Buzz
Although the initial frenzy around the Instant Pot has cooled off, its loyal fan base is still strong, and new recipes keep appearing (even if at a slightly slower pace). While much of the Instant Pot's acclaim focuses on its speed, it’s not the speed that makes it perfect for Thanksgiving. The true advantage of using an Instant Pot during the holiday is that it frees up your oven and stovetop, which are often in high demand on Turkey Day. (In fact, you could even cook in your basement if needed, as long as there’s an outlet nearby.)
With so many buttons and functions on the Instant Pot, the ‘Sauté’ and ‘Manual’ options do most of the work. With these two features, you can easily whip up soups, side dishes, potatoes, and even peel eggs for deviling. You can even prepare a complete Thanksgiving meal for two, including mashed potatoes and gravy.
Broths and Soups
Without stock, there’s no gravy, and the Instant Pot eliminates the hours of simmering. Simply brown your turkey neck and leftover carcass pieces using the 'Sauté' function, deglaze with wine or sherry, then toss in chopped vegetables like two small onions, a couple of carrots, two stalks of celery, and four garlic cloves. Add two bay leaves, a teaspoon of whole peppercorns, a pinch of salt, and any other herbs you prefer. Pour in enough water to cover everything, close the lid, set the release valve to 'sealing,' and cook on 'High' for one hour with the 'Manual' setting. After cooking, vent, strain, cool, and skim off the fat.
Then we have the rich, hearty soups. While a soup may not be a Thanksgiving essential, a small bowl of squash bisque is a lovely way to begin a festive meal. This recipe works with almost any type of squash, but my personal favorite is kabocha. If squash isn't your style, this turmeric and carrot soup is incredibly comforting and happens to be vegan.
Potatoes, both sweet and regular
You can prepare mashed potatoes and yams entirely in the Instant Pot, with no need for straining. (There may be a slight amount of scalded dairy, but once mashed, it’s undetectable, and browned dairy actually adds flavor.) However, if you have a specific recipe in mind—like one calling for French onion dip, for instance—you can cook the potatoes in the Instant Pot by cutting them into 1 1/2-2-inch cubes and placing them in a steamer basket (or trivet) with one cup of water. Cook yams under high pressure for 11 minutes, and white potatoes for 9 minutes. Once done, remove the steamer basket, discard the water, and return the potatoes to the Instant Pot insert to mash as usual.
Deviled eggs
The Instant Pot may not be able to pipe deviled filling into halved egg whites, but eggs cooked in this appliance are surprisingly easy to peel, meaning the whites stay intact and your deviled eggs will be *beautiful*. Just cook them under high pressure for five minutes, then perform a manual release. Once done, transfer the hot eggs to an ice bath, peel, and prepare them for deviling. (Need a good deviling recipe? *This one* is a classic.)
Cranberry sauce and gravy
Gravy and cranberry sauce don’t take much time or effort, but they do need a burner. The Instant Pot serves as a helpful extra burner when your kitchen is crowded. The ‘Normal’ sauté setting should be sufficient, though you can increase it to ‘High’ if needed. Other than that, there’s no need to change your *gravy* or *cranberry protocol*. (We enjoy our cranberries with a splash of rum.)
