This quick and flavorful ground pork stir-fry with cabbage is perfect for busy nights. It’s packed with savory, umami flavors and comes together in no time using your pressure cooker.
 
Servings: 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
 
Ingredients
1 lb ground pork
1 small head of cabbage, shredded (about 4-5 cups)
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon honey (optional for sweetness)
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional, for heat)
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
Sesame seeds (optional, for garnish)
 
Instructions
Sauté the Pork and Aromatics:
Set the pressure cooker to the sauté function. Add sesame oil and let it heat up.
Add the ground pork and cook until browned, breaking it into small pieces.
Stir in the diced onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

Add Seasonings and Cabbage:
Stir in soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey (if using), and red chili flakes.
Add the shredded cabbage and toss to combine. Pour in the chicken or vegetable broth.

Pressure Cook:
Cancel the sauté function and seal the lid. Set the pressure cooker to "Manual" or "High Pressure" for 2 minutes.
Once the cooking cycle is complete, carefully perform a quick release.

Finish and Garnish:
Open the lid and stir the mixture well. Adjust seasoning with additional soy sauce or vinegar, if needed.
Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds before serving.
 
Serving Suggestions
Serve over steamed jasmine rice or riced cauliflower for a low-carb option.
Pair with a side of green beans or stir-fried broccoli for extra veggies.
 
This dish is freezer-friendly! Cool completely before storing in airtight containers. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave for a fast, delicious meal.

​Looking for a quick, flavor-packed dinner that feels like takeout without the drive-thru? These Korean-inspired beef and pork bowls are a weeknight win, combining bold, savory flavors with wholesome ingredients your whole family will love. Served over your choice of fluffy white rice or light cauliflower rice and paired with roasted broccoli, this dish is hearty, budget-friendly, and ready in under 30 minutes. It’s the kind of recipe you’ll come back to again and again!

Serve with: rice, riced cauliflower, or lettuce wraps
Quick Instructions: Brown meat with garlic and onion. Add:

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar or honey
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp ginger
Optional: red pepper flakes
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Top with green onions, sesame seeds, and a fried egg!

Garlic Herb Rice & Cauli-Rice Seasoning
Add these directly to the pot before cooking:
1–2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 1 clove minced garlic)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning
Salt to taste (start with 1/2 teaspoon per cup of dry rice)
Optional: 1–2 tablespoons grated Parmesan (after cooking)

Preparing for a new baby is an exciting yet busy time, especially when you already have a household to manage. One way to lighten the load is to have hearty, family-sized meals prepped and ready to go. Here’s a guide to making freezer-friendly, no-casserole meals using your crockpot, pressure cooker, and staple ingredients like beef, chicken, pork, and turkey.
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These meals focus on fresh vegetables, satisfying starches, and protein-packed recipes that can be made ahead of time and stored for busy evenings after your little one arrives.

Make-Ahead Meal Ideas
1. Beef Barbacoa Bowls (Crockpot or Pressure Cooker) 
Ingredients: Chuck roast, onions, garlic, chipotle peppers, beef broth, cumin, oregano, lime juice
Veggies & Sides: Riced cauliflower or white rice, sautéed spinach
Prep: Slow-cook or pressure-cook seasoned beef. Shred and freeze with its juices. Serve with rice, spinach, and optional toppings like cheese or avocado.

2. Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Lemon (Crockpot)
​Ingredients: Chicken thighs, garlic, lemon, chicken broth, rosemary
Veggies & Sides: Mashed sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli
Prep: Marinate chicken in a garlic-lemon mixture, then cook in the crockpot. Store chicken and broth separately if freezing. Reheat and serve with mashed sweet potatoes and broccoli.

3. Ground Pork Stir-Fry with Cabbage (Pressure Cooker)
​Ingredients: Ground pork, shredded cabbage, garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger
Veggies & Sides: Green beans, jasmine rice
Prep: Cook pork and cabbage with seasonings in your pressure cooker. Cool and freeze in portions. Reheat and serve with steamed green beans and rice.

4. Turkey Meatballs with Marinara (Crockpot or Stovetop)
​Ingredients: Ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, Italian seasoning, marinara sauce
Veggies & Sides: Pasta, sautéed peas
Prep: Form and bake meatballs. Cool and freeze in marinara sauce. Reheat and serve over pasta with peas on the side.

5. Brisket with Root Vegetables (Crockpot)
​Ingredients: Beef brisket, onions, carrots, potatoes, beef broth, thyme
Veggies & Sides: Green beans
Prep: Slow-cook brisket with veggies and broth. Slice brisket and freeze with its juices. Reheat and serve with green beans.

6. Chicken and Spinach Soup (Pressure Cooker)
​Ingredients: Chicken breasts, onions, garlic, spinach, chicken broth, thyme
Veggies & Sides: White potatoes (optional)
Prep: Cook all ingredients in the pressure cooker, then shred the chicken. Freeze in portions. Reheat and enjoy with crusty bread or a side of potatoes.

​8. Honey-Garlic Chicken Drumsticks (Crockpot)
​Ingredients: Chicken legs, honey, garlic, soy sauce, ginger
Veggies & Sides: Steamed green beans, mashed potatoes
Prep: Cook chicken with sauce in the crockpot. Freeze with sauce. Reheat and serve with green beans and potatoes.

Tips for Freezing and Reheating

• Use reusable freezer-safe bags or containers.
• Cool food completely before freezing to avoid ice crystals.
• Reheat in a crockpot, stovetop, or microwave until piping hot.

​With these make-ahead meal ideas, you can focus on enjoying time with your growing family while keeping everyone fed and happy. Which recipe will you try first? Let me know in the comments below!

Pulled or shredded pork is one of the most delicious dishes for a party or picnic! Among all pork recipes, pulled pork is the most versatile, used to make sandwiches, tacos, burritos, and salads, or it can also be eaten as a meal! This yummy dish is ready in just over an hour using a pressure cooker.

Ingredients:
3 pounds pork shoulder, bone-in
12 oz light beer (you could also use one cup of chicken broth or ginger ale.)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon ground pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup BBQ sauce, more to taste

Directions: 

1. Mix dry ingredients and rub all over the pork shoulder.
2. Place a trivet in the bottom of the pressure cooker.
3. Add the beer or broth to the pressure cooker.
4. Add pork, close the lid, seal the valve, and cook on manual high pressure for 65 minutes.
5. When done, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes.

The juice that the roast is cooked in will be a combination of beer and the fat from the roast. Use this to spoon over the shredded pork before you put barbeque sauce on it. The flavor of the juice will enhance the flavor of the pork.

Mix in your favorite fav BBQ sauce. Here's my homemade BBQ sauce recipe.​

We love delicious grilled ham steaks that are perfect for the cold weather. While most recipes suggest using sweet ingredients like honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar, we prefer a more savory taste. Don't let the cold weather stop you from making perfect ham steaks - simply pop them in the oven and enjoy! 

Ingredients
2 1-pound Ham Steaks
2 Tablespoons Butter 
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
¼ cup Pure Maple Syrup
½ teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Take the ham steaks out of the package and drain.   
3. Cover a large baking sheet with tin foil.
4. Place the ham steaks on the baking sheet.
5. In a small bowl, melt the butter. 
6. Once the butter melts, add brown sugar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk until combined.
7. Do not brush the bottom of the steaks, they will burn. Brush the glaze on the ham steaks. Remember the sides. 
8. Place in oven for 45 minutes or until heated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
9. Remove the ham steaks from the oven.  Serve immediately.

This cozy dinner started with something simple: our family loves watching the Outdoor Boys channel on YouTube, and it feels like they are always sitting down to a warm pot of tomato soup after a day outside. One night, we all looked at each other and thought, “We should do that,” but with a homemade version that feels a little more special.

So this became our go-to: Cozy Instant Pot Tomato Bisque with Italian Pork Meatballs + Mini Sourdough Grilled Cheese. The Instant Pot makes it fast enough for a real-life weeknight, but it still tastes like it simmered all afternoon. A 28 oz can of San Marzano tomatoes gives it that rich, classic flavor, and freshly shredded Kirkland Signature Parmigiano Reggiano melts in to make it creamy and comforting. Then we add tender Italian ground pork meatballs to make it hearty, and of course, we serve it with mini sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches for dipping, because that is half the cozy fun.
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To make it feel extra special for the kiddos, we love setting the table a little differently, even on an ordinary night: a couple of candles lit at the dining table, warm bowls, and those little grilled cheese dippers stacked on a plate in the center. It turns a simple soup night into a memory.

Recipe 1: Instant Pot Tomato Bisque (San Marzano + Parm)
Servings 6 (more like 6 with grilled cheese and meatballs, or 4 if it’s just soup and everyone is starving)

Ingredients
2 tbsp butter (or olive oil)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp sea salt (start here, adjust after blending)
1/2 tsp black pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tbsp tomato paste (optional, but makes it richer)
1 (28 oz) can whole San Marzano tomatoes, with juices
2 cups chicken broth (or bone broth)
1 tsp sugar or 1 tsp honey (optional, helps balance acidity)
1/2 cup heavy cream (or full-fat coconut milk if dairy-free)
1 cup Kirkland Signature Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded (plus extra for topping)
2 tbsp fresh basil (or 1 tsp dried basil)

Instructions (Instant Pot)
1. Saute
Press Sauté on the Instant Pot.
Melt the butter, add the onion, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until soft.
Add garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper (and red pepper flakes if using). Cook 30 seconds.
Stir in tomato paste (if using) for 30 seconds.
Add the can of San Marzano tomatoes (with juices) and broth.
Use a wooden spoon to gently break up the tomatoes a bit.

2. Pressure Cook
Lock lid, set to High Pressure: 8 minutes.
Natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release remaining pressure.
3. Blend
Use an immersion blender right in the pot until silky smooth.
If using a blender: blend in batches and vent steam safely.

4. Make it bisque
Press Sauté (Low).
Stir in heavy cream, shredded Parmigiano Reggiano, and basil.
Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until melted and creamy.
Taste and adjust salt. If it’s too tangy, add that teaspoon of honey or sugar.

Serving ideas
Top each bowl with extra Parmigiano
A swirl of cream
Basil ribbons
A few meatballs right in the bowl

Storage
Fridge: 4 days
Freezer: up to 3 months
Tip: If freezing, freeze before adding cream, then add cream when reheating for the best texture.

Recipe 2: Italian Ground Pork Meatballs (Perfect Soup Size)
Makes about 20 to 24 mini meatballs (depending on size)

Ingredients
1 lb ground pork
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano (use your shredded and chop it finer if needed)
1/3 cup breadcrumbs (or sourdough crumbs)
1 egg
2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp milk or cream (helps keep them tender)
1 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)

Instructions (Oven, easiest)
Heat oven to 400°F.
Mix everything gently (don’t overwork).
Scoop and roll into 1-inch meatballs.
Bake on a parchment-lined sheet pan 12 to 14 minutes until cooked through.

To serve with the bisque
Add meatballs into bowls, then ladle soup over top
Or stir meatballs into the pot after blending and let them warm through for 2 minutes

Recipe 3: Mini Sourdough Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (Dippers!)

Ingredients
Sourdough bread slices (cut into small squares or fingers)
Sliced cheddar (or white cheddar, provolone, or mozzarella)
Butter (softened) or mayo for the outside
Optional: a pinch of garlic powder for the butter

Instructions
Build sandwiches, then cut into mini triangles or strips before cooking (easier to flip).
Cook in a skillet on medium-low:
3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and melty.
Serve warm alongside soup for dipping.

Shortcut if you’re making a bunch: bake on a sheet pan at 425°F for ~6 minutes per side (flip once).

Cozy Winter Meal “How to Plate It”
Bowl: Tomato bisque + 4 to 5 mini meatballs + parm on top
Side: 2 to 3 mini sourdough grilled cheese dippers per person
Optional add-on: simple green salad with balsamic to balance the richness