Under Pressure
I’ve never been much of an early adopter of the “must-have” items, but I recently caved and drank the Kool-Aid. Chances are you or somebody you know is the owner of an Instant Pot, the multifunction pressure cooker that can produce fork-tender pot roasts in less than an hour, cook beans without soaking, and even make yogurt. The phenomenon of the magic is users have become almost cult-like, and every cool parent wants to be a part of the club. Fans engage in social media conversation of Biblical devotion, big promises, and confessions of undying love. “And on the seventh day, God threw some chicken and herbs in the Instant Pot and the universe was complete.” Is IP's master plan to invade all our kitchens and preach to anyone who's felt overwhelming guilt cooking dinner in a normal amount of time knowing they could have done it in 20 min or less?
The promise of creating nutritious meals for our families in an instant is an intoxicating, spiritual remedy overworked and time-lacking parents are searching for, but buying the appliance is only half the battle. Actually, using that bad boy has led to lots of anxiety and support groups. Why are there so many buttons? Is it going to explode? Did I just purchase a time machine for $169? As it turns out, Instant Pot was founded by a group of engineers, not chefs, and after unboxing, I, too, was convinced this robot was built by NASA. I went to a liberal arts college, not MIT. But, in my kitchen, good intentions do not go to die. I could hide under the table during the pressurizing noises, wait for the explosion, and be too afraid to run over and unplug the dang thing. But the IP is supposed to revolutionize my life, right?
Ironically, the joke is the learning curve on the Instant Pot involves several months of just letting it sit on the counter so you can get used to each other, followed by a six-week rice internship before graduating to shredded chicken using only the manual settings. After about a year of that, you're ready for some heavier lifting. While I am not a Pothead yet, I’m no chicken either. I did get a high from figuring out my new appliance on my own and made a pretty tasty dinner in the process. Who knows, maybe I will use it again in the future, but for now, I’d rather take a Xanax.
Smothered Chicken & Mushroom Meatballs
INGREDIENTS
For the Meatballs
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 5 ounces Shitake mushrooms, pulsed in food processor
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg, slightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ EACH: salt, pepper, and dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 5 ounces Shitake mushrooms sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ EACH: garlic powder, onion powder, and dry mustard
- ¼ black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Meatballs
- Combine the ground chicken, mushrooms, panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, egg, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, dry mustard, and chopped parsley. Mix until combined. Avoid over-mixing the meatball mixture to ensure they remain soft and juicy.
- Form the mixture into meatballs, about 1½-2 inches in diameter; approximately 14-16 meatballs.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs, and cook until browned on all sides, for about 8-10 minutes. Remove meatballs from the skillet and set aside. Alternatively, you can cook the meatballs in a 375F oven for 18-20 minutes turning midway.
For the Sauce
- In the same skillet, add butter and sauté the onions until translucent.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they start to release their moisture. Stir in the minced garlic, Better than Bouillon base, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard, and black pepper; cook for an additional minute.
- Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the heavy cream and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until the cheese has melted and the sauce is creamy.
- Return the meatballs to the skillet with the sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes, until the meatballs are heated and the sauce thickens to your liking.
- Serve immediately over mashed potatoes (I used instant!) and garnish with parsley and fresh cracked black pepper.
