I focus on making healthy AND delicious sugar-free treats and yummy meals. You’ll see they’re all so scrumptious and most are perfect for those who who need to avoid certain ingredients.
I’ve also added my Instant-Pot-specific recipes to their own section.
Each recipe title is a link to a video of me making it step-by-step. Simply click on that title to watch the process and read the notes I point out on the video itself.
Happy cooking!
Savory Recipes
Popovers
The idea for these comes courtesy of The Catholic Guy Show on SiriusXM. Lino, AKA The Catholic Guy, has his mom and wife make him popovers often and he and the friends who’d tried them couldn’t stop raving about them. intrigued, I wanted to find out what all the fuss was about so I found a recipe, made them, and LOVED them.
My husband later suggested I should make them more flavorful so I found more recipes for savory popovers and while he liked those, I stuck to “my roots” and kept making the original kind. Here you’ll learn how to make true popovers.
Chicken Pasta Bake
The trick with this one is to either marinade in advance or add yummy condiments to the chicken you’ll be adding as you’ll be putting it already cooked in the pan. Otherwise, you’ll have boring chicken, and a week’s worth of boring chicken is no good.
Ground Beef & Lasagna-Stuffed Bell Peppers
These are time-intensive but oh-so-delicious! When I first made these, I was dealing with some back pain that was worsening, and the complexity of this recipe made me kiss complex recipes good-bye :). But that doesn’t take away from how good these still are; just make sure to really fill up those peppers!
Italian meatballs
I’ve made these several times, and I swear every time they turn out better than the previous batch. Cooking them in broth in the oven really makes a difference and helps them stay moist for days.
Cheesy Zucchini Bake
My husband Chris goes crazy for this bake every time I make it, which feels awesome! It’s tasty and perfect for those who love cheesy veggies.
Chiles Rellenos “Lasagna” or Casserole
Chris was who I learned this recipe from and I’ve gotten to the point where I can prep it from memory; it’s quite easy once you nail everything down. We prefer having at least three layers so it’s a perfect hearty alternative for those looking for no-pasta, lasagna-like dishes.
Rich, Simple, Creamy Mashed Potatoes
SO simple but SO good! I always get compliments on it, too! This is perfect if you suddenly have a potluck event and you’re strapped for time. These take 30-40 minutes to prepare (incl. the time it takes for the potatoes to cook!).
Sweet Recipes
White Chocolate & Butterscotch Bread Pudding
Cute story alert!
The week before my first Christmas vacation as a wife I got sick (a cold + strep + who-knows-what-else) and one morning I was watching Aisha Curry on Rachel Ray making this recipe.
“I’M GONNA MAKE THAT!” I thought. In fact, I had such big aspirations for this recipe that I envisioned it as my go-to for our future kids. Like when they’re grown up, I’d love it for our kids to lovingly recall their mom’s bread pudding and flan that I’d make at Christmas and they’d look forward to coming back home to get a bite of their favorite treats :).
So on my first day of vacation during our first Christmas season together after my husband and I got married, I suddenly got the baking bug. So much so, that I was done with this recipe before lunch (and I even slept in that morning!).
My husband had decided to work from home that day (his vacation hadn’t yet started) and at some point the house smelled so good, but he didn’t know why. I then offered him some bread pudding and he was SO surprised, “You made bread pudding?!”
Needless to say, we LOVED it. And it’s incredible with ice cream!
It’s so easy and fun and scrumptious and rich, that I made another one for our Priest as our Christmas “gift” that he could enjoy whenever.
Real, Dense, Scrumptious, Colombian (not-Mexican) Flan
This one has a cute story! Growing up in Colombia, I knew of two kinds of flans–the soft (for lack of a better word) kind… and the rich, dense, decadent, firm custard kind. Here I make the latter.
It’s NOT sugar-free, so I eat it only once a year around the holidays.
Before I learned how to make it, my dad was the flan king. But after I got married, I wondered WHEN I’d get the chance to make it, and what better time than my husband and I’s first Christmas season together?
It was so good that I made some in ramekins for us both, and some in a bigger tin foil container for my parents. My dad couldn’t get enough!
Sugar-free Pumpkin (Pie) Custard
This is the first dessert my now-husband made my family and me. It’s really good and simple, and it brings back great memories, and I’m so happy I learned to make it!
Sugar-Free Banana (Cream Pie) Cheesecake
No words besides “Why haven’t you made this yet?!” Compliments.ALL.around.
Sugar-Free Pumpkin Banana Bread
Made with coconut flour and honey, this is great and so rich if you want all the goodness of healthy ingredients minus the boringness that they imply.
Plus, it turns out I’m allergic to almonds and similar nuts, soooo it benefits me to use coconut flour. BUT if you want to stay away from the typical enriched flour, you cal also use almond flour.
Instant Pot Recipes
Instant Pot White Bean Chili
This is a very easy recipe if you’re looking for a lighter chili that doesn’t utilize ground beef or black beans or red beans. It’s very tasty thanks to the spices and green chilies!
Instant Pot Turkey Chili
I’m not gonna lie: We liked it but found that ground turkey doesn’t replace ground beef all that well, so if you don’t mind the difference OR are looking for a chili that doesn’t rely on ground beef because you happen to have extra ground turkey laying around, this one’s for you.
Instant Pot Minestrone and Sausage Soup
Minestrone is one of my favorite soups. Enough said!
Instant Pot Jambalaya
This dear of a recipe is a gigantic favorite in our home. Every time I see shrimp are on sale at either of our local grocery stores, I make this dish. My husband Chris likes it SUPER hot while I like it more mild, so we compromise and I make its hotness more medium. One time I made it super hot and couldn’t eat it so I’ve learned better!
Instant Pot Chili Mac (& Cheese)
If you want your Mac & Cheese to be healthier (kidding?) you can add some ground beef so you can take advantage of more protein! This dish has lots of meat and cheese so don’t skimp on either.
Instant Pot Apple Cider
My husband drank a whole pitcher of this in days (>> love that!) and it I have to admit it was quite good! When warmed up, it’s the perfect “sit by the fire” treat. Made with just fruit, honey, and cinnamon sticks, this is also a very simple treat (maybe for another potluck?!) to make. Thank God for Instant Pots!
Instant Pot Mexican Soup
Husband-approved! I used chicken that had been cooked before but we didn’t know what to do with it so we froze it. Days later I thawed it and incorporated it in this recipe. I can’t wait to try it with ground beef and less tomato-ey stuff.