Instant Pot: Vegetable & Herb Dressing

As much as I love rice, I just can't eat it on Thanksgiving day. Instead, I would rather carb load on mashed potatoes and dressing. In fact, dressing (or stuffing) is one dish I want to make throughout the year but I just can't seem to do it. Maybe this coming year I'll make it as a side with roast chicken or turkey... since it doesn't have to be enjoyed only on Thanksgiving, right?! This dressing is chock full of vegetables and fresh herbs... it's really flavorful and so, so easy to make. Forget those boxed mixes. You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry to make it from scratch!

Dressing or stuffing is easier thank you think to make. Essentially it's toasted or dry bread cubes, a liquid (like broth) and some seasonings. Anything in addition to that such as vegetables, herbs, nuts, protein, etc is just a bonus. For this dressing, I used some bread I already had on hand in the freezer. Some plain mini bagels and a loaf of whole wheat bread provided a great texture, flavor and contrast. You can certainly use any kind of bread you have so feel free to adapt and substitute where you'd like.

 

To add additional texture and flavor, I sautéed some vegetables including onions, garlic, carrots, leeks, celery and mushrooms. I chose not to include any sausage but that's also another addition you can include... bacon works just as well too!

Vegetable & Herb Dressing
original Joelen recipe inspired by Good Housekeeping

1/2 package (20oz) plain mini bagels, cubed and toasted
1/2 loaf (24oz) whole wheat sliced bread, cubed and toasted
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large carrot, finely diced
2-3 stalks celery, finely diced
1-2 leeks, sliced
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 bunch fresh Italian parsley, finely minced
1-2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves minced
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves minced
1 sprig fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups low sodium chicken broth

In your Instant Pot:

Plug in the IP with insert set in place.

Place toasted bagel and bread cubes in a large bowl; set aside.

Press SAUTE and add 2 tablespoons olive oil to IP. Once hot, add the onions, garlic and carrots. Sauté until softened.

Add the celery, leeks and mushrooms and continue to sauté. Transfer to the large bowl with bread cubes and toss to incorporate. Slowly add the chicken broth a cup at a time, tossing to mix and soften the bread. Continue to add the broth until the consistency is slightly mushy but still a little dry. Use your best judgement and if you think there's enough moisture, add another 1/2 cup just for good measure. Transfer this dressing mixture into a greased casserole dish that fits in your IP and cover with foil. (A springform pan works great too!)

Place the trivet into the bottom of the now empty IP and add 1 cup of water. (No need to clean it out after sautéing the vegetables.)

Place casserole dish on trivet.

Secure the lid of the IP and ensure the valve is set to SEALING.

Press MANUAL and adjust the time to 5 minutes on HIGH pressure.

The display will reflect ON while the IP comes to pressure. Allow a few minutes for your IP to come to pressure.

Once at pressure, the display will reflect 5 (the number of minutes you initially set) and will begin to countdown to 0 minutes.

When the IP beeps after pressure cooking for 5 minutes, turn the setting on top of your IP to VENTING. Doing so allows the IP to quickly release any remaining pressure (also known as QPR or QR). I use a wooden spoon to carefully turn the setting to avoid close contact with the potential steam. You may also want to turn your IP away from cabinets to allow the released steam to escape freely. The pin at the top of your IP will drop when all pressure has been released and it's safe to open.

Open up your IP when the pin has dropped (allow a few minutes for this to happen).


Remove casserole dish from IP and transfer to serving dish.