Christmas came early for our household when a box was delivered to our doorstep. I was a little puzzled since I hadn't ordered anything that would come in a box that size. We opened it and were delightfully surprised to find that we had received an Instant Pot--and a note that came with it divulging the sender. My best friend Kat had sent us an Instant Pot. How did she even know I've been wanting one? (She's the same Kat who gifted us with the Anova Culinary Precision Cooker last summer) Thoughtful gifts that are also really useful are some of the best gifts to give and receive. I knew I had to make something with it right away.
I had planned on making chicken for lunch for me and the boys today and so I had breast and thigh fillets already thawing in the fridge. I had about 15 minutes to read the manual and understand how to work this wonderful yet newfangled device, wash the parts that needed washing, and come up with a recipe for my chicken. My neighbour, Joyce, got her Instant Pot months ago and has been raving ever since--and now I get to participate in the Instant Pot craze too.
This is called Crack Chicken because it's pretty much like crack--it's highly addicting! You can use it on rice, on pasta noodles, on sandwiches, on salads--on just about anything. Our little boy had his with veggie rice (I always make him a batch of sautéed chopped fresh veggies and jasmine or basmati rice), while the grown ups had it with zero-carb noodles. You can also add veggies like sweet peppers, mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, etc.
INGREDIENTS:
6 slices cooked bacon, chopped (I bake mine in an oven to keep them straight and flat)
2 lbs. boneless chicken fillets (I used breast and thigh fillet combo)
1 small onion, sliced thinly
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup water
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp dill
1 packet of Hidden Valley ranch dressing powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbs chives, chopped
2 cups baby spinach (optional)
2 cups mushrooms (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Place chicken, ranch powder, onions, cream cheese, vinegar, water, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, dill, salt, pepper, and veggies in a pot. Basically--put everything in except the cheddar cheese.
Turn your pot on Manual (that's the 'Pressure Cook' setting if you have the exact same model I have) for 15 minutes. That takes care of itself and doesn't need to be attended to until it's done cooking. Make sure you have read the user's manual and all the precaution that come with the Instant Pot to avoid any accidents and injury in the kitchen. When it's done cooking, you'll have to do a quick release (this means to make sure you turn the steam release handle to 'vent' position'). There's going to be A LOT of steam and it can burn your skin, so make sure you're nowhere close to it while it's releasing. I did a quick release twice before opening the pot to make sure all the steam and pressure have gone.
Remove chicken fillets from the pot using tongs. Shred chicken and replace back into the pot. Add in the cheddar cheese and stir until everything is well combined. Sprinkle the chopped bacon and serve.
And that's it! So easy, so delicious.
Yields 4 servings
437 calories
41.2g Protein
4.3g Net Carb
26.6g Fat