I vowed to use my Instant Pot more this year. Most recipes I’ve found on the internet are detailed enough but I wanted to be better at all of it. Lucky me we have a great little cooking school in our town that offers a wide array of classes. And, lucky me they offer several Instant Pot classes!
I walked into the class, Instant Pot in hand, and wasn’t really sure what to expect. I’d taken classes there before and have left with a tray of something delicious every time. I wondered what I’d be bringing home this day. Mark was flying home later that day and I told him we were having whatever I brought home.
There were lots of tips and tricks but the most important thing was cooking time. She said to think of cooking time like the Bell Curve; the run up to the top is the time it takes to get to pressure. The top of the Bell Curve is the cooking time with the run back down to the original line serving as the pressure release time. Right then and there it all clicked for me.
There were several Instant Pots around the giant island in the class. We made this dip first. While it was cooking, she talked about the ins and outs of the Pot. In a small sized pot she showed how to do hard boiled eggs. In the biggest one, we did chicken noodle soup. In yet another Pot she showed us how easy spaghetti squash was to make. The last pot made our take home treat, lemon curd. I’ve made this before and it is so very good. As each thing was finished, we sampled. It was an unexpectedly good lunch.
I left with a newfound confidence which reinforced my pledge to use the Pot more. It’s not the scary machine people tell you. Cooking in the Instant Pot is a lot easier than you think.
Let’s get to dipping!
Start by pouring the chicken broth into the pot; it becomes a little barrier to the bottom of the pot. I like using low sodium so I can control the salt.
I couldn’t find a 7-ounce jar of artichokes. There was 6-ounce, 12-ounce and 15-ounce. I decided to buy the 12-ounce jar and weigh out 7 ounces. When I drained the liquid and put them on the scale, it weighed in at 7.25 ounces. Pretty perfect in my book.
Next up, add all the ingredients except the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Doesn’t the big brick of spinach look funny?
Here’s the important part: Do not stir. Resist the urge. Put the spoon down, and whatever you do, don’t stir.
Put the lid on and set the rocker to Sealing. Press the Manual button and set time for 7 minutes. When the timer dings, use a wooden spoon to quick release the pressure.
Open lid. Stir in mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Serve warm with your favorite crackers and veggies.
Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for longer.
Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Recipe Credit: Mix Cooking School
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 container frozen spinach (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 7-ounce jar artichokes, drained and chopped
- 1 8-ounce brick cream cheese
- 1.5 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese Pour broth into Instant Pot.
- Pour broth into Instant Pot. Add spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, salt, artichokes and cream cheese. DO NOT STIR.
- Click lid closed. Press Manual button and set for 7 minutes.
- When timer beeps, use a wooden spoon to quick-release pressure. Open lid.
- Stir in mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
- Serve warm.