Photo: Evi Abeler Photography

In their new book Instant Pot® Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook, Sara Quessenberry and Kate Merker show how you can use the appliance to make some incredible dishes with just 5 ingredients (plus salt, pepper and oil).

No-Fail Deviled Eggs

A great deviled egg begins with a perfectly hardboiled egg—and you may be surprised to see how well an Instant Pot does the job. First, it's much easier to keep the eggs intact compared to some stovetop methods which toss it around in the boiling water (leading to potential cracking or even whites seeping out). Second, the eggs cook in 8 or 9 minutes, versus about 12 with a pot of boiling water—plus the initial 5 or so minutes it takes for the water to come to a boil. Third, pressure-cooked eggs are a breeze to peel, since the cooker heats them more quickly than traditional techniques do. Once your eggs are peeled, mix the yolks with mayonnaise, lemon juice and mustard, spoon the filling back into the whites, and enjoy.

Get the recipe: Deviled Eggs

Photo: Evi Abeler Photography

The New Way to Make a Much-Loved Veggie
Cauliflower isn’t often a contender for most beautiful side dish—but this quick recipe is surprisingly gorgeous. To make it, you use the Instant Pot's steamer function, pouring in a cup and a half of water, and then placing an entire head of cauliflower (leaves removed) on the steam rack and setting it inside the cooker. Drizzle a mixture of olive oil, paprika, cumin and salt over the cauliflower, lock the lid and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Then, lift the cooked veg out, slice it into inch-thick "steaks" and garnish with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro and a bit of lemon juice for a Mediterranean-flavored dish with just the right amount of spice.

Get the recipe: Spice-Rubbed Cauliflower Steaks

Photo: Lynn Andriani

The Layered Dinner You Didn't Expect to Make in a Pressure Cooker
Add "bake a casserole" to the list of feats the Instant Pot can pull off. The trick is to layer the ingredients in a deep, 8-inch round soufflé or casserole dish, cover it tightly with aluminum foil and cook it on high pressure on the steam rack with water below. The possibilities are endless; in this recipe, Quessenberry and Merker layer slices of cabbage, tart Granny Smith apple, and sweet Italian sausage. The finished dish is a hybrid of sweet and savory, made even better with a dollop of mustard, a sprinkle of dill—and perhaps a cold glass of beer on the side.

Get the recipe: Beer Garden Casserole

Photo: Lynn Andriani

The Pork Dinner That's Always Juicy
A loin roast is one of the most reliably delicious cuts of pork, because it delivers such incredible flavor without you having to do much to it. This streamlined recipe is a great example. You simply combine garlic, sage, rosemary and olive oil; and use a paring knife to cut 6 slots into the meat, which you then fill with some of the herb mixture. Then, an easy 2-part cooking method transforms the meat into a rich meal with no hint of dryness: first, you saute the pork in some olive oil in the Instant Pot until it's golden brown; next, you add a dash of white wine, seal the lid and pressure cook for 25 minutes. As a bonus, there'll be plenty of savory jus for spooning over the meat as you serve it.

Get the recipe: Sage and Rosemary Pork Loin

Photo: Evi Abeler Photography

A Restaurant-Caliber Dessert, Minus the Fuss
This brilliant recipe for creme brulee begins similarly to most—combine egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, cream and milk; pour into ramekins. But the next step is a lot easier (and, perhaps not suprisingly, given the Instant Pot's reputation for speed, faster). Instead of placing the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and carefully pouring enough water onto the sheet to come halfway up the sides and then ever-so-gently slipping the sheet into the oven, you just cover each ramekin tightly with foil, place them on the Instant Pot's steam rack (you can even stack them) and cook on low pressure for 18 minutes (compare that to 40 to 45 in an oven). As with other recipes, you refrigerate the cooked custard until it's set and finish with the signature sprinkling of sugar that you caramelize under the broiler or with a blowtorch.

Get the recipe: Crème Brûlée