Instant Pots are all the rage this Fall – the best season for cozy recipes.
Serious Eats has more about what an Instant Pot is used for, and we have to agree — it’s only worth it if you don’t already have a pressure cooker.
You can make some great meals (and cakes!) quickly — but the other functions that make it a multicooker can be done with regular kitchen equipment.
We think the Instant Pot is a great cooking tool since it cuts down on time and can do so many things.
As Daniel Gritzer said in Serious Eats:
As the name implies, what’s most appealing about a multi-cooker is the range of cooking options it offers. It steams! It sears! It simmers! It cooks beans! It cooks rice! It cooks stews! It cooks chili! It makes yogurt! It’s a pressure cooker! It’s a slow-cooker! It can make my bed and clean my toilet and rub my feet and sanitize my dentures! All! In! One!
Here are a few recipes we made so far this season:
Squash soup
From the Instapot recipe book (included with the pot!). This is a tasty, velvety, vegan soup!
Curries
Curry recipes are great because you can sub any ingredients you have on hand. The spices are what make it great, and you can adjust based on what spice level you like.
Red Lentil Kale Curry
Lentils are cheap and healthy, so keep them on hand! You can sub in any greens you already have.
Chickpea Curry
This recipe is one of our favorite curries. The cauliflower really makes it tasty, but you could sub broccoli or just leave it out if you hate it!
Eggs: Cheap, satisfying staple for hearty breakfasts, lunches and easy dinners. Plus top any pasta with an egg for rich deliciousness! More egg tips 
Oatmeal: Cook a bunch of steel-cut oats at the beginning of the week, along with some easy stewed cinnamon apples. You can also add sliced banana during the last few minutes of the oatmeal cooking for a yummy treat. Adults and kids love oatmeal! Try easy 
Fruits: Always have apples, grapes, bananas, and berries for yogurt, smoothies, oatmeal and more. Keep an apple or pear sliced and ready to eat so you’re more likely to grab that when you mindlessly poke around for a snack.
Staple Veggies: Always have carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli/cauliflower, and/or butternut squash. All of these will last a while, so you don’t need to stress out about using them right away. Just keep the carrots, broccoli & cauliflower clean and ready to use in your crisper. The potatoes and squash can stay out at room temperature until they’re cut.
Greens: Always have fresh greens on hand! Spinach is the best for versatility, but arugula, kale and others are nice to switch things up, especially if you like things a bit more flavorful!
We all know that sad lunch feeling: another turkey sandwich, another salad. But sandwiches and salads don’t have to be sad — you just need the right ingredients to liven them up.
Bread
Tomato
Acid
Pickles, Peppers & More
Cook 1 minute at medium, then lower heat to medium-low or low, cover, and cook another 4 minutes for sunny side up, 5 minutes for medium, 6 minutes for hard. Covering traps the steam, gently cooking the top.
Cook 1 minute until outside white is set, then flip for another 1-2 minutes.
Hard boiled
Make sure herbs are washed, thoroughly dried and chopped. Place in a zipper bag and freeze or place in ice cube trays, covered in oil, before freezing.
Cut melon in half, and remove the seeds and rind. Slice, cube, or cut into balls and place in freezer bags or airtight containers.
Wash and dry thoroughly, then place in sealed containers and freeze. Or, freeze in the container they’re in; just make sure to wash before using!
Peaches:
Frozen vegetables at the store are frozen at their peak quality. You can also DIY when veggies are in season! Choose the freshest option you can find, ideally from the farmers market.
Corn: