Freezer Meals 101

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Instant Pot

Easy Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

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Lunch doesn’t get any easier than this 3 ingredient Instant Pot vegetable soup recipe. There are lots of ways to personalize this simple vegetarian soup. yellow corn, green beans, orange carrots in a red broth. Text reads "Freezer to Instant Pot Easy Vegetable Soup" #freezermeals101 #vegetablesoup #vegetarianfreezermeal #instantpotsoup #easyvegetarian

Easy Instant Pot Vegetable Soup Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups mixed frozen vegetables (your favorite mixture)
  • 1/2 cup tomato passata
  • 3 cups water, or more if you like it more liquidy

Assembly instructions:

  1. Place all the ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag. Squish to combine well.
  2. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.

Instant Pot cooking instructions:

  1. Thaw.
  2. Place the bag ingredients into your Instant Pot. 
  3. Secure the lid and set it to the soup setting for 8 minutes.
  4. Use the natural or quick release.
  5. Serve. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and chili flakes if desired. 

collage of Instant Pot at various stages of making Vegetarian soupYou can adapt this recipe in so many different ways. It’s extremely versatile!

Here are just some ideas of things you can add to this recipe:

  • caramelized onions
  • minced garlic
  • sundried tomatoes
  • diced tomatoes
  • macaroni noodles (be sure to add more water if you add noodles or cook them separately before adding)
  • seasonings (paprika, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, etc.)

close up of Instant Pot vegetarian soup

What is tomato passata?

Tomato passata is essentially strained tomatoes. It’s a tomato puree that has had the seeds and skins strained out. If you can’t find any passata in your local grocery store, you can purchase it here or you can substitute canned tomato puree. 

Print
Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
 
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: soup, vegetable soup
Servings: 4
Calories: 78 kcal
Ingredients
  • 3 cups mixed frozen vegetables
  • 1/2 cup tomato passata
  • 3 cups water (more if you like a thinner broth)
Instructions
Assembly instructions:

  1. Place all the ingredients in a large resealable freezer bag. Squish to combine well.

  2. Remove excess air, seal, and freeze.
Instant Pot cooking instructions:
  1. Thaw.
  2. Place the bag ingredients into your Instant Pot.

  3. Secure the lid and set it to the soup setting for 8 minutes.

  4. Use the natural or quick release.

  5. Serve. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and chili flakes if desired.

Try some of our other freezer to Instant Pot soups:

Instant Pot Tomato Soupbowl of tomato soup with the Instant Pot nearby

Bone Brothketo bone broth made in the Instant Pot in a bowl

Beef Taco Soupbowl of Instant Pot beef taco soup

Instant Pot Shrimp Boil (Freezer Meal)

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Years ago, a friend of mine from Maryland brought me a package of Old Bay Seasoning Mix. Although I had seen it on store shelves, I had never tried it before. I soon researched what type of recipes one makes with this type of seasoning and discovered that it’s perfect for seafood dishes such as this Instant Pot Shrimp Boil.

a pressure cooker and green herbs in the background and a jar of Old Bay seasoning with a bowl of corn, shrimp, and sausage and text reads "Instant Pot Shrimp Boil" #freezermeals101 #instantpotshrimp #makeahead #shrimpboilA magical pairing is freezer meals with the Instant Pot such as with our Breaded Red Curry Shrimp, Easy Italian Chicken and Vegetables, and Beef Taco Soup. With this shrimp boil recipe, I’ve included instructions both for making it directly in the pressure cooker or for making it ahead of time as a freezer meal and then cooking it in the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Shrimp Boil Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 tsp. garlic, minced
  • 4 cobs corn, split into three pieces each
  • 6 sausage links, chopped
  • 2 cups water or beer
  • 3 Tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 cups shrimp, peeled and deveined

For the day of cooking:

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 6 medium potatoes, diced

Make-Ahead Assembly Instructions:

  1. Place chopped onion, garlic, corn cob pieces, sausage chunks, seasoning, and water or beer into a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air and seal.
  2. Put the shrimp in a medium freezer bag. Remove air and seal. Staple above the seal to the large bag.
  3. Freeze.

collage of making the Instant Pot shrimp boil with corn and potatoesMake-Ahead Cooking Instructions:

  1. Take the bags out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Place the oil in the Instant Pot.
  3. Dump the contents of the large bag in. Add the potatoes.
  4. Secure the lid and select the manual setting for 9 minutes.
  5. Do the quick release.
  6. Add the shrimp and cook for another minute on the manual setting.
  7. Quick-release.

This video shows how to make this meal if you want to make it straight into the Instant Pot rather than doing it as a freezer meal.

Straight to the Instant Pot Instructions:

  1. Place the oil in the Instant Pot and set to the sauté setting.
  2. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion and cook for two minutes.
  3. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute before turning off the Instant Pot.
  4. Add the sausages, followed by the potatoes and corn.
  5. Sprinkle in the Old Bay seasoning and the water or beer.
  6. Secure the lid and select the manual setting for 8 minutes. Quick-release.
  7. Add the shrimp and cook for an additional minute on the manual setting. Quick-release.
Print
Instant Pot Shrimp Boil
Course: Main Course
Keyword: shrimp, shrimp boil
Servings: 6
Calories: 271 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 tsp. garlic minced
  • 4 cobs corn split into three
  • 6 sausage links chopped
  • 2 cups water or beer
  • 3 Tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 cups shrimp peeled and deveined
For the day of cooking:
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 6 medium potatoes diced
Instructions
Make-Ahead Assembly Instructions:

  1. Place chopped onion, garlic, corn cob pieces, sausage chunks, seasoning, and water or beer into a large resealable freezer bag. Remove excess air and seal.

  2. Put the shrimp in a medium freezer bag. Remove air and seal. Staple above the seal to the large bag.

  3. Freeze.
Make-Ahead Cooking Instructions:

  1. Take the bags out of the freezer to thaw.

  2. Place the oil in the Instant Pot.

  3. Dump the contents of the large bag in. Add the potatoes.

  4. Secure the lid and select the manual setting for 9 minutes.

  5. Do the quick release.

  6. Add the shrimp and cook for another minute on the manual setting.

  7. Quick release.

Straight to the Instant Pot Instructions:

  1. Place the oil in the Instant Pot and set to the sauté setting.

  2. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion and cook for two minutes.

  3. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute before turning off the Instant Pot.

  4. Add the sausages, followed by the potatoes and corn.

  5. Sprinkle in the Old Bay seasoning and the water or beer.

  6. Secure the lid and select the manual setting for 8 minutes. Quick-release.

  7. Add the shrimp and cook for an additional minute on the manual setting. Quick-release.

Check out these easy make-ahead Instant Pot meals:

Hawaiian Chicken in the Instant Potclose up of Instant Pot Hawaiian chicken in a white bowl with a bowl of rice on the side

White Chicken Chiliclose up of Instant Pot white chicken chili in a mug topped with sour cream

Pizza Casseroleclose up of Instant Pot pizza casserole with a sprinkle of cheese on top

Hawaiian Chicken in the Instant Pot

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Another day, another easy Instant Pot recipe! This Hawaiian Chicken has some unique flavors. It can be served on its own or over top of rice or pasta.

a white bowl sits on a marble surface. In the bowl is an orangey red stew with chunks of red pepper, pineapple, and chicken visible. The text reads "Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken" #hawaiian #freezermeals101 #chickendinner #InstantPotmealsInstant Pot Hawaiian Chicken Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs. chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, and cut into pieces
  • 20 oz. can pineapple chunks in juice, reserving 2 Tbsp. of the juice
  • 1 red bell pepper, cubed into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 purple onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ⅓ cup soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
  • ⅓ cup hoisin sauce

For the day of cooking:

  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch

close up of Hawaiian chicken in a white bowl with rice in a side dish

Assembly Instructions:

  1. Cut the chicken, red pepper, and onion.
  2. Place all the ingredients EXCEPT the 2 Tbsp. pineapple juice (and cornstarch) into a large resealable freezer bag. Squish to mix. Remove the excess air and seal.
  3. Pour the pineapple juice into a small or medium resealable freezer bag. Seal and staple the bags together above the seals.
  4. Freeze.

Cooking Instructions:

  1. Take the bags out of the freezer to thaw. Dump the contents of the large bag into the Instant Pot.
  2. Cover the pressure cooker and set the valve to sealing. Cook on “manual” or “pressure cook” for 5 minutes. Allow it to release naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release to remove the remaining pressure.
  3. Remove the lid and turn the pressure cooker to “sauté.”
  4. In a small bowl, stir together the pineapple juice from the smaller bag and 2 Tbsp. of cornstarch to create a slurry. When well mixed, pour into the pressure cooker and stir gently to combine. Allow the chicken to simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
  5. Serve over rice or noodles. collage of Hawaiian chicken in bowls and with rice in a side dish

Be sure to check out some of our other Freezer to Instant Pot Recipes:

Instant Pot Italian Chicken and Veggiesclose up of Instant Pot chicken with veggies and rice

Country Style Ribs in the Pressure Cooker

close up of country style ribs with sauce on a white plate

Instant Pot Turkey Sloppy Joescollage of turkey sloppy Joe's with an Instant Pot and fries on the side

Print
Instant Pot Hawaiian Chicken Recipe
Course: Main Course
Keyword: chicken
Servings: 6
Calories: 441 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2 lbs. chicken thighs boneless, skinless, cubed
  • 20 oz. can pineapple chunks in juice reserving 2 Tbsp. of the juice
  • 1 red pepper cubed into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 purple onion cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ⅓ cup soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • ½ tsp. ground ginger
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar packed
  • ⅓ cup hoisin sauce
For the day of cooking:
  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
Instructions
Assembly Instructions:
  1. Cut the chicken, red pepper, and onion.

  2. Place all the ingredients EXCEPT the 2 Tbsp. pineapple juice and cornstarch into a large resealable freezer bag. Squish to mix. Remove the excess air and seal.

  3. Pour the pineapple juice in a small or medium resealable freezer bag. Seal and staple the bags together above the seals.

  4. Freeze.
Cooking Instructions:

  1. Take the bags out of the freezer to thaw. Dump the contents of the large bag into the Instant Pot.

  2. Cover the pressure cooker and set the valve to sealing. Cook on “manual” or “pressure cook” for 5 minutes. Allow it to release naturally for 10 minutes before doing a quick release to remove the remaining pressure.

  3. Remove the lid and turn the pressure cooker to “sauté.”

  4. In a small bowl, stir together the pineapple juice from the smaller bag and 2 Tbsp. of cornstarch to create a slurry. When well mixed, pour into the pressure cooker and stir gently to combine. Allow the chicken to simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

  5. Serve over rice or noodles.

Country Style Instant Pot Ribs

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When you think of making ribs, it usually involves the barbecue grill, lots of foil, bottles of barbecue sauce, hours of prep work, and meticulous planning for just the right temperatures and time. The opposite is true with these country-style ribs, done in the Instant Pot, which is your magic weapon. These fall off the bone ribs are delicious!saucy ribs sit in a white bowl on a white background. The words "Country Style Instant Pot Ribs" are overlaid on the image. #freezermeals101 #instantpotribs #countrystyleribs

What will save you even more time than the Instant Pot® with this recipe is that it can be made ahead and then cooked in the Instant Pot. Have this ready to go in your freezer any time of the year.

Country Style Instant Pot Ribs Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • 1 – 2 racks of pork ribs*
  • 2 Tbsp. coarse ground garlic salt
  • 2 Tbsp. seasoning salt
  • 2 Tbsp. seasoned pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp. dry mustard
  • 2 Tbsp. paprika
  • 1 Tbsp. onion powder
  • 1 small bottle of liquid smoke

For the day of cooking:

  • 1 large bottle of Country Bob’s all-purpose sauce (if you can’t find Country Bob’s, you can substitute your favorite BBQ sauce)
  • 1 cup honey (local if possible)close up of country style ribs from the Instant Pot with sauce on a white plate

Assembly instructions:

Ribs have a membrane on the backside of the rack that needs to be removed. It is on the opposite side of the meaty part of the ribs. It’s a silvery-white color and may look like fat at first glance.

  1. Take a sharp knife, and start at one corner on the backside of the ribs. Run the knife under the membrane to loosen it. Pull it back just a little bit and use a paper towel to get hold of the loosened membrane and pull it off.  You may have to do this in 2 or 3 segments as some racks will have a membrane that comes off easily and others will take a little more work.
  2. Once the membrane is removed, place the ribs in a flat bottomed dish (like an 11 x 14 pan) and sprinkle with liquid smoke. Let the ribs sit for 30 minutes and absorb the liquid smoke.
  3. After 30 minutes, lift the ribs up to allow any liquid remaining to run off into the dish.
  4. In a large resealable bag, place the garlic salt, seasoning salt, seasoned pepper, chili powder, dry mustard, paprika, and onion powder. Close the bag and shake vigorously to blend all the dry ingredients. Add the ribs into the bag. Press the seasonings into the ribs.
  5. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze. collage of steps to make the country style ribs in the instant pot and the finished ribs on a plate

Cooking instructions:

  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.
  2. Place the Trivet in the Instant pot and add 1 cup of water, and 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce.
  3. Place the ribs on the trivet circled around or leaning against the inside liner of the Instant Pot.
  4. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn it until it beeps and locks. Make sure the pressure valve is set to ‘SEALING’ and press the Manual button. Set the time to 30 minutes.
  5. Allow the Instant Pot to automatically build and release the pressure. Once the Instant Pot has released all the pressure (about an hour), make sure the pressure valve button is down and gently, and with a pot turn the valve to VENTING with a potholder to make sure that all the pressure has been released.
  6. Remove the lid and place the ribs in an oven-safe dish.
  7. In a separate dish, pour half the bottle of Country Bob’s sauce, add the cup of honey, and stir well. Pour the honey BBQ sauce over the ribs.
  8. Place the ribs in the oven at 350° for 30 minutes. This will crisp the ribs and all the BBQ sauce to melt into the ribs. Yum! It will get a little gooey in the oven, which blends the dry rub and BBQ flavors together. Once ribs have browned a little and the sauce is gooey, remove them from the oven and serve immediately.

*Note: You may want to double the dry rub recipe for 2 full racks of ribs. The dry rub mix given will make enough for about 2 – 3 pounds of ribs, which is approximately 1 rack.

Check out some of our other make ahead Instant Pot recipes:

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili close up of Instant Pot white chicken chili with sour cream on topInstant Pot Turkey Sloppy Joes collage of turkey sloppy Joe's with sides and an Instant Pot

Instant Pot Red Curry Shrimp close up of Instant Pot red curry shrimp on rice

Print
Country Style Instant Pot Ribs Recipe
Course: Main Course
Keyword: ribs
Servings: 6
Calories: 531 kcal
Ingredients
  • 1 - 2 racks of pork ribs*
  • 2 Tbsp. coarse ground garlic salt
  • 2 Tbsp. seasoning salt
  • 2 Tbsp. seasoned pepper
  • 1 Tbsp. chili powder
  • 1 Tbsp. dry mustard
  • 2 Tbsp. paprika
  • 1 Tbsp. onion powder
  • 1 small bottle of liquid smoke
For the day of cooking:
  • 1 large bottle of Country Bob's all-purpose sauce if you can't find Country Bob's, you can substitute your favorite BBQ sauce
  • 1 cup honey organic or local if possible
Instructions
Assembly Instructions:

  1. Take a sharp knife, and start at one corner on the backside of the ribs. Run the knife under the membrane to loosen it. Pull it back just a little bit and use a paper towel to get hold of the loosened membrane and pull it off.  You may have to do this in 2 or 3 segments as some racks will have a membrane that comes off easily and others will take a little more work.

  2. Once the membrane is removed, place the ribs in a flat bottomed dish (like an 11 x 14 pan and sprinkle with liquid smoke. Let the ribs sit for 30 minutes and absorb the liquid smoke.

  3. After 30 minutes, lift the ribs up to allow any liquid remaining to run off into the dish.

  4. In a large resealable bag, place the garlic salt, seasoning salt, seasoned pepper, chili powder, dry mustard, paprika, and onion powder. Close the bag and shake vigorously to blend all the dry ingredients. Add the ribs into the bag. Press the seasonings into the ribs.

  5. Remove the excess air from the bag, seal, and freeze.
Cooking instructions:
  1. Take the bag out of the freezer to thaw.

  2. Place the Trivet in the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water, and 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce.

  3. Place the ribs on the trivet circled around or leaning against the inside liner of the Instant Pot.

  4. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and turn it until it beeps and locks. Make sure the pressure valve is set to 'SEALING' and press the Manual button. Set the time to 30 minutes.

  5. Allow the Instant Pot to automatically build and release the pressure. Once the Instant Pot has released all the pressure (about an hour), make sure the pressure valve button is down and gently, and with a pot turn the valve to VENTING with a potholder to make sure that all the pressure has been released.

  6. Remove the lid and place the ribs in an oven-safe dish.

  7. In a separate dish, pour half the bottle of Country Bob's sauce, add the cup of honey, and stir well. Pour the honey BBQ sauce over the ribs.

  8. Place the ribs in the oven at 350° for 30 minutes. This will crisp the ribs and all the BBQ sauce to melt into the ribs. Once the ribs have browned a little and the sauce is gooey, remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

*Note: You may want to double the dry rub recipe for 2 full racks of ribs. The dry rub recipe given will make enough for about 2 - 3 pounds of ribs, which is approximately 1 rack.

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili

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A cold day is a perfect time for this Instant Pot white chicken chili. It’s hearty, yet light. This recipe freezes beautifully, so it’s great to make-ahead and pull out on busy weekdays. Instant Pot White Chicken Chili that's freezer friendly #freezermeals101 #makeaheadmeals #chili #instantpotrecipes

Growing up, we only ever had beef chili. In fact, I hadn’t even heard of chicken chili until a few years ago. Although regular chili is still a comfort food for me, in some ways, I prefer the less heavy chicken chili.

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 onion, diced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
3 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1/2 -1 cup red salsa
1/4-1/2 cup salsa verde (green)
1-2 small cans of diced green chilies
1 can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1-2 cups chicken broth
3-4 cans of white beans (I like white kidney beans)

bowl of white chicken chili topped with sour creamInstructions:

  1. Chop the veggies and cube the chicken.
  2. Set your Instant Pot to the Sauté function.
  3. Add the olive oil to allow it to heat up. Next, add the onions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant and onions are translucent.
  4. Place the chicken in the Instant Pot and cook until no longer pink.
  5. Add the taco seasoning, green chilies, tomatoes, tomato paste, and red and green salsas.
  6. Pour in the chicken broth. If you like your chili to have a more liquid consistency (similar to a soup), then add 2 cups. If you like it thicker like traditional chili, then just use 1 cup.
  7. Add the beans. Give it a stir to mix everything together.
  8. Close and lock the lid on the Instant Pot. Make sure the vent is closed. Set the Instant Pot to 15 minutes.
  9. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Afterward, open the vent to release the remaining pressure.
  10. Sprinkle with your favorite toppings.

Freezer instructions:

  1. Allow the food to cool a bit.
  2. Place it in a large resealable freezer bag or silicone reusable freezer bag. Take out the air, seal, and freeze. Or you can put it in smaller freezer bags to create individual portions.
  3. Take out of the freezer to thaw. Reheat in the microwave or in a large stovetop pot.

collage of Instant Pot white chicken chili in bowlsOptional toppings for White Chicken Chili:

  • avocado
  • guacamole
  • tortilla chip strips
  • shredded cheese
  • sour cream
  • diced tomatoes
  • green onions
  • hot sauce
  • extra salsa

Check out some of our other Instant Pot comfort meals:

Instant Pot Turkey Sloppy Joes collage of Instant Pot turkey sloppy Joe's

Instant Pot Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos close up of Instant Pot chicken verde tacosInstant Pot Tomato Soup close up of instant pot tomato soup

Print
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chicken, chili
Servings: 6
Calories: 488 kcal
Ingredients
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 chicken breasts boneless, skinless, cubed
  • 3 Tbsp. taco seasoning
  • 1/2 -1 cup red salsa
  • 1/4-1/2 cup salsa verde
  • 1-2 small cans of diced green chilies
  • 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1-2 cups chicken broth
  • 3-4 cans of white beans
Instructions
Instructions:
  1. Chop the veggies and cube the chicken.
  2. Set your Instant Pot to the Sauté function.

  3. Add the olive oil to allow it to heat up. Next, add the onions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the garlic is fragrant and onions are translucent.

  4. Place the chicken in the Instant Pot and cook until no longer pink.

  5. Add the taco seasoning, green chilies, tomatoes, tomato paste, and red and green salsas.

  6. Pour in the chicken broth. If you like your chili to have a more liquid consistency (similar to a soup), then add 2 cups. If you like it thicker like traditional chili, then just use 1 cup.

  7. Add the beans. Give it a stir to mix everything together.

  8. Close and lock the lid on the Instant Pot. Make sure the vent is closed. Set the Instant Pot to 15 minutes.

  9. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Afterward, open the vent to release the remaining pressure.

  10. Sprinkle with your favorite toppings.

Freezer instructions:
  1. Allow the food to cool a bit.

  2. Place it in a large resealable freezer bag or silicone reusable freezer bag. Take out the air, seal, and freeze. Or you can put it in smaller freezer bags to create individual portions.

  3. Take out of the freezer to thaw. Reheat in the microwave or in a large stovetop pot.

Recipe Notes

Optional toppings for White Chicken Chili: avocado, guacamole, tortilla chip strips, shredded cheese, sour cream, diced tomatoes, green onions, hot sauce, extra salsa