Sunday dinner- InstaPot Beef Stew

I’m getting a little more comfortable with my Instant Pot. It does help to be part of an online community, like on Facebook, so I can read tips and ideas others share. For example I read that people were having a hard time keeping the insert shiny clean and others had issues with food odors on the lid. So truth be told, white vinegar does help get the stainless steel insert clean and shiny. Also, after washing the pot and drying I store mine open with the lid upside down. I think this helps avoid any sitting moisture and odors from what you’ve cooked.

So last night I decided to try beef stew. It’s a favorite fall/winter meal of mine so I definitely will make it often in the coming months. I normally either cook it in the crockpot all day or simmer for about an hour in my Dutch oven, so I was a bit sceptic with the quickness of the IP for this one.

The link is below. I prepared all the ingredients and started by browning the beef on sauté like the recipe stated. I usually hate meals that have pre-cooking steps for the crockpot but I do think it really makes a difference because the beef was so soft. I added all the ingredients and cooked high pressure for 35 mins. It was getting late on a school night so I went straight for the quick release….in turn dinner was super hot when we sat down to eat so I do recommend the natural release as the recipe says. But it was so so good! All the veggies were nice and soft but nothing was mushy or overdone. And the whole family ate it so that makes this recipe a keeper for me!

~Elena