Notes about Recipes in this book

• Chicken and sausage jambalaya

  • jenmacgregor18 on May 14, 2019

    I used Slap Ya Mama seasoning & D'artagnian andouille. I made it creole by adding 14 oz diced tomatoes & reduced the chicken broth accordingly. This is easy and really very good. a definite repeat for us.

  • sydlikestocook on January 09, 2024

    Good recipe, fairly easy clean up too. made as instructed with an extra teaspoon of Cajun seasoning. Recipe is a solid 6+ servings, likely closer to 7-8. Next time, I would decrease the amount of rice/broth by 1/4-1/2 cup as I prefer more protein over starches.

  • Plumberful on November 12, 2025

    This was easy to make and satisfying to eat. I used a homemade Cajun/Creole spice blend that worked well. I made it exactly as written, but thought the rice was a bit overcooked. Next time I may reduce the amount of rice and broth and also the cook time.

• Rice and peas in Parmesan stock

  • babyfork on October 16, 2019

    I used Anson Mills Carolina gold rice. I added 3 tbs of Meyer lemon juice to the stock as called for. When the recipe asked for an additional 3 tbs of lemon juice to be stirred in at the end, I thought twice and tasted before I added it. I'm so glad I did because I didn't add any more. As it was I thought it was tasty, but would have been better with 1.5 tbs lemon juice total or none at all. My teenage daughter thought it had a "weird flavor" and wasn't a fan and I'm pretty sure it was the lemon juice. Otherwise, I liked the recipe. Would make again without the lemon or just a tiny bit.

  • babyfork on May 31, 2020

    I varied the ingredients slightly based on what I had on hand. Used a Vidalia onion instead of shallot and basmati rice. Added some chopped fennel bulb and omitted the lemon. Chives from my pandemic herb garden instead of mint. I liked this much better without the lemon! (And usually I love lemon...it just didn't taste good to me in this when I made the original recipe as written.) Served with some smoked trout and creme fraiche. A great "cheater" risotto.

• Granola porridge

  • ingabritt on July 07, 2025

    A. I love it. I like my oats with more texture like this. Increase the cook time to 9-10 minutes because mine were a little too chewy and increase the milk by 1/2 cup. Serve with extra milk poured over the top to thin. I drizzled mine with honey and threw in some blackberries. My oats were just labeled "steel cut", so I dont know if they are the Irish oats she calls for. Made on 7-2-25

• Beef stew in great gravy

  • deirdrereid on January 26, 2019

    Excellent. This will now be my go-to beef stew recipe. I added sauteed mushrooms with the peas at the end -- will do that again. I may reduce the amount of potatoes next time too -- the 6 qt pot was pretty full.

  • jenmacgregor18 on October 14, 2019

    pretty quick prep. in lieu of consomme, I used beef stock with a little gelatin. subbed 1T soy & 1T gochujang for Worcestershire. I forgot to add pearl onions when I put in potatoes, etc. I had to cook in skillet and add in. It smells amazing and B said it tastes wonderful. However, it didn't have a lot of gravy. Next time will just have to add more beef stock.

• Indoor Brunswick stew

  • jenmacgregor18 on October 07, 2019

    I cut ketchup back by 1/2. might do the same with the bbq sauce. Dad said this is his favorite soup and B liked it too.

• Braised pork and apples in cider-gingersnap gravy

  • deirdrereid on July 14, 2019

    Really good. Once again, I had to finish it on the stove because of "Burn" warnings on my Instant Pot, but it was worth it.

• Cube steaks in mushroom gravy

  • southerncooker on November 23, 2018

    I used baby bella mushrooms , better than boullion beef broth, and all-purpose flour. This was very good but do pay attention to her burn notice in the recipe. I got one and had to release pressure and re-scrape pot and start over. Turned out tender and delicious though. We had it over mashed potatoes and I had cooked buttered carrots with mine too.

  • jenmacgregor18 on March 22, 2019

    This is wonderful comfort food. I halved the recipe; except used the full 5 oz mushrooms and a little extra butter to saute them. I used white button mushrooms, better than bouillon beef broth & AP flour. Because my IP doesn't have a temperature control - no low or medium - I added 1/2 c water before pressure cooking. After, I removed the meat & used saute to reduce the gravy. Perfect.

• 5-minute mac and cheese

  • deirdrereid on January 26, 2019

    Incredibly rich but tasty. Next time, I'm going to add a crunchy topping or stir in something crunchy -- personal preference.

• New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp

  • jenmacgregor18 on June 01, 2020

    I'm thinking that the beauty of this recipe is the flavor due to pressure cooking the shrimp shells in the butter sauce. That being said, I only had shelled shrimp. So, I'm not sure using a IP was worth it for me in this case; but I gave it a go. Cooked butter sauce under pressure, sieved out solids, then poached shrimp on saute. My IP doesn't have a low saute setting. And I think again I would have been better off poaching shrimp in a skillet - due to temp setting & surface area... I subbed oregano for rosemary, lager for pale ale and only 1/2 tsp creole seasoning. It still was tad bit salty for me; but overall, I like the flavor. So, next time: shell on shrimp, poach shrimp in skillet and 1/4 tsp creole seasoning...then add hot pepper to taste afterwards. It's definitely worth trying again.

• Smothered chicken

  • jenmacgregor18 on February 14, 2019

    Turns out perfect - Chicken & gravy, both. The 3 of us loved it. I omitted thyme & added 1/2 tsp of Goya Sazonador Complete and parsley. There's another helpful warning in this recipe about making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly of the fond before putting under pressure, or you'll get a burn notice.

• Bourbon and cola beef short ribs

  • babyfork on October 22, 2019

    This was a good easy recipe. I asked my butcher about boneless short ribs since that's what the recipe called for. He suggested chuck roast saying that cut contained part of the meat you would get on a short rib. Later at home an internet search confirmed that. Cook's Illustrated says, "Flavorful, easy-to-prep boneless short ribs aren’t actually cut from the rib section of the cow, as their name implies. They are cut from the chuck, or shoulder, of the animal. For that reason, chuck roast is the best substitute when boneless short ribs are unavailable." So I used 3 lbs of chuck roast cut into three large pieces. I used bourbon to deglaze the pan instead of the water called for. I reduced the gravy for a bit before thickening it with a little melted butter & flour. As much as I love bourbon, I knew my daughter wouldn't like the taste, so I didn't add it to the gravy at the end. Served over mashed potatoes with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts. Would make again.

• Pickled pepper pull-apart beef

  • jenmacgregor18 on May 30, 2019

    hardly any prep - super simple. very tender. I used the ranch instead of italian. This made very good sandwiches with hoagie rolls, provolone. and some extra pepperoncini for me.

• Country captain

  • deirdrereid on January 26, 2019

    Very good. However, I got three "burn" warnings on my Instant Pot after adding the crushed tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. I ended up moving it all to a Dutch oven on the stove. Maybe the pot was still too hot from sauteing?

• Quick greens

  • southerncooker on December 07, 2018

    I did a mixture of kale, mustard, turnip, and collard greens. I cooked for the suggested 2 minutes but though they could have used a couple more minutes. I then used the saute button and cooked with some olive oil and added some salt and red pepper flakes.