Pressure Cooker Chili Mac

Serves 10 in about 1 hour. Bay leaf goes in first, and cheddar cheese finishes the pot.

Ingredients

• 1 lb 93% lean ground beef or ground turkey (you won't need to drain as very little fat)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ cup celery, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chili powder, mild
• 1 tablespoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons oregano, dried
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder (optional, or cayenne pepper)
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 tsp table salt)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 ½ cups beef or chicken broth
• 1 (4 oz) can green chiles (mild, fire roasted are good)
• 2 (15.5 oz) cans red kidney beans (rinsed & drained)
• 8 oz elbow pasta (macaroni)
• ½ (15 oz) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained & chopped
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (juice and all)
• 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
• 2 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Method

1. Press the Sauté button on the pressure cooker. Stir in the ground beef and cook, while stirring now and then, until almost done.
2. Tip in onion, bay leaf, and celery. Sauté until almost translucent, while stirring now and then. Make sure to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot (deglaze).
3. Tip in garlic and the spices. Stir.
4. Stir in the broth, chiles, and beans Stir to combine. Leave it to the contents come to a simmer.
5. Stir in the pasta, do not stir, just gently press and submerge it a little.
6. Press the Cancel/Keep Warm button to cancel the sauté mode.
7. Stir in the red peppers, tomatoes and tomato sauce, and let them stay on top. DO NOT STIR (this helps alleviate the potential burning that can happen with tomatoes).
8. Put the lid on the pot and set the steam release knob to “Sealing” position.
9. Press the Manual (or Pressure Cook) button and the + or - button to select 4 minutes* (or half of the time on the pasta package directions), and make sure that High Pressure is selected.
10. When cooking time ends and the unit beeps, do a Controlled Quick Release (QR) (slowly at first, in small bursts so sauce doesn't spew out of the knob) of the steam.
11. When the steam is all out and the pin in the lid drops, carefully open the lid, facing away from your face. Mix contents.
12. Stir in cheese, if using, and stir. Leave it to sit a instant until melted.
13. Season with more salt & pepper as needed, if you want it.
14. Garnish as desired. Plate it right away!

More instant pot ideas are in the instant pot collection.