This lasagne comes together oh, so easy, and is perfect for those busy and hot weeknights when the family is hangry. A perfect sauce to noodle ratio and paired with a fresh green salad, it is sure to satisfy your entire family and can be on your table in 20 minutes with your pressure cooker.
I looked everywhere for mini mulfada pasta... you know, the kind that looks like mini lasagne noodles and come in a box of Hamburger Helper?
I even went to my favorite Harmon's store that carries many specialty items and couldn't find it, so I did the next best thing....
I broke regular lasagne noodles into 2" pieces.
Apparently, if you are Italian, breaking your pasta is like breaking a commandment. Each time you break pasta, you are breaking the hearts of 1,000 grandmothers. Or something like that.
Anyway, back to the hangry kids and getting the lasagne started!
Start by adding water to your pot and stir in a tablespoon of cooking oil. This will help keep your pasta from sticking together.
Stir in your broken pasta, coating it well with the oil/water mixture.
Dump in your favorite pasta sauce, right on top. Do not stir.
I made some fantastic meat spaghetti sauce in the pressure cooker a few days ago, and using some of it is a great idea for this recipe.
Close the lid and pressure valve, set it for 6 minutes on high pressure. Check the box of your pasta for the cook time and cut it the time in half. My Western Family lasagne box has a 12-14 minute cook time. 6 minutes will give you al dente and 7 minutes will give you a softer pasta.
Use a quick release of pressure, open the pot and begin adding your cheese.
I like to use cottage cheese and mozzarella.
Stir in half of the cottage cheese and mozzarella...
Then put the other half of the cheeses on top. Close the lid and wait a couple of minutes.
Let's take a look, shall we?
Sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on top, serve with a green salad on the side and Presto! Dinner is served and kids are happy.
Enjoy!
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One Pot Lazy Lasagne - Pressure Cook
by Frieda Franchina June-08-2018
Make your busy weeknights easier with this fast and easy lasagne. The key is to preventing your pasta from sticking together is to coat it completely with the oil/water mixture. Use your favorite bottled sauce or make your own.
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon cooking oil
16 ounces wide lasagne noodles, broken into 2" pieces
6 cups pasta sauce (48 ounces)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
1 cup cottage cheese (8 ounces)
shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Pour water into pressure cooker insert and add cooking oil. Stir.2. Stir in broken lasagne noodles, coating all of the pasta well.3. Pour spaghetti sauce over noodles. Do not stir.4. Close the pressure cooker and pressure valve.5. Select HIGH pressure for 6-7 minutes. 6 minutes will give you al dente and 7 minutes will give you softer pasta.6. After the cook time, use a Quick Release by opening the pressure valve.7. Dollop half of the cottage cheese and sprinkle 1 cup of the mozzarella onto the sauce and stir. 8. Dollop the rest of the cottage cheese and the other 1 cup of mozzarella on top. Do not stir. 9. Cover the pressure cooker and let sit for 2 minutes.10. Open the cooker, serve hot, with a generous serving of shredded Parmesan cheese.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 8-10 servings
Potato Salad - it's a classic side dish for any summer gathering. Creamy, cold, bursting with flavors that are sure to please everyone. This recipe doesn't use mustard, which is a great option to have for those who prefer not to have mustard. It's even easier and faster to make with a pressure cooker! You use less water, don't need to peel your potatoes, and cook the eggs and the potatoes at the same time! If you don't have a pressure cooker, I've included a stove top version, below.
Red skinned potatoes are a great choice to use with a potato salad, as their skins are smooth, thin and basically unnoticeable texture-wise. So, save yourself the time and extra step of peeling potatoes! Another great thing about using Red potatoes is that they hold their shape well, don't turn to mush when properly cooked, and absorb flavors well.
Want to use a different type of potato? Waxy potatoes are better than starchy.
Red, New, Fingerling potatoes are the most common waxy potatoes, having thin skins and keep their shape due to their high moisture content in the salad without turning mushy.
White, Yukon Golds are in-between waxy and starchy. They will work well, as long as they are not overcooked.
One of the keys of pressure cooking veggies is to keep your cuts/size as uniform as possible.
In this case, we want 1/2" cut potatoes. This way, you won't have over or under/cooked potatoes.
First, slice your clean, scrubbed potatoes in 1/2" slices. Turn the slices cut side down and make a horizontal cut through the middle of the potato. Then make cuts every 1/2" across the potato.
This large RSVP strainer basket is perfect for holding 3 pounds of 1/2" cut potatoes and 4 xlarge eggs. You will need to bend the handles up with locking pliers, or break them off to fit into the pressure cooker, but It is such a time saver to be able to cook your eggs and potatoes at the same time!
Put the 1 cup of water into your pressure cooker, set the strainer filled with cut potatoes, eggs on top, and lock the lid. Close the pressure valve and cook on HIGH for 4 minutes.
While your potatoes/eggs are cooking, you can dice your onion and celery.
When the cook time ends, open the pressure valve to quickly release any pressure.
Using tongs, remove the hot eggs and place into an ice water bath. This stops the cooking and prevents the dreaded green/gray ring.
Pour the hot potatoes into a large bowl. I am using my EuroCuisine Yogurt strainer bowl, as it holds just the right amount and has a fitted lid.
One trick my mom taught me was to sprinkle vinegar over my warm potatoes, which soaks into the potatoes and gives it a great tang. I am using apple cider vinegar for this recipe. If you are using Miracle Whip, you can omit using vinegar, as it is already included.
Mix your mayo, sour cream (or homemade yogurt!) and 2 Tablespoons of milk. The milk helps keep the mayo mixture creamy. Fold into your warm potatoes.
I'm really enjoying this ready made bacon that I found at Sam's Club. It is found on the shelf and it's a another great time saver. It's currently in my fridge, but I plan to portion it and freeze, which should keep well for 3-6 months. You can find the Costco brand here on Amazon.
Fold in your bacon crumbles, onion, celery and finely shredded cheddar cheese. Almost sounds like a baked potato, right? Hey, you can use finely chopped green onion instead of a yellow or white onion.
I couldn't find a large bowl, but my EuroCusine yogurt strainer bowl and lid are perfect! It's nice to find another purpose for this fantastic yogurt strainer.
It looks really creamy right now, but the potatoes will soak up all the great flavors. If your potato salad looks a little dry, you can add some more mayo/milk. Salt and pepper to taste.
Peel your eggs. This is my favorite way to quickly chop hard cooked eggs. Use an egg slicer to slice the eggs in one direction. Carefully pick up the sliced egg and rotate it 90° and slice again. Voila! Chopped eggs with no mess!
Chill overnight for best melding of flavors. Tip: If you need your salad super duper quick, spread it out onto a cookie sheet, cover, and put into the freezer for 30 minutes. Check, give it a stir and some more time, if needed. Don't leave it in the freezer for more than an hour, so set a timer or write a large note/reminder and post it where you can see it.
Enjoy!
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Rustic Red Potato Salad - Pressure Cooker
by Frieda Franchina June-26-2017
Need potato salad in a hurry? Use your pressure cooker to cook the potatoes & eggs at the same time and use the Quick Chill tip to cool your potato salad in 1 hour or less.
Ingredients
1 cup water
3 pounds red potatoes, 1/2" cubes
4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
3/4 cup mayonnaise*
3/4 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons milk
8 oz bacon (6 strips) bacon, cooked, chopped
(I used 1/2 cup pre cooked bacon bits)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
salt & pepper to taste
*if you use Miracle Whip instead of mayo, omit the apple cider vinegar
Instructions
1. Pour 1 cup water into your pressure cooker.2. Set your trivet, steamer basket or mesh strainer into your cooker. 3. Place 4 whole eggs (in shells) on top of the potatoes.4. Close the lid, pressure valve, select HIGH pressure and the timer for 4 minutes.5. When the cook time ends, open the pressure valve for a Quick Release.6. Using tongs, remove the eggs and put them in a bowl of ice water.7. Put the hot potatoes (no water) in a large bowl.8. Sprinkle the apple cider vinegar over the hot potatoes; stir.9. In a small bowl, mix together mayo, sour cream and milk till creamy. 10. Carefully fold the mayo mixture into the potatoes, a little bit at a time.11. Peel the cooked eggs and chop. Add chopped eggs, onion, celery, bacon and cheese and gently fold to combine. Salt & pepper to taste. Chill over night for best flavor. Serve.QUICK CHILL: Spread potato salad in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Cover and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Check, stir and chill for another 20-30 minutes, if necessary. Do not leave your potato salad in the freezer for more than 1 hour.Recipe can be cut in half, but keep the 1 cup water and pressure cook time the same.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 8-10 servings
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Rustic Red Potato Salad - Stove Top
by Frieda Franchina June-26-2017
Sweet baby red potato skins are so thin, that you can skip the peeling. Bacon & cheese complement the salad and is a crowd pleaser. In a hurry? Use the Quick Chill tip to cool your potato salad in 1 hour or less.
Ingredients
water
3 pounds red potatoes, 1/2" cubes
4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
3/4 cup mayonnaise*
3/4 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons milk
8 oz bacon (6 strips) bacon, cooked, chopped
(I used 1/2 cup pre cooked bacon bits)
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
salt & pepper to taste
*if you use Miracle Whip instead of mayo, omit the apple cider vinegar
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil 2. Add your potatoes and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes. Stick a fork in potatoes to test for doneness. Fork should go in easily and the potato should not fall apart. 3. Drain potatoes, put into a large bowl, sprinkle apple cider over the hot potatoes, stir.4. Place eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water.5. Bring water to a boil, cover, and remove from heat. Let sit for 10-12 minutes.6. Remove eggs from water and put into an ice water bath to chill.7. Cook, drain and crumble your bacon. I like to use kitchen scissors to cut the raw bacon, then cook.8. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, celery and milk. Stir well.9. Gently fold the mayo mixture into the warm potatoes. Peel the cooked eggs and chop. Add chopped eggs. Add bacon and shredded cheese. Salt & pepper to taste.Chill over night for best flavor. Serve.QUICK CHILL: Spread potato salad in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Cover and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Check, stir and chill for another 20-30 minutes, if necessary. Do not leave your potato salad in the freezer for more than 1 hour.Recipe can be cut in half.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 8-10 servings
The first time I made English muffins, they were part of a bread baking challenge from The Bread Baker's Apprentice, a cookbook by Peter Reinhart that a group of folks were baking every bread recipe and posting the results.
The results were not what I expected - a thick English muffin that lacked the characteristic 'holes, nooks, and crannies' that capture pools of butter, jams and jellies.
My second attempt with Alton Brown's recipe was much better - a thinner muffin that definitely had the nooks and crannies that I craved for a traditional English muffin.
The muffins were simple and easy to make - the only thing is you need to start the night before, much like the No Knead Artisan Bread recipe. I like the fact that no special equipment or mixers are needed for this quick bread.
Milk, oil, honey are mixed together ~ flour, salt and yeast are whisked and the wet ingredients are mixed into a loose, sticky batter. The sides are scraped down and the bowl is covered with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight - or up to 4 days.
The next day, the dough is taken out of the fridge 2 hours before cooking to wake up the yeast and take the chill off the dough.
Right before baking the English muffins, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda is added to warm water and gently folded into the wet batter. Letting this mixture sit for 10-15 min while heating up the griddle will further activate the dough and help create the bubbles that you want in your muffins.
Prepare a griddle or cast iron pan by heating it on medium high heat or to 300°F.
Spray oil to the insides of your crumpet/muffin rings or use large, wide mouth canning rings and dust the pan and insides of the rings with cornmeal. You will need at least 8 rings for this recipe. You can use egg rings, flan rings or even tin foil, folded into strips and fashioned into rings.
Spray the inside of a 1/3 cup measure or large ice cream scoop and fill the rings 2/3rds full.
Cook for 12 minutes ~ watch how nice and puffy these become!
Sprinkle the tops with additional cornmeal ...
Use a pair of tongs or a flat pancake spatula to flip the English muffin. Cook the other side for 12 minutes, till the dough is springy to the touch and golden brown.
Cool the English muffins in their rings for 2 minutes, then use a thin knife to pop them out of their rings.
Turn the muffins on their edge to cool on a wire cooling rack ~ this will help prevent sinking and shrinking. Cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Use a fork to poke the muffin all around the edge to open the muffin ~ this will help accentuate the nooks and crannies inside.
These English muffins are the perfect size to make Muffin Egg Sandwiches - Canadian bacon, cheese, scrambled eggs.... it was a winner for a breakfast dinner!
Take a look at these toasted English muffins ~ full of nooks a crannies .... just begging for lots of butter and your favorite jam or jelly.
Ingredients
2 teaspoons honey
1 Tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
1 1/2 cups milk
2 2/3 cup bread flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons yeast
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 Tablespoons warm water
cornmeal for dusting
Spray oil for the rings
8 rings are needed: wide mouth canning rings, muffin, egg, crumpet or flan rings will work.
Instructions
Day before:
Mix milk, oil and honey. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and yeast.
Mix in the milk mixture to form a sticky dough.
Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight, up to 4 days.
Next day:
2 hours before cooking, take the dough out of the fridge to warm up.
When ready to bake, heat your griddle or cast iron pan to 300° or over medium-high heat.
Right before baking, mix 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in the warm water.
Gently fold the baking soda mixture into the bread batter. Let the batter sit for 10-15 minutes.
Spray the inside of rings with spray oil. Dust the rings with cornmeal. Sprinkle cornmeal onto the griddle. Place the prepared rings onto the griddle.
Spray the inside of a 1/3 measure cup or large ice cream scoop with oil. Fill it with the batter and pour into the prepared rings - 2/3rds full.
Cook for 12 minutes, till golden brown. Sprinkle the tops with additional cornmeal, and turn the muffins over with tongs or flat spatula. Cook for an additional 12 minutes. If the muffins are turning brown before the 12 minutes, the heat is too hot and the insides may be doughy. Turn the heat down if this is happening.
Place cooked muffins on a cooling rack, on their sides, for 30 minutes.
Testing the Thermapen with boiling water - 206°F is the boiling point for my elevation
I love to watch cooking shows, and America's Test Kitchen is one of my favorites.
Every time they pull out a digital thermometer, it's the Thermoworks Thermapen Mk4, considered the choice of food thermometers of professional chefs.
I had many readers that wanted to make homemade yogurt and asked, "What's the best thermometer?"
So, I do what I always do...hit the Internet and do some research.
Much of the research pointed me to Thermoworks and their line of digital thermometers.
Here's the skinny on their Mk4 digital thermometer:
Patented auto-rotating display
Use in either hand
Motion-sensing sleep & wake mode
Intelligent backlight
Waterproof to IP67
3,000 hour battery life (AAA Battery)
2-3 second readings!
High accuracy to ±0.7°F (±0.4°C)
10 colors
Display temps in °C or °F
Waterproof? Yes! My last digital thermometer was dropped in my hot milk for making mozzarella cheese and promptly died. I had another thermometer go through the washing machine, as I left it in the pocket of my apron...
2-3 second readings? FAST is just as important as ACCURACY.
Backlight? I found this quite by accident. There is a light sensor dot on the Thermapen, that when it's covered, the display lights up. It also senses when there is low ambient light and lights up on its own. It will turn off after 10 seconds, which helps preserve the battery life.
First, let me tell you WHY having a food thermometer is helpful. For many years while making bread, I used the 'clean finger' to test the temperature of my milk/butter mixture for making dinner rolls. I never knew what the exact temperature was, just knew that it had to be 'just right.' Not hot, not cool, body temperature warm. Having the right temperature helps kick the yeast into action and speeds the process of making a great bread. Start with too low of a temperature, and the yeast struggles to activate, taking a longer time for your bread to rise.
Testing the temp for caramel
Ever have a piece of meat that looks done, but raw when you cut into it? Same here - when barbecuing meat or pressure cooking, it takes some guess work to know exactly when your meat is done and safe to eat. You want a skinny probe that has a sharp point - able to pierce through the meat without losing the "juice," and keeping your meat tender.
You also want a FAST thermometer. You don't want your meat cooling too quickly while taking the temperature or your milk for yogurt cooling too quickly for the optimal time to add the starter. This Thermapen is one of the fastest I've used. 3-4 second readings are common, which is very important when you are cooking. You can see how quickly it measures my scalded milk for yogurt.
One of the features of the Thermapen Mk4 that I stumbled on by accident is that it LIGHTS up! Theres's a little black dot near the display, and when you cover it, the display lights up. None of my other digital thermometers did that. It makes reading the temperature So. Much. Easier.
The Thermapen display can be read either vertically or horizontally, making it easier to read for both left handed and right handed folks.
Waiting for 110°F to add my yogurt starter
After owning a few thermometers, both traditional and digital, I can see why this Thermapen is the choice of professional chefs, and can be a valued cool kitchen tool in your home. Don't let the price of this digital thermometer scare you - for the value, fast readings, accuracy, and waterproof features, it's worth the cost. A 2 year warranty is much better than other less expensive thermometers. I'm happy with the performance and quality of this digital thermometer, which I have tested many times over the last few months.
Does it qualify as a Cool Kitchen Tool? Let's see the requirements:
- Must be comfortable to use - feels durable and sturdy in my hands; doesn't slip. - Easy to store - Probe folds down and takes minimal space in my kitchen drawer. - Easy to clean - Yes; wipe probe down with sudsy washcloth, rinse and dry. - Does it serve more than one purpose? - takes the temp of many different foods - Good quality for the price; durable - A little pricey, but company offers other options and a great warranty - Use often - at least 2-3 times per week
If a Thermapen Mk4 is not in your budget, no worries - There is a popular ThermoPop option that gives you the same fast, accurate readings with a backlight and splash proof display, at a budget-friendly price.
If you need a digital thermometer that does a little bit more, you may want to consider the ChefAlarm series, that includes adjustable high/low alarms, count up/down timers, and splash proof design. This can be very helpful in cooking a turkey/roast with a pre-set temperature alarm or in candy making, where you would be alerted when the temperature is reached. The 46" cable is definitely a plus!
The budget-friendly cousin of the ChefAlarm is the DOT - set your temp, put the probe in, and it beeps when it is done. That's it. What is great about this thermometer is not only the simplicity, but the BIG easy to read digits on the display, that can be seen across the kitchen or outside on the BBQ.
If you know someone who loves to smoke meats - this is the cadillac of thermometers, the Smoke 2 Channel Alarm Thermometer, used in competitions and by professional chefs. It has a more rugged construction, and comes with two probes, one for the meat and one for the pit that it is smoked in. It also comes with a hand held unit that allows you to monitor your meat wirelessly from 300 feet away. Psssst....in 2017, there will be a WiFi digital thermometer with a Smartphone app coming soon!
Amazon has the Instant Pot 7-1 for $79 and free Prime shipping!
Just in time for Christmas, and the earlier Black Friday price was $68.95, so this is a good deal!
If you have ever thought about trying out pressure cooking, now is the time. Electric pressure cooking is safer and easier than ever. Think of it as a 'crock pot on steroids.' The reason I purchased an Instant Pot is because you can make yogurt in it, without using pressure.
I make thick, creamy yogurt in this machine twice per week. You can make a little, or a lot. You can make your yogurt a regular consistency or super thick, like cream cheese. You can make it taste very mild, or mouth puckering tart.
It takes only 10 minutes of hands on time to make yogurt, and the Instant Pot does the rest over night, while I sleep. I wake up to warm yogurt that is ready to strain in the fridge and 3 hours later, it's perfect with a little bit of sugar and vanilla extract. A thermometer and yogurt strainer come in very handy when making yogurt.
There are some pre-set buttons, but mostly, I use Saute, Manual (high pressure and low pressure), and the yogurt settings. Many recipes you find here and elsewhere will tell you to use high pressure 95% of the time and tell you how many minutes to set your cooker. The DUO 7-1 and the Smart both have low pressure, which I use for hard boiled eggs that peel like a dream, seafood, and delicate veggies, like broccoli.
Easy to peel Hard Boiled Eggs ~ even if Farm fresh!
For Thanksgiving, I was able to proof dough for 4 dozen soft, buttery, Dinner Rolls in my Instant Pot! There are 3 yogurt settings and the lowest one is the perfect temp for raising bread.
So, TODAY only, for a limited time on Amazon, the price for the Instant Pot Duo 7-1 6 quart is $79, For Prime Day in July, it was $69.99. Black Friday this year, it was $68.95. So, now is the time to buy one.
You can purchase through my affiliate link, which does not cost you anything, and by doing so, I receive a very small commission, which I put back into this blog, researching recipes, testing them out and putting them here for you to enjoy.
Thank you for being loyal readers and supporters of Frieda Loves Bread for the past eight years!
And they call themselves, "Potheads." Yeah, you heard right.
And they give their Instant Pots names like Potsy, Harry Potter, Pepe Le Pot, you get the idea.
Seriously, this is a great group of folks who truly love to cook in their pressure cookers and love helping the "Newbies" with their big, silver machine that is sitting in the box, mocking them.
I got the idea to create a video and had the crazy thought to do it live. How about I do a Water Test?
What is a water test, you ask?
I'm glad you did. It's a simple test you do with 1 cup of water to see if your pressure cooker is working correctly. Also, it helps you get familiar with a couple of buttons...
Speaking of buttons....
My finger hovered over the LIVE button on my phone. For the longest time....
Um, I tell you, it was pretty scary. Thoughts racing through my head, heart pounding in my chest, my breathing becoming rapid, my mouth going dry.... Well, hey, these "Newbies" are a little intimidated by their new pressure cookers. I can't be intimidated by a live video! I can do this.....
Took a deep breath, gulped, and pushed that button.
Okay. I bet you are asking yourself, "What the heck is this Instant Pot thing?"
"Oh, it's a pressure cooker."
"Well that's kind of a weird name."
I hate to break it to you, but the name really is misleading. No, it's not INSTANT like a microwave, and no, it doesn't make Pot.
But, it is a pretty cool pressure cooker. There are a couple of things that set this pressure cooker from the Cuisinart model that I've used over the last 5 or so years. I love pressure cooking for the taste and texture of foods cooked in them. Very little water evaporates, so it is a water saver. And yes, it is QUICKER to cook most foods like a tender fall apart pot roast or a 5 minute Creamy Mac N Cheese that doesn't boil over on the stove. Oh, and it makes desserts like Cheesecake and Creme Brulee!
1. The Instant Pot has a stainless steel liner. It's shiny. Most folks prefer to cook in stainless over non stick. I have been careful not to scratch my Cuisinart liner and although it has a couple of scratches, it has held up really well. No peeling issues. Liner is a personal preference.
2. The Instant Pot Duo (and Bluetooth version) has a YOGURT setting. Yeah, yeah...big deal, right? I have made Greek yogurt in my oven, in the crock pot, and have used a yogurt maker. What makes this COOL is that you push a couple of buttons to heat up the milk without having to stand over a stove, watching it. Also, it can make a pretty large batch .... 1 gallon of milk can produce up to 10 cups of thick, creamy yogurt. It only takes a couple of quick steps, let it sit in the Instant Pot over night, strain in the fridge for a couple of hours the next morning and BAM! You have the best tasting, creamy yogurt. It doesn't use any pressure at all, just a calm, gentle heat that cultures the yogurt at a perfect temperature. It is incredibly easy. I make yogurt twice a week in my sleep. Literally.
3. The Instant Pot has several Set-It-And-Forget-It buttons with pre-programmed settings. Rice, Meat/Stew, Bean/Chili, Porridge, MultiGrain & Soup. With these buttons, you don't have to figure out out much time to set them for. The RICE setting is only for white rice, though. You can cook other types of rice in this cooker.
4. The Instant Pot comes in a Bluetooth version, where you can monitor the settings through an app on your phone/tablet and be more in control of the temperature settings. Because of this, sous vide cooking is possible with this model. I've made a perfect steak by putting it in a FoodSaver bag, sealing it, and letting it sit in a perfect bath of 145°F water for 90 min. No, not instant cooking, but oh. my. word. It was cooked evenly all the way through, from top to bottom, and I gave it a quick char on my cast iron skillet. So, so, good.
