Instant Pot Apple Cider Pork Chops

Ingredients

• 6 medium-large russet potatoes peeled and quartered (left the peels on)
• 2 cups carrots cut into 2 inch pieces (cut in half)
• 1 1/2 cups Penzey's chicken broth
• Penzey's Sunny Spain to taste
• 1/4 cup whole milk (omitted)
• Himalayan pink salt and Penzey's black pepper to taste

For the Pork Chops:

• Penzey's black pepper to taste
• Penzey's Revolution to taste
• Penzey's Pork Chop Seasoning to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (omitted)
• 1 1/2 lbs. / 3 bone in center cut pork chops (4) 
• 2 tablespoons canola oil (olive oil)

For the Apple Cider Mustard Sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon whole grain / stone ground mustard (Private Selection Lemon Tarragon Mustard)

Cornstarch Slurry

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper (first 3 ingredients) on each side.
2. Turn on the Instant Pot and select Sauté. Once it reads Hot, add the canola oil, wait about 1 minute for the oil to heat up and add the pork chops to the bottom of the pot in one layer. If needed brown them in batches.  (I used a skillet, for me it's faster and easier. I did turn the InstantPot to Sauté briefly to heat the bowl a bit)
3. Cook the pork chops on each side for about 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Remove to a dish and cover with foil to keep warm.
4. Turn off the Sauté mode.
5. Add the (un)peeled and quartered potatoes to the bottom of the instant pot. Add the chicken broth.
6. Place the trivet that usually comes with the IP on top of the potatoes, a steamer basket will also work.
7. Add the carrots. You may add foil to the trivet, to prevent the carrots from falling thru the spaces. Poke a few whole with a fork into the foil for steam to circulate.
8. Add the pork chops on top of the carrots.
9. Close the lid. Seal the valve. Select High Pressure and input 15 minutes. Do 20-22mins if the pork chops are very thick.
10. Once the Instant Pot beeps and the cooking time is zero let the pressure release naturally for 10-15 minutes.
11. Open the lid, remove the trivet with the pork chops and the carrots, add them to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
12. Drain the broth from the potatoes into a cup. (removing the potatoes is easier)
13. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl. Start mashing the potatoes and add broth little by little, until they are the consistency you desire. (Left ours quartered  gave a slight mash as butter was applied to them) You can also add milk or cream instead of the broth. Just do it little by little. Season the potatoes with salt and pepper. Cover the bowl with foil and set aside.
14. Clean the Instant Pot bowl and select Sauté 
15. Once it reads Hot add the apple cider, brown sugar and stone ground mustard. You can also stir in the mustard at the end.
16. Cook to a thick, syrupy glaze, stirring occasionally and until reduced by about half.
17. Stir the stone ground mustard now if you didn't at the beginning; season with salt and pepper.

Cornstarch Mix Optional:

1. To thicken the sauce quicker, mix in a cup cornstarch and water until fully dissolved, and add the mixture to the sauce. Stir to combine and simmer.
2. Serve the pork chops with mashed potatoes, carrots and top the meat with the glaze. (Sauce is good but we decided a little taste per bite is really all you need)

Recipe from: https://sweetandsavorymeals.com

Honey Garlic Instant Pot Chicken Breasts

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup water (Penzey's Chicken Broth)
• ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 cloves garlic minced (2t Gourmet Garden Chunky Garlic Stir-in Paste)
• 1 teaspoon Penzey's Air-Dried Shallots
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper  (Penzey's black pepper to taste)
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used two medium size)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions

• Combine water or broth, soy sauce, honey, garlic and pepper (first 6 ingredients) in Instant Pot. Stir.
• Add the chicken breasts to the Instant Pot.
• Seal the lid and turn the steam valve to the sealing position.
• Set Instant Pot to pressure cook/manual, high pressure. Set the cook time according to the size of your chicken breasts. For fresh: 8 minutes for small (7-8 ounce) chicken breasts, 10 minutes for medium (10 ounce) chicken breasts, or 11 minutes for large (12 ounce) chicken breasts.
• For frozen chicken breasts, add 3 minutes to the cooking times listed in step 4, and pressure cook (manual) at high pressure. Be sure that your chicken breasts are not stuck together as that will increase the pressure cook time.
• The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure and then will start counting down the cook time. When it beeps to let you know the cook time has finished, carefully quick release the pressure by using the handle of a long spoon to turn the steam valve to venting. (If your chicken breasts were frozen, do a 10 minute natural release instead of a quick release. Just leave the Instant Pot alone for 10 minutes before turning the steam valve to the venting position.)
• Wait for the steam to escape and the pin to drop down. Then, carefully remove the lid.
• Use an instant read thermometer to test the internal temperature of the chicken. It should be at least 165 degrees F. If the temperature is lower, finish cooking the chicken using the Instant Pot's saute mode.
• Remove chicken to a clean plate or cutting board.
• In a small bowl, stir together the 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Turn the Instant Pot on saute mode and stir in the cornstarch mixture. Cook, stirring, until the liquid has thickened, 2-3 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot and remove the inner pot to stop the cooking process.
• Slice the chicken and stir it back into the sauce in the pot. Serve with rice and vegetables, or as desired.

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Notes

To Cook in a Slow Cooker:

1. Stir together water or broth, soy sauce, honey, garlic and pepper in slow cooker insert. Add the chicken.
2. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 2 hours, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
3. Remove chicken to a clean plate or cutting board. Turn slow cooker to high setting.
4. In a small bowl, stir together 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Stir this into the liquid in the slow cooker and cook on high until thickened, about 20 minutes.
5. Slice or shred the chicken and stir it into the sauce in the slow cooker. Serve with rice and vegetables, or as desired.

To Make as a Freezer Meal:

1. Add water or broth, soy sauce, honey, garlic, pepper and chicken to a heavy duty zip top freezer bag.
2. Freeze flat for up to 3 months.
3. When ready to cook, thaw in cool water just until sauce is thawed. Transfer to Instant Pot and cook as directed above.

Recipe from: https://kristineskitchenblog.com