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When it comes to eating cheap, beans and rice are the obvious go to. Buying canned beans can be easy too, but the sodium in those is ridiculous! So what is the solution? Taking forever to boil beans to make a side from those dry things that come in the bag?

That may have been the answer before we got our Instant Pot. I cannot sing the praises of this electric pressure cooker enough! There are so many recipes you can simplify by using one of these! Though they seem like they can be pricey, they go on sale all the time and are TOTALLY worth it!

This week, we used ours to make some refried beans. We bought the dry beans in bulk and they were soooooo cheap! Those plus a few spices we had on hand and BAM!

My sister-in-law compared them to Taco Bell’s discontinued beans. We used them in a yummy Layered Chicken Enchilada Dip (recipe coming soon!) and the whole family loved them!

While soaking the beans before hand makes them cook up faster, it isn’t necessary.

Pressure Cooker Refried Beans

Beans, Comfort Foods, Meals for a Crowd, Mexican, Pressure Cooker, Sides, Vegetarian

Pressure Cooker Refried Beans

Ingredients

1 cup of black beans
2/3 cup pinto beans
1/3 cup kidney beans
6 cups of water
4 TBS butter
1 TBS garlic powder
1 TBS onion powder
1 TBS sea salt
1 TBS lemon juice

Instructions

Mix dry beans in a large bowl. Cover beans in water up to 2 inches above them. Soak overnight, or at least 12 hours*.
Drain beans and place them in the electric pressure cooker. Add in 6 cups of clean water. Place lid on cooker, making sure vent is in sealed position. Cook on manual high pressure mode for 8 minutes*. Allow pressure to release manually.
Drain excess liquid from beans. Using an immersion blender, begin breaking up the beans.
Break butter into 8 1/2 tablespoon pieces. Add butter gradually, using the immersion blender to blend beans into a chunky texture. Add in garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and lemon juice. Blend until desired texture and spices are completely combined.

Notes

*If you don’t want to soak the beans overnight, cook them on high pressure for 35 minutes, allowing pressure to release naturally.

Serve this up with chips, or use it as a side for your next taco night! Or, use it like we did in a dip or casserole! (recipes coming soon!)

Don’t see a recipe you want to see? Send us a suggestion! We’d love to learn how to make a new recipe just for you!

Disclosure: Some links in this post may be affiliate links, meaning that at no additional cost to you I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.

When my wife was pregnant, all she craved was carbs (she felt it was unfair later that she got gestational diabetes and had to limit them). Popcorn, sugary drinks – her biggest craving, though, was for mashed potatoes. She prepared and ate instant potato flakes by the bagful, and I had to buy her some pounds and pounds of red potatoes – her favorite!

I wish back when she was having these cravings we had an electric pressure cooker! We got our Instant Pot from her parents for Christmas a couple of years ago, and we’ve used it enough that we’ve thought about getting a second one! From beans to meat to easy side dishes, we use our Instant Pot once a week at least!

These potatoes are super easy, and so much faster than the traditionally boiled method. And they are so creamy they can be eaten on their own. Our favorite thing to pair them with is our chicken fried steaks and white gravy!

Obviously you’ll need a 6QT pressure cooker. We absolutely love our Instant Pot!

Pressure Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Comfort, Comfort Foods, Dinner, Meals for a Crowd, Potatoes, Pressure Cooker, Sides

Pressure Cooker Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

5lbs russet potatoes
1 cup water
1 1/2 – 2 cups of milk
1/2 – 1 stick of butter
2TBS garlic powder
2TBS salt
2TBS pepper

Instructions

Wash potatoes and chop into 1” pieces (we leave the peels on, but you can peel the potatoes if you prefer).
Put water into pressure cooker, followed by the potatoes.
Seal pressure cooker, making sure vent is sealed as well. Set to Manual-High for 6 minutes. Quick release the pressure when cook time ends.
Using a hand mixer or a potato masher, lightly break up the potatoes. Then blend in milk and butter gradually until desired consistency. Blend in spices to taste. Serve hot.