If you’re like me and keep hearing about the wonders of this Instant Pot this is for you. The Instant Pot is a Pressure Cooker, Multicooker and Instant Pot all in one plus its a slow cooker! I bought 2 new cookbooks and this recipe came out of the book “Comfort in an Instant”by Melissa Clark ( one of my personal favorite chefs) . It’s Chili time of year and I really believe it’s Chili time of year all year round! Once I figured out my new Instant Pot and all it’s settings I was good to go and this was my Baby Step into the world of the Instant Pot. I made it on Halloween since I was home with all the trick or treaters and I was able to cook without having to attend to the pot. This recipe was titled Easy Weeknight Chili. If you cook it in the instant pot alone it is ready in under an hour. I had time so I did the first 3 steps and then turned the Instant Pot into a slow cooker for 3 hours! It’s great! I sautéed and cooked all in the 1 pot. Next time I will use the pressure cooker so watch for those recipes if you’re into the Instant Pot.

The book is titled “Comfort in an Instant” by Melissa Clark available on Amazon if you would like to see the full recipe it’s in the book.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of extra-virgin Olive Oil

1 lb. ground beef and I added 1/2 lb. ground pork ( you don’t have to but it gave the beef a wonderful layer of flavor which is obviously richer than just ground beef)Don’t use the lean version of ground beef , beef should be at least 85% lean and 15% fat. It’s your call about the pork . I would use 1 1/2 lbs. of meat

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 large onion, diced

1 green pepper , diced

1 jalapeno pepper seeded ( if desired you can leave some seeds which will make it spicier) and diced up

4 garlic cloves , minced

1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste

2 Tablespoons Chili Powder

1 Teaspoon dried Oregano

1/2 Teaspoon ground cumin

1 28 oz can or box of diced tomatoes — original recipe calls for 1 can but I doubled it and it was just fine!

2 15 oz. cans of kidney beans, drained and rinsed

app. 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Fresh Lime Juice

Toppings:– these are just suggestions

Sour Cream

Salsa

Red Onions , diced

Cubed Avocado

Cilantro

Jalapeno –extra diced

I used Soft Tortillas because I had them but you can use Tortilla Chips as well

*you can also serve over rice or as a taco filling which is what Joel did with the soft tortillas.

*Just be sure you sear the meat because you don’t want steamed meat . Follow instructions and do the meat in 2 batches

*Chili freezes extremely well so double down if you’d like and freeze the remainder

Directions:

Using the saute function ( set on high) heat 1 Tablespoon of the oil in the pressure cooker pot. Add half the meat, spread it over the oil, and let it brown without stirring ( this is key) saute for 5-7 minutes. Give the meat a good stir after 5 minutes and continue to cook for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon transfer the meat to a plate and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the Kosher Salt. I didn’t need any more oil so if you do add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Repeat till the rest of the meat is browned, and add 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt to this as well. Remove all the meat and you should have enough fat and oil to continue cooking veggies.

Stir the onion, bell pepper, diced jalapeno, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to the pot until softened, app. 5 more minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, and cumin and cook until fragrant, about 1 more minute. Stir in the meat and any juices from the plate along with the tomatoes, beans, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.

After this step I turned my Instant Pot into a slow cooker by setting the button to Slow Cook for 2-3 hours ( I did 3 because I had the time) on high setting. You can set on low setting for 4-5 hours.

When finished and ready to serve I plated up in big bowls( see photo) added a squeeze or two of lime juice and we added our own toppings.

Enjoy! we did.

I added my photo from Halloween I gave out the candy in my Chefs Jacket and Hat figured it was appropriate.