Kinda Butter Instapot Chicken

What do you make for dinner when you’re looking for something warm on a cold night? We all have our go-to’s. We usually steer towards chili, but I wanted to take advantage of some items I’ve had in my pantry for a while. So with that in mind, I bring you “Kinda Butter Instantpot Chicken”. I’m calling it this because it’s definitely not traditional or authentic butter chicken. However, it is SO tasty and it was incredibly comforting with the cold weather that hit Texas.

I made this in my Instantpot and served it with jasmine rice, and it took hardly anytime at all! I will definitely be adding this to our weeknight dinner rotation.

Ingredients

• (1) 14-ounce fire-roasted diced tomatoes + ¼ cup water

• 5 cloves Garlic

• ½ large yellow onion, diced

• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger

• 1 teaspoon turmeric

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 pound boneless chicken thighs, diced into cubes

• ½ stick of unsalted butter

• 4 ounces unsweetened full-fat coconut milk

• chopped cilantro (for serving, to taste)

Recipe

1. Add diced onion and all spices to Instapot to saute until you start to smell the spices and they get happy. Approximately 2-3 minutes. :]  

2. Pour in tomatoes and ¼ cup water, stir to combine, then add chicken on top.

3. Close lid and set to cook for 15 minutes.

4. Once cooked, remove chicken. Add butter & coconut milk. Saute until bubbly, then add your chicken back into the pot to let all the flavors meld together.

5. Serve over jasmine rice (I like to cook mine with chicken bone broth for extra flavor), and top with cilantro.

TIP: This would be really delicious with baby potatoes as well!

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If you make this recipe, let me know in the comments below.

Chicken Sausage Stew with Cannellini Beans

When the weather is gloomy, I love nothing more than to make warm comfort food. I adapted this recipe from one shared with me by my friend, Miriam, many years ago. The original recipe was found on a grocery store recipe card. You know the cooking demo areas - well, there was a featured recipe very similar that Miriam and I used to make frequently for dinner. I decided to make my own twist on this recipe because I wanted to make it even easier for a weeknight dinner.

This Italian-inspired meal is sure to warm up your family and become a staple in your weeknight dinner roulette.

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken Italian Sausage (such as Trader Joe's Uncooked Chicken Sicilian Sausage or your favorite)

• (2) 15 oz. cans of Cannellini beans

• Sun-dried tomatoes, julienned 

• (1) carton free-range chicken broth

• 1/2 medium white or yellow onion, diced

• (1) 8 oz. package of white button mushrooms, diced

• Rosemary (fresh, if possible)

• Thyme (fresh, if possible)

• Red pepper flakes

• (4) cloves of garlic

• Olive oil

• 2 Tbs. Cornstarch

DIRECTIONS

1. Dice your mushrooms into small pieces (or leave them sliced if you like a larger bite). If you have kids, you probably want to disguise them. Dice the onion, so that it will easily sweat down. Mince the rosemary and thyme. Press or mince the garlic cloves. Set aside.

2. Slice sausage into bite-sized pieces OR remove from casing.

   • This is all preference - if you like the idea of making this more like a soup then I would remove from the casing and treat like ground meat. If you want to go for more of a stew, keep them in slices. The next time I make this dish, I will take one of these routes because I think the presentation is much nicer.

3. In a large pot, brown sausage in a tiny drizzle of olive oil.

4. Toss in onions, mushrooms, rosemary, thyme and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent and mushrooms are softened.

5. Add 1 cup of chicken broth. 

   • You’ll end up adding as much or as little as you like beyond this amount. Some like to eat this more like a soup - if so, you’ll use more. If you want it more “stewy” and like a light sauce, you’ll only add a bit more beyond this as it cooks.

6. Add in a handful of sun-dried tomatoes.

7. Then, add both cans of Cannellini beans - do not drain or rinse.

8. Add red pepper flakes, to taste. 

   • Be careful if you’re already using spicy, hot sausage.

9. In a small bowl, add 2 Tbs. cornstarch, and just enough chicken broth to dissolve. Whisk thoroughly and add into the pot. This will act as a thickener.

10. Let bubble for 10-15 mins. This will allow the stew to come together and form a light sauce. 

11. Serve in a bowl and enjoy!

TAKE AWAYS

The first time I made this dish, I topped it with some basic oven-roasted asparagus for a pop of color and something green on the plate. As I mentioned above, the next time I make this dish I will treat the sausage like ground meat and remove the casing, or slice into smaller pieces. This dish is easily adaptable to your family’s tastes, and would pair perfectly with a warm, garlicky baguette. It would also be delicious with some kale wilted in! There are endless creative options to make it your own.

If you like when I share recipes, let me know. I absolutely love cooking, and have lots more I can post here.