmering until thickened. Remove from the heat. Add the sour cream and the remaining cheese, whisking until smooth again. Pour the sauce over the crispy burritos.

I made these meatballs this past weekend and they were so good! Don’t let the long ingredient lists scare you, these came together really quickly. I served mine with mashed potatoes, but rice would be good too! If there are leftovers, I would recommend storing the meatballs and sauce separately. Recipe and photo courtesy of jocooks.com.

For Meatballs:

• 1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, I used Panko
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup coarse ground mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (for frying)

For Gravy

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup beef or chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• parsley for garnish

Add all the meatball ingredients (excluding the olive oil) to a large bowl and mix well, use your hands. Shape into 1 inch meatballs. You should get about 40 meatballs. Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium to high heat. Add meatballs and cook. If you’re using a large skillet all meatballs should fit in one batch otherwise, you might have to fry them in a couple batches. Cook the meatballs on all sides, add more oil if needed. Remove meatballs from skillet and set aside. To the same skillet add butter and melt. Add onion and cook until onion is soft and translucent. In a bowl add the cornstarch and beef broth and whisk. Add broth and remaining gravy ingredients to skillet, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, sauce should thicken. If the sauce is too thick add a bit more beef broth. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. When the gravy is done add the meatballs back to the skillet and toss them around so they’re covered in the gravy. Garnish with parsley. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice.