5-Day Meal Plan Using Your Instant Pot

An electric pressure cooker (aka Instant pot) is a major time saver in the kitchen. The handy appliance uses trapped steam and pressure to speed up the cooking time for any recipe, from risotto or brisket. To make the most of this appliance, we've pulled together a delicious, five-day dinner plan that relies solely on a pressure cooker to get the job done. This meal plan is intended to serve four each night. With a pressure cooker at the ready, you can get dinner on the table on even the busiest of weeknights.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Brown Rice

The day before you begin this meal plan, prep two batches of Instant Pot Brown Rice. You'll use the cooked rice twice for this plan, on days one and four. Making the rice ahead of time allows you to focus on the main protein for that night, rather than worrying about making two separate recipes. It also saves you from having to clean out the pressure cooker between recipes. Each batch of rice makes four servings.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Chicken Breast

This chicken recipe can be made with a variety of seasonings. You decide whether you're in the mood for an Italian blend or a smoky chile powder. However you flavor the chicken breasts, serve them over the Instant Pot Brown Rice that you prepped the previous day. While the chicken cooks, toss together a salad kit for a quick, easy side.

Get the recipe: Instant-Pot Sausage & Peppers

One great feature of an electric pressure cooker is the Sauté mode. It allows you to skip any stovetop cooking and use only one vessel (saving you cleanup time, too!). Here, we use the function to brown the sausages first, leaving behind a delicious fond to cook the peppers and onions in. These tasty sandwiches make for an easy weeknight dinner that all will love.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Lentil Soup

A delicious, aromatic soup on a weeknight? Sign us up! With the help of a pressure cooker, this cozy lentil soup is ready in just 40 minutes and packed with veggies like carrots, turnip and spinach. The recipe makes six servings, so you can save any leftovers for lunch the next day. A touch of balsamic vinegar brightens the flavor of this soup.

Get the recipe: Instant Pot Curry

Thanks to the pressure cooker, you can quickly develop layers of flavor in this vegetable curry. Serve the fragrant dinner with the second batch of Instant Pot Brown Rice. Coconut milk adds creaminess while keeping this recipe vegan-friendly. Potatoes and chickpeas add bulk for a satisfying meal.

Get the recipe: Pressure-Cooker Meatloaf & Potatoes

End the week with a comfort food classic: meatloaf and potatoes. In this recipe, the meatloaf and potatoes cook simultaneously, so everything is ready at the same time (and you don't have to worry about keeping part of the meal warm while something else finishes cooking). The meatloaf stays nice and moist, but for an extra oomph of flavor, you can use the leftover liquid in the pressure cooker as a sauce. This recipe makes six servings, but we wouldn't be surprised if people ask for seconds!