Alaina likes instant pot, cooking with her family

Alaina Dorris Collins is one of those cooks who can “throw together” something from whatever is in the pantry, according to her sister, Amber Tutor.
“My mom says I started at an early age going into her pantry and finding random ingredients to throw together,” she said.
“I liked to experiment with Ramen noodles, so I would add meat and seasonings to them (whatever I could find). One of my favorites was to add taco meat and Doritos. I also liked to experiment with seasonings. I would season boneless, skinless chicken breasts to bake in the oven,” she said.

“I’ve always loved to cook, but don’t have the time that I used to have before having children,which is where my instant pot comes in,” she said of the appliance she has been using for about a year now.
Although she doesn’t have a particular meal she calls a favorite, she loves soups, and any kind of pasta.
She says their four-year-old, Jamie, loves for her to make spaghetti in the instant pot.

Alaina’s husband, James, “is not a big fan of soup so when I make any kind of soup I share it with my mom and the girls at work,” she said, and they also like to swap recipes.
She tries to cook larger meals on the weekends when she has more time to be in the kitchen, and on those nights James and Jamie often request homemade fried chicken with mashed potatoes for nine month old Deacon.

“I find most of my recipes on Pinterest,” she said, and “for family gatherings, my go to dishes are Corn Casserole and Pecan Pie.”
Alaina and Amber, and their mom, Patsy, like to cook together when they can on holidays and weekends.
“Mom usually does the main dishes, I do the sides, and Amber does the desserts,” she said.

Sausage Muffins
(Passed down from my office manager, Debbie Lofton, originally given to her by her father in-law, Jerald Lofton)
1 pound of sausage
2 cups Bisquick
1 can Cheddar Cheese soup (can substitute Fiesta for a spicier muffin)
Brown sausage and drain. Mix with Bisquick and soup. Scoop into muffin pan and bake at 350° for 30-45 minutes depending on your oven.

Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
1lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 cups white rice
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Chop chicken into cubes. Set instant pot to sauté mode and add 2 Tbsp. butter to melt. Add chicken and cook until browned, season with salt and pepper.
Add onion and minced garlic to the chicken and cook until soft. Add rice and stir until coated in butter and golden in color about 2-3 minutes. Add chicken broth, lock lid, close valve and cook on manual high pressure 8 minutes. Once finished, quick release the pressure. Add cheddar cheese and cream of chicken soup. Mix well before serving.

Chocolate Cobbler
2 sticks butter
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup self rising flour
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup milk
Chocolate layer:
1 cup sugar
6 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 cups boiling water
Preheat oven to 350°. In 9×13 glass baking dish, melt two sticks of butter in oven for five minutes. In a bowl, mix together the 1 1/4 cups of sugar, flour, vanilla, and milk. Once butter is melted, pour batter over butter. Do not stir. In a separate bowl, mix together cocoa and one cup of sugar. Sprinkle mixture over the top of batter. Do not stir. Pour the two cups of boiling water on top of chocolate mixture. Do not stir. Bake 40-45 minutes until crust is golden brown.