280 21 Day Fix Recipes with Container Counts for Portion Fix

Instant Pot Vegetable Fried Rice

Becca Ludlum — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 17:04:13 +0000

This Instant Pot Vegetable Fried Rice is quick, easy, and egg free. It’s a delicious main dish or side dish, and will crush your take-out cravings without the guilt.

Our Instant Pot Vegetable Fried Rice is loaded with flavor and the recipe is versatile. I love this vegan fried rice recipe because it’s packed with vegetables and easy to modify by adding in a protein like tofu, egg, or even chicken if you have carnivores in the house.

Using the Instant Pot to make our Instant Pot Fried Rice means you only have one dish to clean up at the end of meal time. I love to make fried rice in the Instant Pot, and it’s the only way I will make fried rice now!

Where’s the recipe?

To better serve my community of all levels of experience here at My Crazy Good Life, I’ve made a commitment to put a ton of helpful information in all of my posts. This includes healthy eating plan information, how to meal prep, and how to easily substitute ingredients.

If you’d like to skip over the extra information, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the printable Instant Pot Vegetable Fried Rice recipe.

Ingredients in Instant Pot Vegetable Fried Rice:

White Rice: There’s a long standing debate over whether white rice is healthy or not. While it does have some short comings, it also has some benefits.
Stir-Fry Vegetables: Usually a mixture of frozen peas, carrots, and broccoli. Some contain water chestnuts and baby corn.
Coconut Aminos: We love using coconut aminos in our Instant Pot fried rice recipe. We find it tastes less salty than using the traditional soy sauce.
Roasted Sesame Oil: Sesame oil provides a light nutty flavor to this recipe. We choose roasted or toasted sesame oil, but you are welcome to use regular sesame oil too.
Ginger: We love fresh ginger, but also understand that it can take a while to properly mince. When we are running short on time, we use the frozen ginger cubes.
Garlic: Minced garlic is a must in this recipe. We prefer using it over garlic powder in all of our Asian food recipes.
Rice Vinegar: The riced vinegar in the recipe helps balance out the slightly sweet tone of the coconut aminos – look for the one without the added flavorings and sugar.

How to make Instant Pot Vegetable Fried Rice:

Add the white rice and water to the Instant Pot.
Attach the lid and ensure the vent is in the “sealing” position.
Heat the Instant Pot using the Manual Pressure / Normal / High Pressure function and set the timer for 5 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure and will then begin counting down from 5. Turn off the “keep warm” button if you have one. This will help the rice release from the bottom of the pot as it cools.
Once the Instant Pot has finished cooking, release the pressure manually by switching the valve to the “venting” position. Be careful— the valve will steam and my splatter.
Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté function. Move the rice to one side of the Instant Pot. In the empty half, pour 1 tbsp roasted sesame oil. Let the sesame oil heat slightly, then add ginger and garlic. Sauté the ginger and garlic for one minute.
Add the frozen vegetables, coconut aminos. rice vinegar, and remaining sesame oil. Sauté the rice and vegetables, stirring occasionally for 5-8 minutes, or until the rice has started to crisp in some areas and the vegetables are hot and cooked through.
Top with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Serve fried rice warm.

Recipe Tips:

You can also make this recipe with jasmine rice. We prefer using jasmine rice in our Instant Pot Fried Rice recipe. Although we love using jasmine rice for for this recipe, you can also use basmati rice, brown rice, or long grain white rice. Brown rice has a different cooking time than white, this posts tells you How to Cook Brown Rice in the Instant Pot.
Using the pressure cooker to cook your rice helps cut down on extra dishes to wash. The cooked rice in the instant pot comes out perfectly every time.
You can use fresh vegetables for this recipe, but I don’t recommend canned. They tend to get mushy. We use frozen veggies for convenience and a variety of vegetables. We prefer the stir fry frozen vegetables, but you can also go for the classic mixed frozen vegetables.
You can omit the sesame oil if you don’t have any, but I love the nutty flavor it gives.
If you like eggs in your fried rice, remove the rice after it is finished cooking and scramble as many eggs as you prefer before adding back the rice and vegetables. You may also move the fried rice to one side of the Instant Pot, scramble the egg on the empty side, then mix together when the egg has cooked.
This recipe can easily be modified to add additional protein. We love making chicken fried rice when we have any leftover chicken.
This recipe is easy to customize to your preference. I love adding bell peppers, green beans, and onions to this rice recipe.
Store leftover rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Our Instant Pot Fried Rice recipe will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Healthy Eating Plans:

Weight Watchers:

We calculated these points using the WW calculator. We use ingredients to calculate our points, not nutrition information.

Weight Watchers has told us that this is the most accurate way to calculate points for a recipe since ingredient brands can vary so much. Points were figured following the recipe exactly as written and dividing into 4 servings.

Our Instant Pot Vegetable Fried Rice is 14 points per serving.

Ultimate Portion Fix:

White rice is not on the 21 Day Fix food list. If you swapped for brown rice, this would be a compliant recipe. The cooking time for brown rice is 20 minutes.

For the entire recipe, total counts are 8 yellow containers, 2 green containers, and 30 oil teaspoons. Per serving, 2 yellow containers, 1/2 green containers, 7 teaspoons.

Reducing the aminos and oil will reduce the teaspoons.

2B Mindset

This is a 2B Mindset lunch recipe.

Other Rice Recipes

Instant Pot Vegetable Fried Rice

This Instant Pot Vegetable Fried Rice is quick, easy, vegan, and egg free. It's seriously the best fried rice, and will crush your take-out cravings without the guilt.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 403kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Ingredients

2 c white rice dry
2 c water
2 tbsp roasted sesame oil divided
2 tsp ginger minced
2 cloves garlic
2 c stir-fry vegetables frozen
1/4 c coconut aminos
1 tsp rice vinegar

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Add the white rice and water to the Instant Pot. Attach the lid and ensure the vent is in the “sealing” position. 2 c white rice, 2 c water
Heat the Instant Pot using the Manual Pressure-Normal-High Pressure function and set the timer for 5 minutes.
Once the Instant Pot has finished cooking, release the pressure manually.
Turn the Instant Pot to the Sauté function. Move the rice to one side of the Instant Pot. In the empty half, pour 1 tbsp roasted sesame oil. Let the sesame oil heat slightly, then add ginger and garlic. Sauté the ginger and garlic for one minute. 2 tbsp roasted sesame oil, 2 tsp ginger, 2 cloves garlic
Add the frozen vegetables, coconut aminos. rice vinegar, and remaining sesame oil. 2 c stir-fry vegetables , 1/4 c coconut aminos, 1 tsp rice vinegar
Sauté the mixture stirring occasionally for 5-8 minutes, or until the rice has started to crisp in some areas.
Top with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Serve fried rice warm.

Notes

You can make this recipe with brown rice. This posts tells you How to Cook Brown Rice in the Instant Pot.
You can use fresh vegetables for this recipe, but I don’t recommend canned. They tend to get mushy.
You can omit the sesame oil if you don’t have any, but I love the nutty flavor it gives.
If you like eggs in your fried rice, remove the rice after it is finished cooking and scramble as many eggs as you prefer before adding back the rice and vegetables.
This recipe is easy to customize to your preference, I love adding bell peppers and onions.

Weight Watchers:
Our Instant Pot Vegetable Fried Rice is 14 2023 points per serving.

Ultimate Portion Fix:
Per serving, 2 yellow containers, 1/2 green containers, 7 teaspoons.

Nutrition

The post Instant Pot Vegetable Fried Rice appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe

Becca Ludlum — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 19:31:11 +0000

This delicious Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe with Tofu is one of our favorite weeknight meals to make. It comes together quickly, and makes delicious leftovers as well!

A few years ago we were in the habit of ordering takeout from our favorite Asian restaurant a little too often. The food was delicious, but I knew we could make delicious and healthy Asian food in our own kitchen. My husband and I made it our goal to recreate some of our favorite stir fry recipes at home.

Now that we’re creating delicious Asian recipes at home, we’re saving money, and enjoying a healthier version of our favorites. We feel good about these healthy changes, and actually prefer our own recipes at home over the restaurant recipes we used to love.

One of our favorite creations, our Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe, is so simple and yet so damn delicious. It’s made with a flavorful stir fry sauce, lo mein noodles, and a variety of crunchy vegetables. It’s the perfect Vegetable Lo Mein recipe to satisfy your cravings without all the added sodium you’d get from a restaurant.

This easy recipe will be your new family favorite. An easy weeknight meal that is flavorful, without a lot of fuss.

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we love it when our readers feel successful in the kitchen. Eating healthy is so important, and we work hard to help our readers achieve all of their healthy eating goals.

In each recipe, we include detailed information, helpful tips and tricks, healthy eating plan point information, as well as nutritional information. If you are more experienced in the kitchen and ready for a more simplified version of this recipe, simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you’ll find our easy to print Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe.

Ingredients in Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe

Tofu: We recommend extra firm tofu for this recipe. We’ve found it makes the best crispy tofu which is exactly what we need when we make lo mein.
Brown Rice Chow Mein Noodles or Ramen Noodles: Lo mein noodles are so important in this veggie lo mein dish. We prefer using ramen noodles or chow mein noodles made out of brown rice. It’s a healthier alternative to traditional lo mein noodles.
Green Cabbage: Cabbage is a superfood that’s packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. If you’re looking for a time saver, you could purchase a bag of pre shredded cabbage from the grocery store.
Carrots: We love carrots in our vegetable lo mein dish. If you’re looking for a shortcut, you can always buy a bag of matchstick carrots from the grocery store. These are already julienned and the perfect size for a stir fry.
Broccoli Slaw: We use prepackaged broccoli slaw for this recipe. You get the flavors of broccoli without the big florets. If you aren’t able to find broccoli slaw at your grocery store, feel free to sub in other vegetables like bok choy or bell peppers.
Celery: We love the crunch of celery. It’s the perfect addition to our veggie lo mein.
Snow Peas: Snow peas are thinner than snap peas. We prefer these in our lo mein, but if you aren’t able to find these in your local grocery store, feel free to sub in snap peas. The crunch of a snap pea sounds delicious.
Garlic: Our easy vegetable lo mein recipe includes garlic. We prefer using fresh garlic over the prepackaged or dried kind.
Ginger: We love freshly grated ginger for this recipe.
Green Onions: The perfect garnish for a stir fry.

Delicious Lo Mein Sauce Ingredients

Coconut aminos: We prefer to use coconut aminos over regular soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce in this delicious lo mein sauce. We love the flavor of the aminos, and find our dishes much less salty when we use this over soy sauce.
Fish sauce: The fish sauce is an important ingredient in our vegetable lo mein sauce. You should be able to find fish sauce at your local grocery store in the Asian department, or at your local Asian market.
Zhong sauce or Sichuan chili sauce or Sambal Oelek Chili Paste: If you haven’t tried Zhong sauce, I highly recommend it! It’s delicious and helps make the perfect stir fry sauce because of the depth of flavor it provides. If you aren’t able to locate Zhong sauce at your local grocery or on Amazon, feel free to track down the Sambal Oelek chili paste.
Sesame oil: Any delicious stir fry sauce most likely includes sesame oil. We love putting it in our stir fry, and love the complex and nutty flavor it provides for our vegetable lo mein sauce. For this recipe I prefer regular sesame oil, though I do often recommend using toasted/roasted sesame oil in many recipes.
Vegetable broth: The Vegetable broth helps create the vegetable lo mein sauce. We always buy low sodium broth.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch in a sauce is used to help thicken up all the sauce ingredients.

How to Make Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe

Drain the tofu and slice into small strips. Air fry or bake at 350º, turning after 5-7 minutes. In the oven, I like to put the tofu on parchment paper while it cooks. Cook until the tofu dries out a bit but not so much that it browns too much. Depending on the size of your air fryer, cook in small batches and set aside as it finishes.
Boil water for your noodles, and cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse noodles with cold water when they’re finished cooking, then set them aside.
Prepare your veggies: Shred the cabbage, peel and julienne the carrots, dice the celery, and trim the edges of the snow peas. Dice the onions and set them aside to use after your meal is finished cooking.
To make the sauce combine all sauce ingredients, including cornstarch, and whisk to combine. Set aside.
When the tofu is finished cooking, spray a large pan with nonstick cooking spray and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the garlic, ginger, cabbage, carrots, broccoli slaw, celery, and snow peas to the pan.
Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the cooked noodles and tofu to the pan. Turn the heat down to low-medium and mix everything together carefully. Cook for 3-5 minutes and allow the noodles and tofu to heat up a little.
Add the sauce to the pan and mix well. Cover the meal and turn the heat down to low and allow the food to cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat and add chopped green onions to the top and serve warm.

Recipe Tips

You could use soy sauce or low sodium soy sauce for this recipe, however when we were recipe testing this recipe, we found the result to be much too salty. We recommend swapping out the soy sauce and sticking with coconut aminos.
If you aren’t able to find ramen noodles or chow mein noodles, feel free to sub in udon noodles, soba noodles, or whole wheat spaghetti noodles. These choices won’t quite be the same, but will do in a pinch. We prefer using the brown rice noodles when possible.
If you are in a bind, you could use frozen veggies.
This stir fry is versatile. We love that you can include all the veggies! Feel free to swap in any other lo mein vegetables you have at home such as bell pepper, zucchini, or asparagus.
I try to always toss my cubed tofu in cornstarch before cooking it. It’s not necessary, but it really helps the tofu not stick together.

Healthy Eating Plan Points

21 Day Fix

This 21 Day Fix Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe is packed full of fresh vegetables. It has a lot of teaspoons, though – I’d reduce the coconut aminos and sesame oil where I could and make sure to drink extra water to flush out the sodium from all of the teaspoon ingredients.

Entire recipe: 1 1/2 red containers, 3 yellow containers, 7 1/2 green containers, 36 teaspoons

Per serving: 1/4 red container, 1/2 yellow container, 1 1/4 green containers, 6 teaspoons

Weight Watchers

10 2023 Plan Points – reducing the coconut aminos and sesame oil in this recipe will help you reduce those points.

Looking for more healthy Asian dinner cuisine recipes?

Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe

This easy vegetable lo mein recipe will be your new family favorite. An easy weeknight meal that is flavorful, without a lot of fuss.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings people

Calories 495kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

Toaster, Oven, or Air Fryer
Kitchen Knife
Cutting Board

Ingredients

Lo Mein Ingredients

14 oz extra firm tofu drained and lightly air fried with no seasoning or sauce
12 oz brown rice chow mein noodles or brown rice ramen
1.5 cups shredded green cabbage
2 carrots large, julienne cut
1 cup broccoli slaw
2 celery stalks diced
1 cup snow peas ends cut off
2 tsp fresh garlic minced
1 tsp fresh ginger minced
1 bunch green onions diced

Sauce Ingredients

1/2 cup coconut aminos
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp Zhong sauce or sichuan chili sauce or sambal oelek chili paste
3 tbsp light sesame oil
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

Drain the tofu and slice into small strips/cubes. Air fry or bake at 350º, turning after 5-7 minutes. Cook until the tofu dries out a bit but not so much that it browns. 14 oz extra firm tofu
Boil water for your noodles, and cook noodles according to package directions. Rinse noodles with cold water when they're finished cooking, then set them aside. 12 oz brown rice chow mein noodles
Shred the cabbage, peel and julienne the carrots, dice the celery, and trim the edges of the snow peas. Dice the onions and set them aside to use after your meal is finished cooking.
Combine all sauce ingredients into a medium bowl, including cornstarch, and whisk to combine. Set aside. 1/2 cup coconut aminos 1 tbsp fish sauce 1 tbsp Zhong sauce 3 tbsp light sesame oil 1/2 cup vegetable broth 1 tbsp cornstarch
When the tofu is finished cooking, spray a large pan with nonstick cooking spray and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the garlic, ginger, cabbage, carrots, broccoli slaw, celery, and snow peas to the pan. 2 tsp fresh garlic 1 tsp fresh ginger 1.5 cups shredded green cabbage 2 carrots 1 cup broccoli slaw 2 celery stalks 1 cup snow peas
Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the cooked noodles and tofu to the pan. Turn the heat down to low-medium and mix everything together carefully. Cook for 3-5 minutes and allow the noodles and tofu to heat up a little.
Add the sauce to the pan and mix well. Cover the meal and turn the heat down to low and allow the food to cook on low heat for 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat and add chopped green onions to the top and serve. 1 bunch green onions

Notes

21 Day Fix

Entire recipe: 1 1/2 red containers, 3 yellow containers, 7 1/2 green containers, 36 teaspoons

Per serving: 1/4 red container, 1/2 yellow container, 1 1/4 green containers, 6 teaspoons

Weight Watchers

10 2023 Plan Points

Nutrition

The post Vegetable Lo Mein Recipe appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Instant Pot Lemon Chicken

Becca Ludlum — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 16:32:23 +0000

This Instant Pot Lemon Chicken is an easy dish bursting with fresh flavors from a delicious lemon garlic sauce. Juicy lemon garlic chicken thighs are paired together with nutrient rich vegetables for a healthy and easy dinner that your whole family will enjoy.

Lemon juice and garlic are a flavor combo that just works. When you pressure cook the two together you will create the most delicious sauce to top your golden brown chicken thighs and vegetables with.

If you are looking for a healthy one pot dinner recipe, look no further than this Instant Pot lemon chicken. Everything cooks in one pan for an easy, healthy dinner that you can have on the table in no time.

I love using my trusty pressure cooker to make a quick and easy dish on busy weeknights. Not only is this lemon chicken great for school nights, it’s also a great recipe for meal prep!

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we have visitors of all different comfort levels in the kitchen. Whether you’re new to pressure cooking, or just new to cooking in general, we want you to be able to recreate our recipes with ease.

To help our readers have a successful experience cooking, we provide a lot of information in our articles. Below you will find an informative list of ingredients, detailed cooking instructions, recipe tips, as well as healthy eating plan calculations for a couple popular programs.

If you’re comfortable in the kitchen, and with pressure cooking, and would like to skip past all of that, please go ahead and scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find our easy to print recipe card for this Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Thighs recipe.

Ingredients in Instant Pot Lemon Chicken

Garlic cloves: For this lemon garlic chicken recipe we use a spice rub that gives the chicken thighs so much flavor. This recipe calls for minced garlic as opposed to garlic powder. Fresh garlic helps to season chicken thighs and the lemon sauce for an absolutely delicious flavor. Garlic powder can be used but you won’t get as much of a fresh garlic taste.
Paprika: Paprika is rich in antioxidants as well as vitamins and minerals. It adds a sweet and peppery taste to the chicken thigh rub. Feel free to use sweet or smoked paprika. Smoked will give you an additional layer of flavor.
Oregano: Dried oregano is used in Italian seasoning and adds a delicious earthy flavor to the chicken thighs.
Marjoram: Dried marjoram is another Italian seasoning that is a great addition to this Instant Pot lemon chicken recipe.
Salt: We use just a little salt to help bring out the flavors in this Instant Pot lemon chicken recipe.
Pepper: Black pepper adds a subtle layer of heat to our chicken thighs rub.
Chicken thighs: I love using chicken thighs when I cook in the Instant Pot. If you think you’re not a fan of dark meat, I urge you to try this recipe using boneless skinless chicken thighs. Skinless chicken breasts can become dry and rubbery as the chicken cooks. One of the things I love most about cooking chicken thighs is, even if they are slightly over-cooked, you have moist, tender chicken when the cooking time is complete.
Lemon juice: Our Instant Pot lemon chicken uses fresh lemon juice from about 3 lemons to create a delicious lemon garlic sauce. Not only does lemon juice add bright and fresh flavors, lemon juice is also high in Vitamin C, which may give your immune system a boost!
Chicken broth: I use chicken broth or chicken stock for this Instant Pot chicken thighs recipe.
Potatoes: Use mini or baby potatoes for this Instant pot lemon chicken thighs recipe.
Baby bella mushrooms: You can’t go wrong with mushrooms. They’re fat-free, low-sodium, low-calorie, and cholesterol-free. They’re also packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Asparagus: Asparagus is a tasty vegetable that’s also a great source of vitamins and minerals, especially folate and vitamins A, C and K.
Cornstarch: We add this at the end of our cooking time to create a cornstarch slurry, which helps to thicken the delicious lemon garlic sauce.

How to Make Instant Pot Lemon Chicken

Prep the Pot Start by spraying the bottom of the inner pot to your Instant Pot with a nonstick cooking spray, and then press sauté. You can also use a small amount of olive oil or avocado oil to lightly coat the bottom of your inner pot.
Make the Rub In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, paprika, oregano, marjoram, salt, and black pepper. Then rub the mixture into the tops of your chicken thighs.
Sear the Chicken Take care not to crowd your chicken together, you may need to repeat this process several times so that the chicken thighs can sear properly. Starting with the seasoned side down, place chicken thighs into your pot. Sear for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Set the seared and golden brown chicken thighs aside and, when you are done searing all of the thighs, add lemon juice and chicken broth to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add the Potatoes Next, place the baby potatoes in the bottom of the pot, and then set the seared chicken thighs directly on top of the potatoes. Close and lock the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set the cooking time for 5 minutes. When the cooking time is complete, quick release the pressure and carefully remove the lid.
Add the Mushrooms & Asparagus Now it’s time to add the mushrooms and asparagus directly on top of the chicken thighs. Close and lock the Instant Pot lid and again turn the steam release valve to sealing. Pressure cook (high) and set the cooking time for 1 minute.
Make the Cornstarch Slurry When the cooking time is complete, quick release the pressure and remove chicken, vegetables, and potatoes to a large platter. On your Instant Pot, select Sauté and add the corn starch to the pot. Whisk together with the chicken broth to make your cornstarch slurry. Once the lemon sauce has thickened you can remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot base.
Serve Place the lemon garlic chicken, vegetables, and potatoes into individual bowls or plates, and spoon sauce on top of each serving. Serve immediately or see below for tips on storing for meal prep.

Recipe Tips

This Instant Pot Lemon Chicken is a delicious and healthy recipe for meal prep. To prep, divide equal portions of lemon chicken, vegetables, and potatoes into meal prep containers. You can serve the gravy on the side, or spoon it over the top of each serving before storing.
Instant Pot Lemon Chicken and vegetables keeps in the fridge for up to 6 days, or it can be frozen for up to 2 months. To reheat, microwave each thawed serving for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
This recipe uses a quick release to release the pressure from the Instant Pot. If you’d like to learn more about quick release vs. natural release you can read this post.

Healthy Eating Plans

This Instant Pot chicken recipe serves 6.

21 Day Fix Instant Pot Lemon Chicken

Entire recipe: 6 red containers, 6 yellow containers, 6 green containers

Per serving: 1 red container, 1 yellow container, 1 green container

Weight Watchers Instant Pot Lemon Chicken

8 2023 Plan Points | 8 Blue Plan Points | 8 Green Plan Points | 5 Purple Plan Points

Looking for more Instant Pot recipes?

Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes This Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin with Mashed Potatoes is an easy and delicious meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights.
How to Cook White Rice in the Instant Pot If you’re new to pressure cooking you will love cooking white rice in the Instant Pot! This post will teach you how to cook rice in the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Burrito Bowls with Frozen Chicken This is an easy Instant Pot meal prep recipe that uses frozen chicken breast, plus dried beans and rice for a true one pot meal that the whole family will eat.
Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks These Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks with Cilantro Lime Seasoning are so delicious. The marinade can be used with any type of chicken: chicken thighs, chicken breasts or chicken legs.
Chicken Gyro Bowls with Homemade Tzatziki These healthy Chicken Breast Gyro Bowls with Homemade Tzatziki sauce are perfect for meal prep because I can prepare the main ingredients and then just assemble them for a quick recipe tonight.

Instant Pot Lemon Chicken

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword instant pot lemon chicken

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 6

Total Time 21

Servings people

Calories 401kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

Instant Pot 6 qt
Cutting Board
Kitchen Knife

Ingredients

2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless
3 lemons juice from
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 lb mini potatoes any variety
1 lb baby bella mushrooms halved
1 lb asparagus halved and woody ends removed
2 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

Start by spraying the bottom of the inner pot to your Instant Pot with a nonstick cooking spray, and then press sauté. You can also use a small amount of olive oil or avocado oil to lightly coat the bottom of your inner pot.
In a small bowl, combine the minced garlic, paprika, oregano, marjoram, salt, and black pepper. Then rub the mixture into the tops of your chicken thighs. 2 tbsp minced garlic 1 tsp paprika 2 tsp dried oregano 1 tsp marjoram 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper
Take care not to crowd your chicken together, you may need to repeat this process several times so that the chicken thighs can sear properly.
Starting with the seasoned side down, place chicken thighs into your pot. Sear for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. Set the seared and golden brown chicken thighs aside and, when you are done searing all of the thighs, add lemon juice and chicken broth to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. 3 lb chicken thighs 3 lemons 1/4 cup chicken broth
Next, place the baby potatoes in the bottom of the pot, and then set the seared chicken thighs directly on top of the potatoes. Close and lock the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set the cooking time for 5 minutes. When the cooking time is complete, quick release the pressure and carefully remove the lid. 1 1/2 lb mini potatoes
Now it's time to add the mushrooms and asparagus directly on top of the chicken thighs. Close and lock the Instant Pot lid and again turn the steam release valve to sealing. Pressure cook (high) and set the cooking time for 1 minute. 1 lb baby bella mushrooms 1 lb asparagus
When the cooking time is complete, quick release the pressure and remove chicken, vegetables, and potatoes to a large platter. On your Instant Pot, select Sauté and add the corn starch to the pot. Whisk together with the chicken broth to make your cornstarch slurry. Once the lemon sauce has thickened you can remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot base. 2 tbsp cornstarch
Place the lemon garlic chicken, vegetables, and potatoes into individual bowls or plates, and spoon sauce on top of each serving. Serve immediately or see below for tips on storing for meal prep.

Notes

Recipe Tips

This Instant Pot Lemon Chicken is a delicious and healthy recipe for meal prep. To prep, divide equal portions of lemon chicken, vegetables, and potatoes into meal prep containers. You can serve the gravy on the side, or spoon it over the top of each serving before storing.
Instant Pot Lemon Chicken and vegetables keeps in the fridge for up to 6 days, or it can be frozen for up to 2 months. To reheat, microwave each thawed serving for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.
This recipe uses a quick release to release the pressure from the Instant Pot. If you’d like to learn more about quick release vs. natural release you can read this post.

Healthy Eating Plans

This Instant Pot chicken recipe serves 6

21 Day Fix Instant Pot Lemon Chicken

Entire recipe: 6 red containers, 6 yellow containers, 6 green containers

Per serving: 1 red container, 1 yellow container, 1 green container

Weight Watchers Instant Pot Lemon Chicken

8 2023 Plan Points | 8 Blue Plan Points | 8 Green Plan Points | 5 Purple Plan Points

Nutrition

The post Instant Pot Lemon Chicken appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Simple Guacamole Recipe

Becca Ludlum — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 20:37:08 +0000

My simple guacamole recipe is a healthy snack or appetizer that’s made with fresh ingredients like avocado, cilantro, onion, and tomato.

I love making guacamole to go with tortilla chips or to use on top of tacos, enchiladas or burrito bowls.

Guacamole is a good source of vitamins C, E, and K, as well as fiber and healthy fats. Homemade guacamole is a delicious recipe that’s gluten and dairy free.

My signature simple guacamole recipe is heavy on cilantro, and includes only 5 ingredients. It’s an easy recipe to customize to your taste preferences, and I know you will love all the flavors of this homemade guacamole recipe!

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we have readers of all comfort levels in the kitchen. To better serve everyone who visits our site, we make our recipes simple and easy to follow.

If you would like to skip past the ingredient information, detailed instructions, recipe tips, and healthy eating plan calculations, you can scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find our printable recipe card for this Simple Guacamole Recipe.

Ingredients in Simple Guacamole Recipe

Avocados: Avocados are very nutritious. They’re great sources of folate, potassium, and healthy fats, as well as vitamins K, C, and E. They also contain small amounts of B vitamins and minerals, such as copper, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, iron, and zinc. You will want to be sure to use ripe avocados to make good guacamole. If the avocado yields to firm gentle pressure, you’ll know it’s ripe and ready to eat.
Cilantro: Fresh cilantro has a fragrant, refreshing and citrusy taste and aroma, though not everyone agrees. Some people may have a specific genetic trait where cilantro tastes like soap. I am not one of those people and I feel strongly that cilantro is essential in authentic guacamole recipes.
Onion: I use white diced onion when I make guacamole, but you can also use red onions or even onion powder if you’re in a pinch, though not suggested.
Tomato: I use roma tomatoes for this guacamole recipe. If you don’t like chopped tomato in your homemade guacamole, you can omit the roma tomato.
Salt: I use just a pinch of salt when I make guacamole. I know everyone’s tastes are different so I suggest adding a little salt, then tasting the guacamole until you get the perfect guacamole flavor.
Optional: Some other ideas to add to your homemade guacamole are fresh lime juice, jalapeno pepper or serrano pepper (if you like spicy guacamole), fresh garlic, or even grilled corn.

How to Make the Best Guacamole Recipe

Start by chopping the vegetables. Bigger is better in my opinion.
Then, in a medium bowl, gently mash the avocado with a fork or potato masher, but don’t smash too much. The best guacamole is chunky guacamole!
Mix the chopped onion, chopped cilantro, and chopped tomatoes together with the salt. This is called pico, and is an excellent topping for tacos, pulled pork, and enchiladas!
Finally, mash the avocados together with the chopped vegetables. Taste test your guacamole and adjust seasonings as needed.
Serve immediately and enjoy the fresh flavor of this homemade guacamole recipe!

Recipe Tips

Guacamole is really best when it’s served fresh. If you must store leftover guacamole, it might help to add lime juice or lemon juice to keep your guac from turning brown. Simply squeeze the extra lime juice or lemon juice on top of the guacamole, and then cover with plastic wrap (laying plastic wrap directly on top of the guac, and pressing out any air bubbles.) Store guacamole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one to three days.
This is a basic guacamole recipe that is so easy to adjust to your preferences. You can omit or add to this simple guacamole recipe and it will still be delicious!

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix Simple Guacamole Recipe

The entire guacamole recipe is 8 Blue Containers and 1 Green Container.

Per serving, this simple guacamole is 1.25 Blue Containers and less than 1/4 of a Green Container.

Weight Watchers Simple Guacamole Recipe

5 2023 Plan Points

Looking for recipes to go with this simple guacamole recipe?

Simple Guacamole Recipe

This easy guacamole recipe is so delicious and the perfect dip for tortilla chips!

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Easy Guacamole

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings people

Calories 211kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

Cutting Board
Kitchen Knife
Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

2-3 ripe avocados
1 bunch cilantro
1/2 onion
1 tomato
pinch of salt

Instructions

Chop the veggies. Bigger is better in my opinion. 1 bunch cilantro 1/2 onion 1 tomato
Smash the avocado with a fork, but don't smash too much. The best guacamole is chunky guacamole! 2-3 ripe avocados
Mix your veggies together and add a pinch of salt. This is called pico, and is an excellent topping for tacos, pulled pork, and enchiladas! pinch of salt
Mix in your avocados, then dip and enjoy.

Notes

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix Easy Guacamole Recipe

The entire easy guacamole recipe is 8 Blue Containers and 1 Green Container.

Per serving, this easy guacamole recipe is 1.25 Blue Containers and less than 1/4 of a Green Container.

Weight Watchers Easy Guacamole Recipe

Per serving: 5 2023 Plan Points

Nutrition

The post Simple Guacamole Recipe appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes

Becca Ludlum — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 16:07:42 +0000

This Vegan Whole Wheat Pancake recipe is my family’s favorite Saturday morning breakfast. This vegan pancake recipe is full of plant-based, healthy ingredients, and makes the most delicious breakfast.

I love making homemade pancakes on the weekend, and these vegan pancakes without eggs are my absolute favorite pancake recipe!

When I first started eliminating meat products from my diet, I had a hard time finding a breakfast recipe without eggs. I love pancakes, but they aren’t vegan. Through trial and error we came up with this eggless pancake recipe and now it’s the only one we’ll make.

If you are looking for a healthier vegan pancake recipe you have got to try this recipe!

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we have readers of all comfort levels in the kitchen. To better serve everyone who visits this page, we’re dedicated to providing a lot of information about the ingredients, detailed cooking instructions, recipe tips, as well as healthy eating plan calculations.

If you’re confident in the kitchen and want to skip past all of that, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find our easy to print eggless pancakes recipe.

Ingredients in this Eggless Pancakes Recipe

Chia seeds: Chia seeds and water are how we create an egg substitute for our eggless pancake batter. Learn more about egg substitutes here.
Plant based milk: I use unsweetened almond milk but you can also use oat milk, coconut milk, or soy milk. Just find the unsweetened and unflavored options.
Apple cider vinegar: We use apple cider vinegar to make a vegan butter milk alternative. You can also use white vinegar or lemon juice.
Whole wheat flour: I like to use whole wheat flour whenever I can. Whole wheat flour and white flour are pretty different. Whole wheat flour is made by grinding entire wheat kernels into a powder, whereas white flour removes the most nutrient-rich parts: the bran and germ. Whole wheat flour is a good source of protein, fiber, and a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Baking powder: Baking powder is what helps to make fluffy pancakes with a slightly less dense texture.
Baking soda: We use baking soda in this recipe to neutralize the acid.
Salt: In all baked goods, the correct amount of salt is essential for a final flavor that’s not too bland, not too salty, but just right.
Ground cinnamon: Ground cinnamon adds a traditional flavor, and it’s a natural antioxidant.
Vegan butter: Melted butter is what we need. I use Earth Balance butter.
Maple syrup: Maple syrup is a natural sweetener. It’s our favorite liquid sweetener when needing to add a hint of sweet to our recipes because it contains a small amount of minerals, such as manganese and zinc. Bonus: It’s also vegan!
Vanilla extract: Be sure and grab the pure vanilla extract, not the imitation.

How to Make Eggless Pancakes

Add chia seeds to water and set aside to form a gel.
Add vinegar to the almond milk and set aside to allow it to curdle. The two combined will form a substitute for buttermilk.
In a medium bowl add the whole wheat flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Mix to create your dry ingredients.
Stir the chia seeds. This gives them a more uniform consistency and allows them to soften. If they’re hard to stir they might need more water – it’s ok to add more.
Melt your butter and into a small mixing bowl add the melted vegan butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
Add the almond milk/vinegar mixture as well as chia seeds to the other wet ingredients. Stir the wet ingredients together well and try to get as many clumps as you can from the chia seeds.
Mix the wet ingredients and dry ingredients just until mixed, and then set the pancake batter aside.
These cook differently from regular pancakes – I’ve added details instructions here for you to follow. Once you know how these cook the first time, they’ll be easier to make – I promise!
Turn the griddle onto medium heat to medium-high heat (just to the high side of medium) and spray with a neutral flavored oil cooking spray (olive oil or avocado oil work well). Allow the griddle to completely heat before adding pancake batter.
Pour your pancake batter to add 3-4 pancakes to the hot griddle – about half the amount of pancakes you’d add for a traditional recipe. Because of the absence of eggs, this eggless pancake batter spreads a bit wider and takes longer to firm up than typical batters, so you’ll want to give it some room and time to cook. Avoid the sides of the griddle where the pan won’t heat as hot. The first batch of these is a bit finicky, but it gets better with the second batch.
Allow these pancakes to cook for 8-9 minutes before you flip them for the first time. Maybe check the bottoms at 4-5 minutes to ensure your stovetop cooks like mine does. You’ll want the outsides of them to begin to turn golden brown before you flip them. Test the pancake before flipping by slowly sliding the spatula underneath the pancake to see if it’s solid underneath.
Once the pancakes are firm enough to flip, go ahead and do so. Cook for 3-4 minutes and use a butter knife to test that the pancakes are cooked through the center.
Remove the pancakes from the griddle and plate them, then move onto your next batch. The next rounds will cook a bit faster, but still take longer than traditional pancakes.
Serve your vegan pancakes warm and top with maple syrup. See recipe tips below for more delicious pancakes toppings!

Recipe Tips

I’ll be the first to admit that cooking vegan pancakes without eggs isn’t the easiest thing to do at first, but you’ll find yourself coming back to this egg-free recipe every weekend like we do because it’s delicious and, after they’re cooked, has the consistency of traditional whole wheat pancakes.
I double and freeze this recipe with great success. The leftover vegan pancakes are perfect for busy mornings!
There are a variety of delicious and nutritious toppings that you can add to your vegan whole wheat pancakes. Here are a few ideas:
- Fresh fruit, such as berries (hello blueberry pancakes!), sliced banana, or sliced apples
- Maple syrup or agave nectar
- Nuts and seeds, such as walnuts, almonds, or extra chia seeds
- Nut butter, such as peanut butter or almond butter. Not only do they taste delicious, but the Mayo Clinic reports that nuts help improve cholesterol levels. A serving of nut butter is a great source of valuable nutrients.
- Yogurt, such as coconut yogurt or soy yogurt
- Chocolate chips, dried fruit, or spices

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes

Entire recipe: 4 Yellow Containers, 2.65 Orange Container, 6 Sweetener Teaspoons, 7 Teaspoons

Per serving: Just under 0.75 Yellow Container, 0.5 Orange Container, 1 Sweetener Teaspoon, 1 Teaspoon

Weight Watchers Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes

5 Points on the 2023 Plan

Looking for more vegan breakfast recipes?

Shredded Sweet Potato Hash Browns This delicious shredded sweet potato hash browns recipe has just a few simple ingredients and is great for vegan breakfast but it also makes an excellent side dish for brunch or even dinner!
Homemade Healthy Bagels This golden brown Homemade Bagel recipe is made with whole wheat flour and tastes absolutely delicious!
Vegan Breakfast Hash Browns Vegan Breakfast Hash Browns with Veggies is a great way to start your day! This easy gluten free recipe has crispy potatoes and a rainbow of veggies.
Baked Banana Oatmeal This Baked Banana Oatmeal recipe is a real treat–it can easily be eaten for breakfast or dessert! Mashed bananas, whole grain oats, chia seeds, almond milk, and spices make this a hearty and fulfilling gluten free dish.

Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes

This Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes recipe is my family's favorite Saturday morning breakfast. This vegan pancake recipe is full of plant-based, healthy ingredients, and makes the most delicious pancakes.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword vegan whole wheat pancakes

Prep Time 7

Cook Time 13

Total Time 20

Servings people

Calories 175kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

Mixing Bowls
Measuring Cups
Enameled Cast Iron Pan

Ingredients

1/3 cup chia seeds
1 cup water
1 cup plant based milk (I use unsweetened almond milk)
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp butter melted (I prefer unsalted)
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Add chia seeds to water and set aside to form a gel. 1/3 cup chia seeds 1 cup water
Add vinegar to milk and set aside to allow it to curdle, will form a substitute for buttermilk. 1 cup plant based milk 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
To a bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Stir chia seeds. This gives them a more uniform consistency and allows them to soften.
To a small bowl add melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla. 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla extract
Add almond milk/vinegar mixture as well as chia seeds. Stir the wet ingredients together well and try to get as many clumps as you can from the chia seeds.
Mix wet and dry ingredients just until mixed, set aside.
Turn the griddle onto medium-high heat (just to the high side of medium) and spray with an olive oil cooking spray. Allow the griddle to completely heat before adding pancake batter.
Add 3-4 pancakes to the griddle – about half the amount of pancakes you'd add for a traditional recipe. Because of the absence of eggs, this batter spreads a bit wider and takes longer to firm up than typical batters, so you'll want to give it some room and time to cook. Avoid the sides of the griddle where the pan won't heat as hot. The first batch of these is a bit finicky, but it gets better with the second batch.
Allow these pancakes to cook for 8-9 minutes before you flip them for the first time. You'll want the outsides of them to begin to brown before you flip them. Test the pancake before flipping by slowly sliding the spatula underneath the pancake to see if it's solid underneath.
Once the pancakes are firm enough to flip, go ahead and do so. Cook for 3-4 minutes and use a butter knife to test that the pancakes are cooked through the center.
Remove the pancakes from the griddle and plate them, then move onto your next batch. The next rounds will cook a bit faster, but still take a bit longer than traditional pancakes.
I'll be the first to admit that cooking pancakes without eggs isn't the easiest thing to do at first, but you'll find yourself coming back to this egg-free recipe every weekend like we do because it's delicious and after they're cooked, has the consistency of traditional whole wheat pancakes.

Notes

Recipe Tips

I’ll be the first to admit that cooking vegan pancakes without eggs isn’t the easiest thing to do at first, but you’ll find yourself coming back to this egg-free recipe every weekend like we do because it’s delicious and after they’re cooked, has the consistency of traditional whole wheat pancakes.
I double and freeze this recipe with great success. The leftover vegan pancakes are perfect for busy mornings!

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes

Entire recipe: 4 Yellow Containers, 2.65 Orange Container, 6 Sweetener Teaspoons, 7 Teaspoons

Per serving: Just under 0.75 Yellow Container, 0.5 Orange Container, 1 Sweetener Teaspoon, 1 Teaspoon

Weight Watchers Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes

Per serving: 5 2023 Plan Points

Nutrition

The post Vegan Whole Wheat Pancakes appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Becca Ludlum — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 18:06:42 +0000

When the temperatures start to cool outside, my brain automatically switches gears and craves classic comfort foods like soups, lasagna, or casseroles. This Spaghetti Squash Lasagna recipe is the perfect healthier choice when satisfying comfort food cravings.

Traditional lasagna is filled with delicious cheesy goodness of ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. Balanced out with the rich flavors of marinara sauce and noodles, it’s a fan favorite. I find that when I eat traditional lasagna, it sometimes feels too heavy. Our lasagna recipe fits in perfect for those times when you’re craving lasagna, but also wanting something a little lighter.

Here at My Crazy Good Life, I’m always trying to make healthy changes to classic dishes. With our Spaghetti Squash Lasagna recipe, we promise you will love it just as much as traditional lasagna. It’s still filled with the delicious cheesy goodness through cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and mozzarella.

Our secret weapon to a healthier version is spaghetti squash. If you haven’t had a chance to cook with spaghetti squash yet, trust me. Spaghetti squash has a spaghetti noodle like consistency with a slightly sweet flavor. It pairs perfectly in this vegetarian spaghetti squash lasagna recipe with the cheese mixture and marinara sauce.

And, I mean – have you ever eaten lasagna out of an actual spaghetti squash? That’s just one less dish to wash. I call that a win.

Where’s the Recipe?

At My Crazy Good Life, we write our recipes to help all of our readers be empowered and successful in the kitchen. We realize that all of our readers have a variety of levels of confidence when cooking.

Each recipe post is full of detailed ingredient information and recipe instructions, tips and tricks, healthy eating plan points, and nutritional information. If you’re comfortable in the kitchen, you might want to skip the detailed instructions and scroll down to the bottom of the page where you’ll find our easy to print Spaghetti Squash Lasagna recipe.

Ingredients in Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Spaghetti Squash: This is the real MVP of the dish. It’s the noodle replacement of the the classic lasagna dish, and we guarantee you won’t miss the noodles in this recipe. When cutting the spaghetti squash in half, you’ll want to be sure to cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise. This will give you bigger squash boats to work with. Need more help with this vegetable? Read this article for how to cook, cut, and eat a spaghetti squash.
Cauliflower: I love adding cauliflower to recipes because it takes on the flavors of the ingredients served with it. The cauliflower also helps the sauce and cheese fillings bulk up a bit.
Cottage cheese: We prefer using the 2% fat cottage cheese when making our spaghetti squash lasagna.
Greek yogurt: Greek yogurt offers a lot of extra protein to this recipe. We prefer to use the 2% fat Greek yogurt.
Garlic: Is it even considered a lasagna if it doesn’t have the delicious flavors of fresh garlic included? I prefer fresh minced garlic for this recipe.
Basil: If you have fresh basil on hand, that’d be perfect, however you can also use dried basil for this recipe.
Oregano: Dried oregano is a classic spice of all things comfort. Often times oregano is found in Italian seasoning, however we opted to use oregano alone for our spaghetti squash lasagna boats.
Parsley: If you have fresh parsley on hand, great. If not, dried parsley will work perfectly for this. We love recipes that don’t require 3-4 fresh herbs every time you make a recipe.
Pasta sauce: Look for a spaghetti sauce with no added sugar. You’ll only need a little bit for this recipe, but did you know that you can freeze extra pasta sauce in ice cube trays? It’s perfect to have on hand when you only need a little bit of sauce.
Spinach: Baby leaf spinach is the size you are looking for in our spaghetti squash lasagna recipe. If you only have regular sized spinach, that will work too.
Mozzarella: Shredded mozzarella cheese, melted and slightly browned on top of the spaghetti squash. Does it get any better than that?

How to Make Spaghetti Squash Lasagna in Instant Pot

Place the trivet inside the inner pot and add 2 cups of water.
Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Place the spaghetti squash halves flat on the trivet. It’s ok if they’re not completely flat – lean them up against the sides if you have to.
Add the cauliflower on top of the spaghetti squash. Close and lock the lid, then turn the steam release handle to Sealing.
Press Pressure Cook (high) and cook for 7 minutes.
While the spaghetti squash is cooking, combine the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, garlic, basil, oregano, and parsley in a food processor or blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until smooth. Transfer the cheese mixture to a medium bowl.
When the squash is done cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally and then remove the squash and cauliflower from the pot.
Move the cauliflower to the bowl with the cottage cheese mixture and use a fork to mash and combine it with the other ingredients. Place your spaghetti squash on a baking sheet.
Preheat the broiler in your oven on high so you can brown the lasagna boats.
Using a fork, hollow out the spaghetti squash strands from the cooked spaghetti squash. Do not discard the spaghetti squash shells.
Add the spaghetti squash strands to the bowl with the cauliflower and cottage cheese mixture, then stir until well combined.
Spoon one half of the squash mixture into each of the squash shells, then top each with 1 tablespoon of the pasta sauce, a layer of the spinach, and 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella.
Place the boats on the baking sheet or baking dish and broil for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Don’t walk away from the oven while you have food broiling, as it cooks super quick and you can easily burn it.
Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Recipe Tips

If the spaghetti squash boats (halves) don’t sit flat in the Instant Pot, you may slightly angle them against the sides of the pot.
A natural release in an Instant Pot simply means to let the sealing valve remain as is and allow the pressure to naturally release. This usually takes about 10 minutes. If your pressure isn’t released by then, you can manually release it.
The cook time for the squash can differ slightly, depending on the size and age of the squash, so adjust as needed. (A large spaghetti squash will take longer to cook in the Instant Pot). If the squash doesn’t easily scrape out of the shells, place the shells back in the Instant Pot and pressure cook for 3 more minutes with another natural release.)
Our recipe is for a vegetarian lasagna. If you prefer your spaghetti squash boats with meat, simply cook and add ground turkey or ground beef to the cheese mixture. Please note that all healthy eating plan points will need to be recalculated, and we haven’t tested this version of the recipe.
If you like a little kick in your lasagna, feel free to add some red pepper flakes.
Are you meal prepping? Store this recipe in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 6 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Microwave each thawed serving for 1½ to 2 minutes.

Healthy Eating Plan Points

Weight Watchers

Our Spaghetti Squash Lasagna is 2 2023 Plan Points | 2 Blue Plan Points | 2 Green Plan Points | 2 Purple Plan Points per serving. I used fat free cottage cheese, part skim mozzarella, and Newman’s Own Organic pasta sauce for these points.

21 Day Fix

1/3 red container, 3 green containers, 1/2 blue container per serving.

2B Mindset

This recipe is a perfect lunch or dinner recipe.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

This Spaghetti Squash Lasagna recipe is lighter than traditional lasagna. Greek yogurt gives this meal prep recipe a creamy texture and extra protein.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Lasagna, spaghetti squash

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 7

Natural Release 10

Total Time 27

Servings people

Calories 269kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

1 Instant Pot 6 qt
1 Instant Pot Trivet
1 Kitchen Knife

Ingredients

2 cups water
1 spaghetti squash small
1 ½ cups cauliflower chopped
¼ cup cottage cheese 2%
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt 2%
1 ½ tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried parsley
¼ cup pasta sauce no sugar added
½ cup baby leaf spinach
¼ cup mozzarella shredded

Instructions

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Add water below trivet in Instant Pot. Place spaghetti squash halves flat on the trivet. 2 cups water, 1 spaghetti squash
Add the cauliflower on top of the spaghetti squash. 1 ½ cups cauliflower
Select Pressure Cook (high) and set the cook time for 7 minutes.
While the spaghetti squash is cooking, combine the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, garlic, basil, oregano, and parsley in a food processor or blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until smooth and creamy. Transfer the cheese mixture to a medium bowl. ¼ cup cottage cheese, ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 ½ tsp minced garlic, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp dried parsley
When the cook time for the squash is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally.
Transfer the cauliflower to the bowl with the cottage cheese mixture and use a fork to mash and combine it with the other ingredients.
Preheat your oven broiler on high.
Using a fork, hollow out each spaghetti squash strands from the cooked spaghetti squash. Do not discard the spaghetti squash shells.
Add the spaghetti squash strands to the bowl with the cauliflower and cottage cheese mixture, then stir until well combined.
Spoon one half of the mixture into each of the squash shells, then top each with 1 tablespoon of the pasta sauce, a layer of the spinach, and 2 tablespoons of the mozzarella. ¼ cup pasta sauce, ½ cup baby leaf spinach, ¼ cup mozzarella
Place the boats on a baking sheet or baking dish and broil for 1-2 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

Healthy Eating Plan Points

Weight Watchers

Our Spaghetti Squash Lasagna is 2 2023 Plan Points | 2 Blue Plan Points | 2 Green Plan Points | 2 Purple Plan Points per serving. I used fat free cottage cheese, part skim mozzarella, and Newman’s Own Organic pasta sauce for these points.

21 Day Fix

1/3 red container, 3 green containers, 1/2 blue container per serving.

Nutrition

The post Spaghetti Squash Lasagna appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars

Becca Ludlum — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 17:37:04 +0000

We love having healthy snacks in the house, and these healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars are a staple in our home. These chewy granola bars are what we grab for when we need a quick snack before dinner or as we are running out the door without breakfast.

This is my years-old, family favorite base granola bar recipe that you can customize for your family. Plus, they’re no bake! When the boys were young, they were also called Mom’s Really Good Granola Bars.

These homemade granola bars are better than store bought granola bars for several reasons. The most important reason for me is that there are no preservatives to keep them shelf stable, but I also love that I am able to customize them perfectly for my favorite flavors. Store bought bars have nothing on these.

With their perfect chewy texture, these are satisfying to eat and help to kick sugar cravings to the curb. I love that they’re naturally sweetened with honey and so easy to make.

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life, we write recipes that anyone can make – whether you’re brand new to the kitchen or have been cooking for years.

If you’re needing ingredient information, detailed instructions, recipe tips, and calculations for healthy eating plans like Weight Watchers and the 21 Day Fix, you’ll find that information below.

Just need the recipe? You’ll want to scroll down to the bottom of the post to the printable recipe for the ingredient amounts and basic recipe instructions for these Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars.

Ingredients in Healthy Homemade Granola Bars:

This is the base granola bar mixture.

Oats I usually use regular oats or rolled oats. I’d stay away from steel cut oats because the texture isn’t as easy to eat and they’ll need different peanut butter and honey ratios. If you’re gluten-free, you’ll want to find gluten-free oats that have not been grown in wheat fields.
Natural Peanut Butter Crunchy peanut butter or creamy peanut butter, whatever your preference is. I buy peanut butter that only has peanuts and salt as an ingredient – I try to stay away from palm oil. Other nut butter options (sunflower seed butter, almond butter) should work just as well.
Honey Typically I’d say that you could swap this with pure maple syrup, but the consistency of syrup isn’t what you need for this recipe. I’d stick with honey.

Optional ingredients:

Adding these, or other optional ingredients, might mean that you need to use additional peanut butter or honey in your recipe.

2-4 tablespoons of:

Flax seed
Chia seeds
MCT powder
7 grain cereal
Collagen powder

One quarter cup of:

protein powder
unsweetened shredded coconut
chopped nuts: I prefer almonds, walnuts, or cashews
dried fruits like dried cranberries, raisins, or goji berries (I prefer to chop them so the texture isn’t thrown off, and the bars stick together better)
chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, white chocolate chips, dairy free chocolate chips. If you’re looking for a chocolatey taste without the sugar, use chocolate protein powder or some cacao powder.

For the recipe that we make regularly, I use chia seeds, vanilla protein powder, shredded coconut, dried low sugar cranberries and raisins (or goji berries), and dairy free mini chocolate chips.

How to make these Healthy Homemade Peanut Butter Bars:

Chop the nuts and dried fruit, if you’re using them.
Add peanut butter, honey, oats, and any optional ingredients into a bowl and mix them well. This is SO much easier with a stand mixer.
Grab a 9×9 baking sheet and line it with some parchment paper. If you don’t have a 9×9 pan, any pan will do–just keep an eye on how thick your bars are.
Pour the peanut butter mixture onto the parchment paper. This will help you handle the granola bars to shape them.
Cover the mixture up with another piece of parchment paper, and begin rolling the bars flat. You can use a can of soda or beans if you don’t have a rolling pin that will fit inside the pan.
After your oat mixture is nice and flat, throw the top piece of parchment away and use the bottom one to lift out your granola bars onto a cooling rack.
Push the granola into a nice firm square on all sides, then let it sit and harden for at least an hour.
Cut your granola bars. I use a pizza cutter.

How to store these Peanut Butter Granola Bars:

I store my granola bars in a ziplock container in the fridge. I typically make at least a double batch and have had no problem storing them in the fridge for a month, but they typically don’t last that long.

These granola bars can also be frozen. I freeze them when I travel with them or when I want to prep.

Recipe Tips for making healthy homemade granola bars:

This recipe is really flexible. Don’t stress about perfect measurements.
Depending on the brand of peanut butter you’re using, you might wan to add more or leave a little out. Typically, natural peanut butter (with only peanuts and salt) is thinner than peanut butter that contains palm oil. Start by following the recipe directions and if you’re struggling to keep the bars together, add more peanut butter (or honey).

Do these Granola Bars have protein?

Each bar made with just the base recipe has 6 grams of protein before adding any optional ingredients. Adding in protein powder or collagen can increase the amount of protein per bar.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix Granola Bars

To make this recipe as compatible as possible with weight loss plans, I’d stick with the healthy additions and opt out of the ones with sugar. This is a calorie-dense recipe, and I wouldn’t rely on it as a daily snack if you’re trying to lose weight.

With all of the teaspoons for honey and peanut butter, it doesn’t work to count these in Portion Fix containers. These are a yellow container treat swap, which means that three times a week you could eat these (or another treat) and swap it for a regular yellow container.

You can read more about both yellow and purple container treat swaps right here.

Weight Watchers Granola Bars:

For 16 servings, each serving counts as 9 Blue Plan Points | 9 Green Plan Points | 7 Purple Plan Points

If you’re on the 2023 Point Plan, count each serving as 9 points. If you’d like to reduce the points, divide this recipe into more servings. 32 servings will make each bar 5 points.

More No Bake Snacks:

Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars

These Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars are a chewy, easy to make, delicious no bake snack recipe! Base recipe is just 3 simple ingredients.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Granola Bar, healthy

Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Servings people

Calories 127kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

Pizza Cutter
Parchment Paper
Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter crunchy or creamy
1 cup honey
3 cups oats

Now you have your basic granola bars. Add what you like from the list below to customize them! More options can be found in the recipe post.

2-4 tbsps flax seed
1-2 scoops protein powder
1/2 cup shredded coconut unsweetened
1/4 cup chopped nuts almonds/walnuts/cashews
1/4 cup dried cranberries raisins, chocolate chips – anything yummy :)

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Chop the nuts and dried fruit, if you're using them.
Add peanut butter, honey, oats, and any optional ingredients into a bowl and mix them well. 1 cup peanut butter 1 cup honey 3 cups oats
Grab a 9×9 baking sheet and line it with some parchment paper. If you don't have a 9×9 pan, any pan will do–just keep an eye on how thick your bars are.
Pour the peanut butter mixture onto the parchment paper. This will help you handle the granola bars to shape them.
Cover the mixture up with another piece of parchment paper, and begin rolling the bars flat. You can use a can of soda or beans if you don't have a rolling pin that will fit inside the pan.
After your oat mixture is nice and flat, throw the top piece of parchment away and use the bottom one to lift out your granola bars onto a cooling rack.
Push the granola into a nice firm square on all sides, then let it sit in the fridge and harden for an hour or so if you have the time. They'll be a little easier to cut, but the rest time is optional.
Cut your granola bars. I use a pizza cutter.

Notes

21 Day Fix Granola Bars

You can read more about both yellow and purple container treat swaps right here.

Weight Watchers Granola Bars:

For 16 servings, each serving counts as 9 Blue Plan Points | 9 Green Plan Points | 7 Purple Plan Points

If you’re on the 2023 Point Plan, count each serving as 9 points. If you’d like to reduce the points, divide this recipe into more servings. 32 servings will make each bar 5 points.

Nutrition

The post Homemade Peanut Butter Granola Bars appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Vegan Protein Brownie Recipe

Becca Ludlum — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 16:11:56 +0000

These vegan black bean brownies are a delicious and indulgent treat. They contain no added flour or processed sugar! This is the best protein brownies recipe that the whole family will enjoy.

It doesn’t matter if I’m looking for a sweet treat at the end of the day or just coming out of the gym trying to find a snack that will feel like a reward…these vegan black bean brownies do the trick every time!

These incredible Vegan Protein Brownies are meant to be a brownie bite, a sweet and indulgent treat, nothing that should be replacing a meal or anything like that! Keep that in mind when you are dividing them for your portions.

You are probably wondering who would be crazy enough to put beans in a brownie recipe…there’s a method to the madness, I swear! Beans are a slow-digesting carb, which provides energy during your post-workout slump.

The beans in our protein brownies recipe is full of plant-based protein to help you repair and build muscles. Beans are high in fiber to help with feeling full longer and maintaining a healthy weight.

Beans, especially black beans, are a great way to give any recipes a nutrition boost…even a dessert recipe like our protein brownies.

Finally, I include black beans in this protein brownie recipe because they can easily take the place of the non-vegan ingredients that we’d need to finish the recipe.

If you are looking for a gluten free or vegan way to enjoy our high protein brownies: you’ve found it! Our Vegan Protein Brownie Recipe will be one of your new favorite healthy recipes!

Bonus! Each serving of our delicious protein brownies include four grams of protein per serving.

Where’s the Recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we strive to write detailed and helpful recipes for all of our readers. We include clear instructions, recipe tips and tricks, healthy eating plan points, as well as nutritional information.

If you are ready to start cooking with a more simplified version of the recipe, simply scroll down to the bottom of the page where you’ll find our easy to print Vegan Protein Brownie Recipe.

Ingredients in Vegan Protein Brownie Recipe

Black Beans: No need for protein powder with this recipe, the beans naturally give it an extra protein boost, and make these our favorite healthy protein brownies. Best part about it, no one will know there are black beans in the recipe unless you tell them!
Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder is a staple of all brownie recipes. It delivers the delicious chocolate flavor without all of the extra added refined sugar.
Gluten Free Oats: By blending the oats in the food processor, this recipe essentially uses oat flour which helps hold the brownies together. That’s right, there is no whole wheat flour in these protein brownies, making it one of my favorite gluten free recipes.
Salt
Honey: (bee free honey)
Stevia: We use pure stevia in our recipes as a sugar substitute. We are careful when choosing which brands of stevia we use.
Coconut Oil: We love using refined coconut oil in our baking. Coconut oil has many health benefits. We like to buy our coconut oil in bulk at Costco.
Vanilla Extract
Almond Extract
Baking Powder
Vegan Dark Chocolate Chips: Using dairy-free chocolate chips allows this recipe to be both dairy-free and gluten-free. Feel free to use regular sized chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips. We stick to the dark chocolate for the added health benefits.

How to make Vegan Protein Brownie Recipe

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Rinse and drain the black beans.
Blend beans in a food processor until VERY smooth. Add in the rest of your ingredients except for the chocolate chips.
Blend until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips.
Spray 8×8 oven-safe pan with olive oil, then pour brownie batter into the prepared pan.
Bake brownie batter at 350º for 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (not counting melted chocolate).
Cool completely to room temperature then refrigerate, and cut in 2×2 pieces. Store brownies in the refrigerator and serve chilled.

Recipe Tips

If you are not worried about keeping the recipe gluten free or vegan, you can use whatever kind of oats you like and also use whatever type of chips you like. You can also use regular honey in that case! I usually stick to gluten free options for this recipe because then it is delicious and more people can enjoy the results.
If you are trying to keep these black bean brownies vegan I’ve linked a bee free honey substitute for you! If you are looking for other options you could use maple syrup though I’m not sure how that would impact the texture!
My vegan brownie recipe comes to about 16 brownies. I cut them into 2 inch squares to get that many, you can cut them up however you like, just know the nutrition and dietary info provided is for 16 servings from these ingredients.
We prepare the brownie pan with a little olive oil spray, you could also line the pan with parchment paper if you don’t have any olive oil on hand. You could also prepare the dish by coating a small layer of coconut oil on the bottom and sides of the pan.
You can use parchment paper and wrap them up to freeze. We like to store them in an airtight container before sticking them in the fridge. They’ll thaw out nicely and then you’ll have a nice little treat for when you are craving chocolate.
You could add more protein to this recipe by adding protein powder, however do note that we haven’t tested this version. All healthy eating plan points will need to be recalculated if you add protein powder to this recipe.
We have a lot of other incredible vegan recipes and gluten-free recipes on our blog.
If you want to add even more protein without using whey protein powder, these protein brownies can be topped with a dollop of nut butter like peanut butter, almond butter, or cashew butter. Just be sure to adjust your nutrition calories or container counts and points.

Healthy Eating Plan Points

Weight Watchers

The great thing about Weight Watchers is that you can have just about anything as long as you are tracking it. 10 2023 Plan Points | 9 Blue Plan Points

If you are looking for ways to reduce the points in these brownies you can cut back on the oil, honey, or the chocolate chips since they are the biggest source of your points in this recipe. I’d recommend applesauce as a partial replacement for the oil and even half the amount of chips is going to give you a nice chocolatey treat to enjoy!

21 Day Fix Vegan Protein Brownie Recipe

Each brownie is considered a yellow container treat swap on the container programs.

Looking for more delicious and healthy dessert recipes?

Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Our Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies use simple ingredients like oats, bananas and vanilla extract.
Healthy Apple Crumble This Healthy Apple Crumble recipe is an easy Instant Pot dessert that has less sugar than a traditional apple crisp recipe but doesn’t sacrifice taste.
Pumpkin Wonder Whip Recipe Wonder Whips get their protein from Greek yogurt. They’re a high protein snack or dessert that you will love!
Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal This Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal is a healthy and delicious way to start your day. Top with Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, chopped nuts, maple syrup, or a little peanut butter.
Oatmeal Peanut Butter Protein Balls These healthy chocolate chip energy balls are made with vanilla protein powder (can also use chocolate whey protein powder), gluten free oats, peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract and other nutritious ingredients.

Vegan Protein Brownie Recipe

This Vegan Protein Brownie Recipe is a healthy dessert that's full of chocolate flavor.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword black bean, Black Bean Brownie Protein Bites, gluten free, post workout, post-workout snack

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 207kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

Mixing Bowls
Measuring Cups
Food processor

Ingredients

15 oz Black Beans rinsed and drained well
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ cup oats gluten-free
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup honey bee free honey
1 teaspoon Stevia
¼ cup coconut oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon baking powder
10 oz dark chocolate chips

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Rinse and drain the black beans. 15 oz Black Beans
Blend beans in a food processor until VERY smooth. Add in the rest of your ingredients except for the chocolate chips. 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, ½ cup oats, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ cup honey, 1 teaspoon Stevia, ¼ cup coconut oil, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1 teaspoon almond extract, ½ teaspoon baking powder
Blend until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. 10 oz dark chocolate chips
Pour batter into an 8×8 pan that has been sprayed with olive oil.
Bake at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (not counting melted chocolate).
Cool then refrigerate, and cut in 2×2 pieces. These brownies are best served chilled.

Notes

Makes 16 2×2 bites.

21 Day Fix containers: Each brownie/bite counts as a yellow treat swap.

Weight Watchers: 10 2023 Plan Points | 9 Blue Plan Points

Nutrition

The post Vegan Protein Brownie Recipe appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

Becca Ludlum — Mon, 16 Oct 2023 17:57:01 +0000

These Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites are my favorite healthy way to satisfy cravings for Buffalo wings. Admittedly, I crave deep fried, butter drenched wings more than I should.

Our Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites are the perfect dish to enjoy on game day, but also healthy enough to make anytime a craving hits. Our buffalo chicken bites are made with simple ingredients, yet full of delicious buffalo sauce flavor that make this the perfect appetizer!

Classic buffalo wings are deep fried, tossed in butter, then tossed in buffalo sauce. Even Instant Pot buffalo chicken wings are typically not the best choice for your healthy eating plan.

Chicken wings are made up almost entirely of fat, and while butter is fine in moderation, the sheer amount used in most wing recipes is not. This healthy chicken recipe hits all your favorite buffalo sauce flavors, and is more filling because you’re getting the meat, not just skin.

While this recipe is written for the Instant Pot, you can cook it in any electric pressure cooker! It takes about 15 minutes. These spicy, buttery, Buffalo Chicken Boneless Wings are a healthy homemade version alternative to traditional buffalo wings.

Boneless buffalo chicken bites go great with a side of celery sticks, carrot sticks, turnip fries, and homemade ranch dressing dipping sauce.

Our bite-sized pieces are the perfect protein to share with family and friends. It’s an easy appetizer, and I guarantee your friends will be asking for this recipe.

Where’s the Recipe?

My readers come from all levels of experience in the kitchen and I receive a lot of questions about recipes. To better serve everyone, I’m committed to put a ton of helpful information in all of my posts.

If you’d like to skip over buffalo chicken ingredient information, the recipe tips, and healthy eating plan calculations, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the easy to print Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites recipe card!

Ingredients in Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites

Chicken breast: Chicken breasts are a healthy low carb protein source. Boneless skinless chicken breasts work great for this recipe. If you prefer dark meat you can use boneless skinless chicken thighs for this buffalo chicken recipe.
Cayenne pepper: Cayenne blends nicely with the hot sauce to create the perfect spicy flavor for your buffalo sauce. If you need to tame the spice level a bit, feel free to omit or decrease the amount of cayenne pepper.
Butter: I use butter in this buffalo chicken recipe, because traditional fried chicken bites have that delicious buttery flavor. If you prefer, you can use another type of fat like avocado oil or olive oil to cook your chicken in.
Black pepper: Good seasoned chicken needs black pepper.
Franks Hot Sauce: There are a lot of different buffalo sauces available, but I prefer the original Frank’s red hot sauce. Traditional buffalo sauce has a ton of extra ingredients in it that make it less healthy. The Frank’s red hot sauce is just salt, peppers, and vinegar. This is all you need and you will still get all the buffalo flavor. You won’t miss the extra stuff, I promise!
(Optional) Ranch Seasoning: If you need to make some dip, our ranch seasoning is the best! Scroll down to find the recipe for our ranch dip in the recipe tips below.

How to Make Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites

Time needed: 16 minutes

Slice & Sauté: First you will want to slice your chicken breasts into bite size pieces or strips, and then turn your pot to Sauté. Next melt your butter in the pot. Once the butter is melted, place the chicken, seasonings, and 1/2 cup of buffalo sauce (reserve an extra 1/4 cup of buffalo sauce to add at the end) into your pot with the melted butter. Finally, place chicken in a single layer. Make sure to avoid overlapping of the chicken pieces.
Pressure Cook: Close and lock the Instant Pot lid and set your pot to Pressure Cook on high pressure. Set the cooking time for 8 minutes.
Quick Release: Once the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure and then remove the lid. The chicken is cooked when a meat thermometer reads the internal temperature of the buffalo bites to 165 degrees F. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken and drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of buffalo sauce on top and then eat now, or skip ahead to Step 4 for my preferred method.
Optional Broil: Transfer the cooked chicken to a baking sheet and drizzle it with the remaining ¼ cup of buffalo sauce. Then broil for 2-3 minutes until the buffalo sauce is thickened and the chicken bites are golden brown. Let cool for about 5 minutes and then serve with carrots, celery, or your favorite sides like ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Recipe Tips

This recipe goes perfectly with our ranch dip. If you need to make some dip, this ranch seasoning is the best! Take a small container of plain Greek yogurt, and add 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp parsley, and 1/2 tsp dill. Stir to combine.
If you’re making this recipe with frozen chicken breasts, increase the cook time to 16 minutes and cut into bite-sized pieces after it’s cooked.
If you’re short on time you can skip broiling and just toss the cooked chicken with the remaining buffalo sauce, but broiling is the best way to get that golden brown crispy exterior.
Our Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites are most delicious when they are fresh. However, you may save any remaining chicken leftovers for meal prep by storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat simply warm the buffalo chicken bites in an air fryer basket on low, or in the oven at a low temperature.

Healthy Eating Plans

Weight Watchers Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites

See this post for our WW Buffalo Chicken Bites.

21 Day Fix Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites

For the entire recipe: 8 Red Containers, 6 Teaspoons.

Per Serving: 1 Red Container, ¾ Teaspoon.

2B Mindset Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites

Serve with 50% veggies and 25% FFC for a complete lunch. 75% veggies for a complete dinner.

Trim Healthy Mama Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Bites

These buffalo chicken bites are a THM-S recipe with no changes.

Love all things buffalo chicken? Try these other healthy buffalo sauce recipes:

21 Day Fix Buffalo Chicken Dip Shredded buffalo chicken dip is a classic appetizer that is always a hit at parties and gatherings. However, traditional buffalo chicken dip can be high in calories and fat. This healthy buffalo dip uses shredded chicken breasts, plus cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, instead of cream cheese, to lighten things up without sacrificing flavor.
Frozen Cauliflower In Air Fryer I’m always looking for a good recipe using buffalo sauce. These Buffalo Cauliflower Bites are so easy to make and are the perfect appetizer, snack, or side dish.
Buffalo Cauliflower Mac and Cheese Buffalo sauce recipes are usually a big hit in our house, so I was excited to try out this great recipe for my family. It’s a healthy buffalo cauliflower mac and cheese recipe with shredded chicken, and is a great way to get in some extra protein and veggies!
Healthy Buffalo Chicken Roll Ups These Buffalo Chicken Breasts Roll Ups are a delicious quick dinner recipe! Mixing cottage cheese with buffalo sauce and ranch spices gives these roll ups a spicy and creamy center that’s a satisfying main course cuisine.
Buffalo Pasta with Shredded Chicken This easy buffalo chicken pasta recipe is a family favorite in my house, and is a great addition to your weekly meal rotation. This pasta dish is made with shredded chicken breasts and is topped with a protein packed spicy buffalo sauce. It’s one of my favorite Instant Pot recipes.
Buffalo Cauliflower Dip I add chicken breasts to this shredded chicken buffalo cauliflower dip to really get in some extra protein. It’s a healthy, game day appetizer that you can cook in the Instant Pot, slow cooker, or on the stove top.

Buffalo Chicken Bites

These spicy, buttery, Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Boneless Wings are the perfect healthy recipe. They cook right in the Instant Pot, so they’re fast and cleanup is easy.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine American

Keyword Buffalo Chicken Bites

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 11

Total Time 16

Servings

Calories 222kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

Instant Pot 6 qt
Kitchen Knife
Sealing Rings

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken breast defrosted, cut into strips (I’ve also used frozen chicken breasts, please see below)
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce not buffalo sauce
1/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce save for after chicken has been cooked

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Slice your chicken into bite-size strips. 2 lbs chicken breast
Set your Instant Pot to sauté and melt your butter. Once melted, add your chicken and seasoning. Then, stir in ½ cup of Franks Hot Sauce and stir well. 2 tbsp butter, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
Close and lock the lid and set your pot to Pressure Cook on high pressure. Set the cooking time for 8 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the pot. You can drizzle the remaining hot sauce on it and eat it now, or broil on a baking sheet. 1/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
Optional: Using tongs, remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and place on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Brush the chicken with the additional 1/4 cup hot sauce. Brown the chicken and thicken the sauce by placing under the broiler for 3 minutes. Turn the chicken over and repeat on the other side. Let the chicken cool 5 minutes before serving.

Video

Notes

Healthy Eating Plans:

21 Day Fix/Portion Fix: For the entire recipe: 8 Red Containers, 6 Teaspoons. Per Serving: 1 Red Container, ¾ Teaspoon.
2B Mindset: Serve with 50% veggies and 25% FFC for a complete lunch. 75% veggies for a complete dinner.
Trim Healthy Mama: This is a THM-S recipe with no changes.
Weight Watchers: See this post for the WW version.

Nutrition

The post Buffalo Chicken Bites appeared first on My Crazy Good Life.

Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes

Becca Ludlum — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 20:16:55 +0000

This Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes is an easy and delicious meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights.

Cooked perfectly, this garlic pork tenderloin is paired with mashed sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli, and a quick gravy – all in the same pot. It’s an easy one pot meal that the whole family will love.

If you’re new to pressure cooking, this is a great recipe to start with. It uses simple ingredients and yields results delicious enough to serve at a dinner party or for an easy family recipe tonight.

This Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin is one of my family’s favorite pork recipes. I love that it’s easy to make in the Instant Pot and is also a healthy recipe to keep in my weekly recipe rotation.

Where’s the recipe?

Here at My Crazy Good Life we have readers of all different comfort levels in the kitchen. Because of that, we write our recipes for all cooks, whether you’re experienced or new to cooking.

In this article you will find ingredient information, detailed cooking instructions, recipe tips, and healthy eating plan calculations. If you’d like to skip over all of that and get right to cooking, simply scroll to the bottom of the page where you will find our easy to print recipe card for Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes.

Ingredients in Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Vegetables

Garlic: I recommend using fresh minced garlic over garlic powder for this instant pot pork tenderloin recipe. In addition to it tasting great, garlic may have some real health benefits, such as protection against the common cold and the ability to help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. You may get some benefits from garlic powder, but you get the biggest bang for your buck from fresh garlic.
Basil: I love fresh basil, but for this instant pot pork tenderloin recipe we’ll be using dried basil.
Parsley: Dried parsley works great for these pork tenderloins.
Oregano: We’re using dried herbs again here. Dried oregano is perfect with this Instant pot pork tenderloin recipe.
Salt: Your body needs salt to function properly. Consuming too much or too little can lead to health issues. To avoid this, it’s important to read food labels to make sure you’re not consuming too much sodium in your day. This pork recipe uses just a tiny amount of salt, but feel free to skip it if you’d like.
Black pepper: Black pepper is a great way to add flavor and spice to all kinds of recipes.
Pork tenderloin: Pork tenderloin meat is one of the leanest cuts of pork available. Pork is a great source of protein and also contains many important minerals and nutrients like thiamine, vitamin B6 and B12, potassium, iron, and magnesium.
Olive oil: Olive oil is a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids and medium-chain triglycerides, both of which have been shown to offer potential benefits when included in a healthy lifestyle. If you’d like to use another type, just stick to to one that’s less processed.
Chicken broth: I use low sodium chicken stock or chicken broth in this recipe. The chicken stock, along with the cooking liquid, creates a mouthwatering pork gravy that is delicious with the pork tenderloin and potatoes.
Sweet potatoes: Move over traditional mashed potatoes, we’re changing things up for this particular recipe and using sweet potatoes in this pork loin roast. Sweet potatoes are rich in antioxidants and a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Broccoli: Broccoli is high in many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, and potassium. I love adding it to this instant pot pork tenderloin recipe, knowing my whole family will get a nutrient boost eating it.
Butter: butter is high in saturated fat, but most research shows that butter can be included in moderation as part of a balanced diet and may even be associated with several health benefits.
Almond Milk: I prefer to use plain, unsweetened almond milk in this mashed sweet potatoes recipe. Since we’ll add milk after cooking the potatoes, you can use your favorite milk type without worrying about it curdling in the Instant Pot like animal milk can. Just be sure to adjust your points, container counts, or nutrition calculations if you make any changes.
Corn starch: we’ll use corn starch to thicken up our pork gravy.

How to Cook Pork Tenderloin in the Instant Pot

Using a cutting board, peel and cube your sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces and then set aside.
Place your pork tenderloin on a cutting board and, using a sharp knife, cut the tenderloin into 2 pieces. This will make it quicker and easier to pressure cook than a big pork loin.
In a small bowl mix together the minced garlic, basil, oregano, salt, and black pepper to create your pork seasoning. Rub the seasonings into the tops of the pork tenderloin pieces.
Turn your Instant Pot to sauté and add the olive oil to your inner pot. When the olive oil is hot, add the pork tenderloin pieces, seasoned side down. Sauté for 1 minute, and then flip the pork tenderloins and sauté the bottom sides for 1 more minute. Transfer the browned pork tenderloin pieces to a plate and turn the Instant Pot off.
Add the chicken broth to your pot and while it’s still hot use a spatula to deglaze it, getting all the yummy cooked pork tenderloin pieces mixed together with the broth. Now, place the trivet into your pot and set the pork tenderloin pieces on top of the trivet.
The next thing you will want to do is make a foil bowl for the sweet potatoes. To do that I get a sheet of foil about 14 inches long and spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Then add potatoes on top of the foil and roll the sides of the foil in to create a bowl. Place the foil bowl on top of the pork tenderloin. There are pictures of this step below.
Close and lock the lid to your Instant Pot pressure cooker, and turn the valve to sealing.
Select pressure cook mode (high pressure) and set the cook time for 10 minutes to cook pork tenderloin and potatoes.
When the cook time is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes. After the natural release, do a quick release using a wooden spoon to turn the valve.
Remove the lid and, using oven mitts, carefully transfer the foil bowl of cooked sweet potatoes to a large bowl. Add the broccoli to your pot right on top of the pork tenderloin.
Close and lock the lid to the Instant Pot and, again, turn the pressure valve to sealing. Choose the high pressure mode and set the cook time for 1 minute to cook pork tenderloins and broccoli.
While the broccoli and pork tenderloin cooks, add butter to the cooked potatoes. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes while you slowly add milk. Continue to mix the potatoes until you have creamy mashed potatoes.
When the Instant Pot cooking time is done, quick release the pressure and transfer the cooked broccoli and the cooked pork tenderloin meat to a plate. Remove the trivet from the pot.
Turn your Instant Pot to sauté, add the corn starch to your remaining broth, and whisk vigorously until your gravy thickens.
Turn the Instant Pot off and carefully remove the inner pot with your gravy.
Slice the pork tenderloin and top with gravy. Plate the cooked broccoli and mashed potatoes with your pork tenderloin and serve warm.

Recipe Tips for Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin

This Instant pot pork tenderloin and mashed potatoes is an awesome recipe for meal prep. It doesn’t require a lot of prep time and keeps well stored in the fridge for up to 6 days, or the freezer for up to 2 months.
For meal prep, I slice the cooked leftover pork tenderloin and place it in airtight meal prep containers, then top with the gravy and add mashed potatoes and broccoli.
If you do freeze this Instant Pot pork tenderloin and potatoes, thaw the frozen pork and mashed potatoes and then heat each thawed serving for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes in the microwave.
The National Pork Board recommends cooking pork tenderloin meat to an internal temperature between 145° F and 160° F. You can use a meat thermometer to check your pork tenderloin temperature.

Healthy Eating Plans

21 Day Fix Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes

Per serving this Instant Pot pork tenderloin and mashed potatoes is: 2 red containers, 1 green container, 1 yellow container, and 2 teaspoons.

Weight Watchers Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin and Potatoes

11 2023 Plan Points | 11 Blue Plan Points | 11 Green Plan Points | 6 Purple Plan Points

Looking for more Instant Pot recipes?

Instant Pot Ramen Stir Fry with Chicken and Broccoli This Instant Pot Ramen Stir Fry with Chicken and Broccoli has a quick cooking time and is full of soy sauce flavor and healthy ingredients. It’s one of our favorite pressure cooking recipes.
Instant Pot Apple Sauce If you’ve ever wanted to make your own applesauce, you have to give this Instant Pot Apple Sauce recipe a try. With just 2 ingredients and 14 minutes of cooking time in the Instant Pot, you will have delicious homemade applesauce on the table in no time.
Vegan Minestrone Soup This Vegan Minestrone Soup Recipe has no meat but will satisfy even the biggest meat lover with its chunky veggies and whole wheat pasta.
Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes Wondering how to make sweet potatoes in the Instant Pot? It’s an easy Instant Pot recipe. I love to meal prep several Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes at once so I can eat them all week.

Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes

This Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes is an easy and delicious meal that's perfect for busy weeknights.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword Instant Pot Garlic Pork Tenderloin with Potatoes

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 11

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 520kcal

Author Becca Ludlum

Equipment

Instant Pot 6 qt
Kitchen Knife
Cutting Board

Ingredients

1/4 cup minced garlic about 8 cloves
2 tbsp dried basil
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 lb pork tenderloin cut into 2 pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 lb sweet potatoes (about 3 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 heads broccoli cut into small florets
1/2 cup almond milk plain, unsweetened
2 tbsp corn starch

Instructions

In a small bowl, combine the garlic, basil, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Use a fork to mix, then rub the seasonings into the tops of the pork pieces. 1/4 cup minced garlic 2 tbsp dried basil 2 tsp dried parsley 2 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 3 lb pork tenderloin
Select sauté and add the olive oil to the inner pot. When the oil begins to shimmer, place the pork pieces, seasoned side down, in the pot. Sauté for 1 minute, flip the pieces and sauté the bottoms for 1 more minute, then transfer the pieces to a plate and turn off the pot. 1 tbsp olive oil 3 lb pork tenderloin
Add the chicken broth to the pot and use a spatula to deglaze the pot, then stir. Place the trivet in the pot and put the pork pieces on top of the trivet. 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 3 lb pork tenderloin
Make a foil bowl for the sweet potatoes by placing a 14-inch piece of aluminum foil on a flat surface and spraying it with nonstick cooking spray. Place the cubed sweet potatoes on the foil and slowly roll the sides in to make a bowl. Place the bowl directly on top of the pork. 2 lb sweet potatoes
Close and lock the lid, then turn the steam release valve to sealing. Select pressure cook (high) and set the cook time for 10 minutes. When the cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure and remove the lid.
Using oven mitts, carefully transfer the potatoes to a large bowl. Add the broccoli to the pot, directly on top of the pork. Close and lock the lid again, then turn the steam release valve to sealing. Select pressure cook (high) and set the cook time for 1 minute. 2 heads broccoli
While the broccoli is cooking, add the butter to the bowl with the sweet potatoes. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes while slowly adding the almond milk until a creamy consistency is achieved. 1/2 cup almond milk
When the broccoli is done cooking, quick release the pressure, transfer the broccoli and pork to a plate, and remove the trivet.
Select sauté on the Instant Pot and add the corn starch. Whisk vigorously until the gravy thickens. Then turn off the pot and use oven mitts to remove the inner pot from the base.
Slice the pork and place it on a plate. Top the pork with gravy and plate broccoli and mashed sweet potatoes with it.

Notes

21 Day Fix

Per serving this Instant Pot pork tenderloin and mashed potatoes is: 2 red containers, 1 green container, 1 yellow container, and 2 teaspoons.

Weight Watchers

11 2023 Plan Points | 11 Blue Plan Points | 11 Green Plan Points | 6 Purple Plan Points

Nutrition

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