Yeah, yeah. The Instant Pot is a whiz at making really good meals really fast. Did you know it’s also a pretty darn good slow cooker?
I knew it could do it and have friends that rave about it, I just never tried. We led an RV cooking seminar at the Perry FMCA Rally in March and I glossed over the slow cooker function, instead concentrating on the more popular fast cooking aspect to the Instant Pot. After the seminar a woman asked if I had any ideas why her pot wasn’t working properly on the slow cook function. I didn’t have an answer but told her I would research it. I had some other questions that I was researching answers for and already planned to make a blog post addressing the questions.
I have to say, the user guide regarding the slow cook function leaves a lot to be desired. After some internet digging, I found much better instructions!
See the three buttons under the number 7 in the picture, Less, Normal & More? Those are your temperature settings for the slow cooker function. Those numbers translate like this from the IP to the Crock Pot:
Less = Keep Warm
Normal = Low
High = Normal
When using the IP as a slow cooker and you need to cook on the HIGH function, you need to add 15 minutes cook time for every hour you plan to cook. For example, if you’re cooking it on HIGH for 4 hours with your Crock Pot, it would be 5 hours in your IP using the slow cooker.
To use the IP as a slow cooker, first press the SLOW COOK button. Set the vent to VENTING then press the ADJUST button the setting you want and cook time.
You can use your regular IP lid or buy a glass IP lid. Or, if you want to save some money, you can use any of your pot lids that fit! I checked and the large pot lid from my pots & pans set works.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s make some sauce dirtying only the Instant Pot inner pot!
Set the Pot to SAUTE. Add your meat and whatever seasonings you like and cook until done. Remove the inner pot and spoon out the grease.
Stir in any jar of spaghetti sauce you like. You can add part or all of a small can of tomato paste if you’d like. Sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t. Put the lid on, set the vent to VENTING.
Press the SLOW COOK button. Press the ADJUST button to choose your setting, I use NORMAL and choose your time. That’s it!
Instant Pot Spaghetti
- one pound ground meat (beef, turkey and/or chicken)
- one large jar and one regular size jar spaghetti sauce
- one small can tomato paste (optional)
- one pound spaghetti noodles
- Parmesan cheese
- Brown the meat using the SAUTE function of the Instant Pot, drain grease.
- Stir in your favorite spaghetti sauce.
- Press the SLOW COOK button then the ADJUST button to NORMAL or MORE setting. Place lid on, set vent to VENTING. Set time for a few hours.
- Boil water and cook noodles according to package directions, top with sauce and devour.