Name: Pressure Cooker Mexican Lentils and Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 3/4 c. dry green lentils; 1/2 c. brown rice (or white); 1 c. water; 2 1/2 c. homemade chicken stock; 1 c. tomato sauce (8 oz. can) or 1 6-oz. can tomato paste (in glass jars, no BPA!) + and extra ½ c. stock; 3/4 c. chopped onion (or a few Tbs. dry minced onion); 1 c. chopped green or red pepper; 1-2 carrots, sliced or shredded; 2 c. cooked, shredded chicken; optional: other vegetables like spinach, broccoli; 3 tsp. taco seasoning; 2 cloves crushed garlic or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder; 1/2 tsp. salt (Use the code kitchenstewardship for 15% off of your first purchase); Dash pepper; 1 c. grated cheese (I prefer to shred my own sharp cheddar but sometimes grab a Mexican blend at the store)

Ingredients

Units Scale

3/4 c. dry green lentils
1/2 c. brown rice (or white)
1 c. water
2 1/2 c. homemade chicken stock
1 c. tomato sauce (8 oz. can) or 1 6-oz. can tomato paste (in glass jars, no BPA!) + and extra 1/2 c. stock
3/4 c. chopped onion (or a few Tbs. dry minced onion)
1 c. chopped green or red pepper
1-2 carrots, sliced or shredded
2 c. cooked, shredded chicken
optional: other vegetables like spinach, broccoli
3 tsp. taco seasoning
2 cloves crushed garlic or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt (Use the code kitchenstewardship for 15% off of your first purchase)
Dash pepper
1 c. grated cheese (I prefer to shred my own sharp cheddar but sometimes grab a Mexican blend at the store)

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Instructions

Combine rice, lentils, and water in the Instant Pot following this rice soaking method.
Allow to soak overnight with the machine turned off.
Drain the water off (save some for next time; see method), then add all the other ingredients except the cheese to the pot and give it a stir.
Lock in the lid and close the valve.
Turn the Instant Pot on to the “Chicken” setting, which is 15 minutes on high pressure. (It will also take about 20 minutes for the IP to get up to pressure).
When the 15 minutes are up, you can use either a quick release by opening the valve or a natural release by letting it sit for 15 minutes while you prepare a salad (or play with your kids). The Instant Pot will keep your meal warm as long as you need it to. If you use quick release, give the whole appliance a little jiggle to release any pockets of steam that may have gotten trapped under the thick food.
Sprinkle shredded cheese on top (or stir it in) and close the lid for about 5 minutes to let it melt (or serve cheese at the table for individual plates).
Serve warm with salsa and sliced avocados.

Notes

For our family at home, I always double this. It fits in the IP and we love leftovers. For camping, you want very few leftovers so a single batch will do.

You do not have to soak the lentils and rice. If you haven’t, just add one more cup of broth or water to the recipe at cooking time.