Pastitsio

August 20, 2022 Amanda Plott

I’m just going to start this one out by saying that this recipe does take time. While it’s fairly easy to make, there are layering components that each take some time to put together. That being said, this dish is a great one. It tastes like all the time and effort that’s been put into it. So, what is Pastitsio anyway? It’s a Greek style of lasagna basically. The main difference between lasagna and Pastitsio is that Pastitsio is made with a different style of noodle and also with a béchamel sauce rather than ricotta. It’s layered a bit differently than lasagna too.

Now, I’ve never made a béchamel sauce, and even with this being my first time doing so I found it to be pretty easy to do and is very similar to any sort of roux based sauce. The béchamel gave this dish life. There’s so much flavor packed into the sauce that the béchamel is needed to sort of cut through that intense flavor…

Beef Stew Casserole

May 10, 2022 Amanda Plott

Like I’ve said, it’s the end of the school year and quick and easy meals are what I’m about. This Beef Stew Casserole is going to be a new family favorite that I think has to go into general rotation. It’s filling and savory and is so easily put together. So what is Beef Stew Casserole anyway? Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like, beef stew in the form of a delicious casserole and doesn’t take hours on hours to make.

Everything you love about beef stew traditionally is here; beef, carrots, potatoes, celery, onion. All the goods. And to make this a casserole, it’s tossed together and baked with some tasty egg noodles! The noodles soak up a lot of the broth goodness as it bakes together and you end up with a delicious pasta dish that the whole family will love…

Reuben Stuffed Potato Skins

March 5, 2022 Amanda Plott

With St. Patricks Day just around the corner, and a pantry full of potatoes that need to reused up relatively soon, I decided to make some reuben inspired potato skins. These Reuben Stuffed Potato Skins take some of the standard parts of a reuben and stuffs them into potato skins that are hearty and filling.

These potatoes start out being turned into shells with the potato scooped out and mixed with some dressing and then seasoned. After that they’re topped off with kraut, corned beef, and of course some cheese! They’re then baked to perfection and ready to eat in just a few minutes…

Instant Pot Meatloaf Bites

February 9, 2022 Amanda Plott

Hey, you. Yeah, you! Did you know that you can make meatloaf in the instant pot? Well you absolutely can! I took one of my favorite meatloaf recipes that I already make in the instant pot and turned it into mini individual meatloaves. One of my favorite things about these meatloaves is that they are perfectly portioned and loaded up with sneaky hidden veggies!

Another thing that I like about these meatloaves is that they are great for making ahead as a meal prep for the week or for lunches! They also freeze and either reheat or cook up pretty well when you’re ready to enjoy them.

Instant Pot Pot Roast

January 1, 2022 Amanda Plott

Pot Roast at it’s finest! This pot roast is made in no time at all in a pressure cooker and the homemade gravy is the best of the best! I love to cook this ahead of time to have ready and waiting to finish up and pile on the plates at dinner time for a hearty and well rounded meal. It doesn’t get any better than this for a filling meal during the cooler winter months.

I like to serve my roast over some mashed potatoes, but if you don’t want to take it the extra few steps, you could always leave the potatoes in their quartered form. No matter which way you go with it, everyone is sure to enjoy it.

This pot roast is as simple as they get. The homemade gravy is the most complicated part, and making it in the instant pot makes it almost fool proof. The only thing that is a little different is that the potatoes are more of a yellow color after being cooked in all that dripping goodness. But, that also makes them taste that much better.

This makes a nice big pot of food that can feed the crowed and keep them full and happy!

Instant Pot Pot Roast

Yield: 8

Author: The Skinny Fork (Amanda Plott)

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 55 Min

A traditional pot roast with potatoes and carrots made in little time at all in the Instant Pot and topped off with a homemade gravy!

Ingredients

3 Lbs. Chuck Pot Roast, Cut into 6 Pieces
Salt & Pepper
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Medium Yellow Onion, Chopped
2 Tsp. Minced Garlic
1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste
1/4 C. Red Wine
1 1/2 C. Reduced Sodium Beef Stock
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire
5 Large Carrots, Cut into 2” Pieces
1 1/2 Lb. Potatoes, Quartered
1 Tsp. Rosemary
1 Tsp. Thyme
2 Whole Bay Leaves
2 Tbsp. Butter
1/4 C. All-Purpose Flour

Instructions

Season the pieces of roast with the salt and pepper.
Heat the 1 Tbsp. of oil in the base of an instant pot and place the pieces of meat into the hot base to brown on all sides for 2-3 minutes.
Remove the meat to set aside.
Add the 1 chopped yellow onion to the instant pot and sautee for 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the 2 Tsp. Minced Garlic and 1 Tbsp. Tomato Paste to cook for about a minute or two or until fragrant.
Add in the 1/4 C. red wine and scrape down the bottom of the instant pot of all it's crispy browned bits.
Turn the instant pot off and stir in the 1 1/2 C. broth, 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire, and chopped carrots.
Top the carrots with the browned chunks of meat.
Top the meat with the potatoes and sprinkle the 1 Tsp. Rosemary, 1 Tsp. Thyme, and 2 Whole Bay Leaves.
Secure the lid, set the steam valve to sealed, and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.
Once done, allow the steam to release naturally.
Set the potatoes aside in a bowl.
Remove the meat and carrots to set aside on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Beat the mashed potatoes with a splash of unsweetened almond milk and season with salt and pepper to taste; set aside and cover to keep warm as well.
Strain the beef drippings through a fine mesh strainer, reserving 2 C. of the broth.
Whisk together the 2 Tbsp. butter and 1/4 C. flour in the base of the instant pot and set it to sauté to make your roux.
Slowly add the 2 C. reserved drippings, whisking constantly until the gravy has reached your desired thickness then remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Plate accordingly and enjoy right away!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

572.60

Fat (grams)

30.88

Sat. Fat (grams)

12.94

Carbs (grams)

27.10

Fiber (grams)

3.28

Net carbs

23.83

Sugar (grams)

3.44

Protein (grams)

45.98

Sodium (milligrams)

313.58

Cholesterol (grams)

148.81

Nutritional Claims: Egg Free • Peanut Free • Tree Nut Free • Soy Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free

Similar Recipes

Cowboy Pot Roast (Instant Pot)

Red Wine Beef Stew

Beef & Barley Stew

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Brain Meatloaf

October 3, 2021 Amanda Plott

I’ve taken my classic meatloaf recipe and molded it into the shape of a brain for a fun Halloween inspired twist. My meatloaf is made with plenty of vegetables loaded into it, onion, bell pepper, and zucchini too! So it’s healthified and lightened up while still being scary good.

Usually meatloaf is made with ketchup, but I decided to use tomato sauce and tomato paste along with salt and pepper to lower the amount of sugar and also to be able to control the level of salt. It’s a good little swap that doesn’t effect the taste or texture and gives you a lot more bang for your buck!