Firstly, Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! Hope you have a wonderful day getting spoiled by all of the people in your life! We celebrated with both of our families yesterday, in addition to birthdays dating back to April (thanks, COVID-19). But it was a great day filled with water play, wrestling matches, brewery-going, pizza, and cake! There were lots of celebratory candles on the cake after so much time apart but it made celebrating all the sweeter!
Our actual Father’s Day is starting off per the usual Sunday routine – grocery shopping, lunch making, and laundry galore. The girls did manage to sneak into the house 2 wrapped mugs they made for Mark. They’ve been hiding them in their rooms and more shockingly, they kept them a secret. From both of us.
The last gift we got my father-in-law was for his birthday back in April – a combo Instant Pot + air fryer. He has been sending regular updates ever since, loving his new toy. It’s one of the many things he’s experimenting with in his retirement, however most of the recipes involved deer meat and so we’re not to the stage of swapping recipes just yet 😉
So, I got a little jealous of his toy and decided I’d spoil myself and start with an Instant Pot (yes, late to the game, I know!). The price point was a bit more appealing. It promptly arrived from Amazon but not before I’d researched more thoroughly and decided I’d splurge on the Instant Pot + air fryer duo. So Friday afternoon, I returned the one and unpacked the duo. Let me tell you, finding precious kitchen real estate for these mammoth kitchen appliances is a real challenge, but I’m looking forward to making some new recipes and experimenting with a new device.
This week we’ll start with an Instant Pot recipe – one that Gina recommended as one of her family favorites, Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with Ham and Peas. My prediction: kids will love it, and Mark will not (he’s not a ham fan). But, we’ll see!
I mean, there’s nothing better than quick and easy, family-friendly meals that come recommended by a friend. Let me be that friend for you: MAKE THIS RECIPE!!! So easy, so good! My whole family inhaled this. Next time, we’ll be doubling it because there sadly were not leftovers!
Mongolian Chicken
An all-time favorite! That's hard to say in this house! It really is a take-out fake out meal!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup + 2 tsp cornstarch, divided
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp minced ginger or ginger paste
- 1/2 cup green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- In a gallon-sized ziplock bag, combine chicken and 1/4 cup cornstarch; shake well to coat.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot and shimmering, add the chicken and cook until cooked through and golden, about 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, and remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch in a small bowl until well-combined. Set aside.
- Add the sesame oil to the skillet, followed by the garlic and ginger; stir constantly until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Add the sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes or until bubbly and slightly thickened.
- Add chicken and cut green onions to the skillet. Mix to coat chicken and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Serve hot.
Notes
Recipe from Dinner at the Zoo
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1/4 recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 393Total Fat: 15.0gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 981mgCarbohydrates: 36.5gFiber: 0.8gSugar: 24.8gProtein: 29.8g
Weekly Menu: June 21st – 25th
- Sunday: Old Bay Shrimp Burritos with salad
- Monday: Black Bean and Quinoa Burgers with asparagus
- Tuesday: Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with Ham and Peas
- Wednesday: Ranch Chicken (from new cookbook Quicker than Quick) with oven fries
- Thursday: dinner out
Love take-out fake-out meals? Who doesn’t!? Be sure to check these options out!
Be well,
We made this for the first time last week and we LOVED IT! Made it again tonight and loved it just as much. It’s better than takeout from our fave Chinese place! Even my littles eat it! Thanks for a great recipe!
Author
Emily, we couldn’t agree more! So glad you and your family enjoyed!! 🙂