Who likes their Instant Pot and Freezer Meals? Especially with Fall flavors?
I really enjoy cooking, now that I’ve gotten into it more. But I don’t always like how much time it takes! This is why things like the Instant Pot and dump and go freezer meals had me at “hello.”
If you’ve come from my YouTube channel, welcome (and you’ll find the recipes down below.)
If you didn’t know I had a YouTube channel, check out the corresponding video if you want to see the creation of these meals in action.
All recipes below are for the Instant Pot freezer meals and are great for Fall menus.
Chicken Enchiladas with Pumpkin Cream Sauce
This recipe is from Once a Month Meals. If you haven’t heard of them (and you like freezer meals) you should check them out.
*Heads up that the above link is a referral link which gives me a credit if you choose to sign up with them. There is no additional cost to you.
Once a Month Meals will curate meal plans for you on a monthly basis scouring their own recipe cards as well as recipes from around the web. Not only that, but they then give you a grocery list, prep and cooking day instructions and labels for the freezer bags. It’s a one stop shop. This post isn’t sponsored by the way, I just like them that much.
Anyway, the Chicken Enchiladas were good. If you watched the video, you know I had some trouble with the tortillas breaking. I’m not sure what I did wrong there (if you know, please comment and tell me!) but thankfully, that didn’t affect the taste at all.
I wasn’t sure how the pumpkin sauce would taste but it was delicious! If you like pumpkin, don’t hesitate. Just try this.
The recipe as is (I did 2 servings) didn’t have enough sauce in my opinion. So if you like enchiladas that are more true to the originals, I would double the sauce measurements.
If you want this a bit more on the healthier side, leave the sauce measurements as the instructions say.
I would definitely have these again. And it’s enough for me as is (2 enchiladas) although J said he definitely wanted rice and beans with it.
Chicken Chili
You can find this recipe here at amindfullmom.com.
While her recipe doesn’t specifically call to freeze it, you absolutely can. And let me tell you, it is so worth it as this is some pretty fantastic chili.
I am usually pretty particular about my chili. People will cringe when I say this but I LOVE Wolf brand chili from the can. Call me a connoisseur, but what can I say. I grew up on this canned chili and there’s always a bit of nostalgia in it for me.
So while I was definitely up for trying this recipe, I didn’t have high hopes.
I was so wrong.
It was delicious, filling, and so easy to freeze. And the Instant Pot makes it a breeze to cook on the night you want to eat it also. Win – win.
Both J and I thought a serving of this was enough and no extra sides are needed.
BBQ Bacon Apple Chicken
Another Once a Month Meals meal, this one had amazing flavors and I couldn’t wait to try it.
That’s about as far as this one went though. The first time I tried to make it, the Instant Pot told me the food was burning and shut off. It wasn’t however, the chicken was still raw. So I put it in the oven instead.
The second time I made this, the Instant Pot never said the food was burning and it cooked the full time. The chicken still wasn’t cooked all the way through and neither was the bacon. So back in the oven it went.
However, even after another 30 min in the oven, the bacon on the bottom still wasn’t really cooked.
The flavors were delicious and someone who is a better cook than me might be able to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. It’s too much of a hassle for me – I’ll just find another recipe to try. 🙂
You will need additional sides with this dish though, if you choose to make it.
Jambalaya
While this recipe from Happy Money Saver isn’t technically called “Jambalaya” that is basically what it is.
And it is so easy to make and so delicious. (I mean, hello Instant Pot freezer meals and what a great Fall recipe.) This is going in our list of favorites that we’ll definitely make again.
You also don’t need any additional sides with it. It is pretty filling.
Mongolian Beef
From Eazy Peazy Mealz, this meal was a gamble for me. If you thought I was picky about my chili, then you should see me about Chinese Food. Seriously, I will only eat Chinese food from two restaurants in Austin and one of them is no where near where we live. I will drive for it – I don’t care.
Anyway, I got excited thinking about maybe, just maybe, I could make my own Chinese food.
There are a few things about this recipe.
One, it was good, but it didn’t taste at all like Mongolian Beef. To me, it tasted more like a beef stroganoff. Again, delicious, just not what I was thinking I was about to eat.
Second, the portions are off. Double the recipe. But half the rice portion. The way it’s written, it’s way too much rice, not enough meat, and no where near enough sauce. Now, again, I cut the servings sizes down to two because I don’t need to feed a family of 6. So if you’re hoping for 2 servings, double the recipe. Potentially, there’s enough if you’re making 6 servings, but you have been warned so read the measurements carefully and decide what will be enough for you.
Third, you will definitely need a side dish with this if you decide not to double the recipe.
It was actually really good, just know what you’re walking into.
So there you have it folks! My take on the Instant Pot freezer meals for Fall. If you decide to make any of these, come back and comment below how you liked them!
And if you watched the video and know what I did wrong with the tortillas, let a girl know.
No Comments