These snowy, rainy days are perfect for a warm bowl of hearty chilli. Instead of the usual beef chili, or beef-and-pork combination, I opted for a medium spice-level ground Italian pork sausage. Keto doesn't allow legumes, so this "chili" recipe is a bean-free one. I also skipped the jalapeños because my little boy can't take much heat, but you are more than welcome to tweak this recipe as you see fit. Today, we continue our Instant Pot saga and thank the culinary tech gods for creating such a nifty device. (And thank you, Kat, because this is a gift that keeps on giving.)
The Instant Pot has made lunch (and dinner) so much easier to throw together. I do my prep work in the morning, toss it all in the pot, and when we get home from the gym, the food is kept perfectly warm and lunch is served within 5 minutes of walking through the door. Whatever time I save by cooking with the IP, I get to use to whip up a salad or vegetable side dish.
INGREDIENTS: (yields 4 servings)
1 lb. ground pork sausage (medium spice level, Italian sausage)
1 can diced tomato (I used Hunt's Fire Roasted tomato)
2 1/2 cups diced sweet peppers
2 cups mushrooms, diced
1 cup celery, sliced
1 1/2 cup white onion, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbs olive oil or avocado oil
6 oz. tomato paste
1/2 cup water
salt to taste
1/2 cup Mexican blend or cheddar cheese
Optional: sour cream or Ranch dressing as topping
DIRECTIONS:
Turn IP on SAUTE mode. Place 2 Tbs olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Brown the pork sausage for a few minutes, and when that's done, turn off SAUTE mode.
Add in all the ingredients (be sure you don't fill the pot above the maximum fill level). Close lid properly and check that the steam release handle is sealed. Cook at high pressure ('Pressure Cook' mode) for 35 minutes. When cooking is done, do a manual quick release to allow all pressure and steam to escape before opening the lid.
Add in salt and shredded cheese. Stir well and taste to see if you need more salt. This can be served in a bowl, as is, or with a side of chips, tortilla, crostini, or as in our case, carb-free rice substitute.
325 calories
20g Protein
6g Net Carbs
23g Fat