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Beach Vacation Electric Pressure Cooker #1

Instant Pot Recipe

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This recipe is the first of my series of Instant Pot – electric pressure cooker recipes that I am making for dinner at our Beach Vacation.  When we want to eat in our hotel room to save on our vacation budget, I make sure I pack my Instant Pot.  You can throw all the ingredients for this meal in the pressure cooker, set the time for 6 minutes and forget it.  Without any fuss, you can have a fabulous Red Bean and Rice dinner packed with protein and veggies.

The Original Recipe that Can be Modified

I don’t remember where I found this bean and rice recipe that we call “Jim’s favorite bean dish”, but it has been a quick family favorite for years. I have been making it since we were first married. The original recipe was cooked in a skillet on the stop top.   I adopted it for myInstant Pot by adding turkey sausage and it is now easier than ever and mostly hands-free. I can toss everything in the Instant Pot and I have the time to relax.

The original recipe called for thyme as the seasoning, but you could change this up to be more Italian with basil and oregano. Pick whatever your favorite spices are.  You can also change up the meat and it always comes out great.

Simple Steps for a No Fuss Recipe

After a day of relaxing in the sun at the pool or the beach, the last thing I want to do is stand at a stove in our hotel room.  I can head over to our room while the kids are swimming and plug in the pressure cooker.  Next, I chop up the onions and any other root vegetable and saute them in a little olive oil at the bottom of the cooker. I then add salt, pepper, thyme and a clove of garlic. I let this cook for about 2 minutes.

Next, I add the rice, sausage, broth and seasoning, and any other vegetable.  You can add any type of meat your family likes.  We like turkey sausage but you can use regular sausage or hotdogs.  The meat and vegetable can be fresh or frozen. That is the beauty of the electric pressure cooker it will adjust to the temperature of your food and it always turns out perfectly.

In an Instant Pot for any rice or grain, you use equal parts of a grain and a liquid.  For this recipe, I used white rice and beef broth. After several tries of making the recipe, I found that using a little more liquid will make sure the rice is not too dry.  For our large group on vacation, I use 2 cups of uncooked rice and 2 1/2 cups of beef broth. Just adjust the proportion to your family’s size.

Make sure to give the ingredients a quick stir to mix the flavors and add some salt to help keep down any bubble over that can come out of the relief valve.  Make sure you secure the lid well, as the unit will not work at all if not secured.  I have found that if you run the top (with the plastic ring on the inside) under a little running water, the lid goes on smoothly. Lock the lid, put the valve on lock, and the timer on 6 minutes.  Depending on whether the meat is frozen or not, dinner is ready in 10 to 15 minutes.

You will find that by the time your family has collapsed in the room from the pool, and they have the energy to tell you they’re hungry, you can be serving this quick dinner.  I also make a salad or some cut up fruit and the dinner is complete.

I love making dinner in our room as we save a lot of money that we can spend on activities. With this quick and easy dinner, everyone can relax in the room and not have to get dressed for a fancy dinner out.

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I hope you like this first in my series of quick and easy beach vacation dinner meals. I like to use my Instant Pot as I do not have to stand over the stove, but these recipes can also be adapted for a slow cooker. I find the Instant Pot to be more convenient as it is quicker and I do not have to leave it alone and on in the hotel room when we are at the beach our pool.

Other Posts on How to Save Money on a Beach Vacation

For more tips on saving money on a family beach vacation check out this post.