Meal planning is one of those things that I’ve never been 100% successful at. I always start with the best intentions and somehow after a short while I fall back into old habits.
It’s always the same story:
We get all excited, plan out a week of meals and buy all the ingredients. For a whole week, we eat delicious pre-planned meals and there’s no eating out. (That means $$ saved!!) Then comes week two and then life happens and we forget to plan the meals for the week and then it’s over.
Who wants Chick Fil A?
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Save this Instant Pot Meal Plan for later!
I Finally Have a Plan
So this year, I’m making it a goal to meal plan. Once I make it a goal, it’s ON!! I’m going to try to be as intentional as possible to stick to a meal plan every month.
By putting these meal plans together every month, it will make it easier to know exactly what to cook each day and what ingredients to have on hand. I also really feel like the Instant Pot can help me keep up with a monthly meal plan.
Time to Conquer This Meal Planning Thing
Ok, so with 5 children and life, in general, I have to be realistic. Maybe I won’t be able to follow the plan perfectly. Maybe you won’t either. The beauty of it is, you can tweak it when you need to and you can move things around to suit your needs. The key is to try to be as consistent as possible and when you go off track, just try to get back on it as soon as possible. Let’s be as intentional as possible and we can conquer this meal planning thing together!!
March 2021 Instant Pot Meal Plan
Welcome March! The weather will hopefully start settling down and we can start preparing for Spring! The March meal plan has lots of easy and delicious recipes for you to enjoy. For those that observe Lent, I have included meatless options on Fridays. I’ve also included a special meal for St. Patrick’s Day as well as some desserts for that day. If you look down at the bottom of the printable calendar, on the notes section, you’ll see I added a couple special Shamrock Shake recipe links for you. These are not Instant Pot recipes but they’re so delicious! Happy cooking!
You can still get the February Meal Plan if you need it.
Right below the list of recipes, you can find the link to the printable/clickable menu calendar. You’ll also find links to all my previous monthly meal plans. Enjoy!
Main Dishes
March 1Creamy Sausage Rigatoni from One Happy Housewife
This deliciously satisfying pasta dish is quick, simple, and perfect for weeknights.
March 2Chicken Enchilada Soup from One Happy Housewife
Everything you love about chicken enchiladas in a warm comforting bowl of soup.
March 3Taco Pasta from One Happy Housewife
The perfect hearty meal for a busy weeknight, this easy and delicious pasta dish is kid-approved and will be ready in no time.
March 4Hawaiian Chicken from One Happy Housewife
Enjoy the delightful tastes of the islands with this sweet, savory and tangy chicken cooked with bell pepper, sweet onion, pineapple and macadamia nuts.
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March 5Mushroom Wild Rice Soup from Piping Pot Curry
Warm yourself on a cold day with this creamy vegetarian soup that’s loaded with hearty wild rice and veggies.
March 6Tomato Soup from One Happy Housewife
This wonderfully delicious and creamy tomato soup is infused with basil and lightly sweetened with honey.
March 7White Chicken Chili from One Happy Housewife
A super easy and crazy delicious dump and start creamy chicken chili loaded with hearty white beans, chicken, corn, tomatoes, and green peppers.
March 8Taco Soup from One Happy Housewife
A wonderful dump-and-go meal that’s loaded with taco flavor, requires very little prep, and uses easy to find ingredients.
March 9Lasagna from One Happy Housewife
A rich, creamy, and flavorful lasagna that you can have on the table in no time.
March 10Carnitas from One Happy Housewife
Authentic flavor, incredibly juicy pork, and crispy edges. Traditional pork carnitas made in a fraction of the time.
March 11Spaghetti & Meatballs from One Happy Housewife
This super easy Spaghetti & Meatballs recipe requires no prep and is ready in minutes.
March 12Broccoli Cheese Soup from One Happy Housewife
The combination of broccoli, carrots, cream, and cheddar make for a hearty soup that’s amazingly creamy and flavorful.
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March 13Caribbean Chicken Thighs from Dinner of Herbs
Enjoy island flavor with a bit of a kick!
March 14Salpicón from One Happy Housewife
A light minced meat with a fresh citrusy taste. Perfect served on a corn tortilla or over a bed of rice.
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March 15Chicken Lo Mein from Spice Cravings
An easy and delicious dump & start recipe for this popular Chinese dish.
March 16Cheeseburger Mac from One Happy Housewife
A super hearty and flavorful, from scratch pasta casserole made fast.
March 17Irish Lamb Stew from The Halfway Homesteaders
This rich and hearty Irish lamb stew is packed with flavor.
March 18Pulled Butter Chicken Sandwiches from Ministry of Curry
These Indian inspired pulled chicken sandwiches are perfect for feeding a crowd.
March 19Tuna Casserole from One Happy Housewife
A classic comfort dish made fast from scratch thanks to the pressure cooker.
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March 20Tamale Pie from Two Sleevers
The wonderful taste of tamales in a fast and easy dish.
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March 21Beef Stew from Simply Happy Foodie
Enjoy a hearty and delicious stew any day of the week with this simple dump and start recipe.
March 22Chicken and Dumplings from One Happy Housewife
Tender, tasty chicken, sweet veggies, and dumplings. This is the epitome of comfort food.
March 23Beef & Bowtie Pasta from One Happy Housewife
A fast and simple pasta dinner that even the most picky of eaters will devour.
March 24Salsa Chicken from One Happy Housewife
A very popular recipe that’s fast, easy, and so versatile. The perfect busy weeknight meal!
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March 25Ribs from The Bearded Hiker
These deliciously tender pork ribs are perfect for any meal.
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March 26Fish Curry from Paint the Kitchen Red
This popular Indian coconut milk-based curry is quick and easy to make.
March 27Beef & Macaroni Casserole from One Happy Housewife
This deliciously creamy beef and pasta casserole is the perfect hearty and filling meal for those busy weeknights.
March 28Chicken Couscous from One Happy Housewife
A very simple and flavorful chicken and couscous recipe that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner.
March 29French Dip from One Happy Housewife
An unbelievably flavorful and juicy meat, covered in melted cheese and served on toasted, crispy, buttered bread.
March 30Chicken Tetrazzini from One Happy Housewife
With tender bite-sized chicken served over spaghetti and topped with a creamy sauce, this Chicken Tetrazzini will be a family favorite.
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March 31Meatloaf from Make Ahead Meal Mom
This family favorite is quick and easy to make in your pressure cooker.
Side Dishes
Spanish Rice from One Happy Housewife
Just like what you’d get at your favorite Tex-Mex restaurant.
Cilantro Lime Rice from One Happy Housewife
Perfectly cooked rice with a fresh lime and cilantro flavor. Enjoy in a burrito bowl or as a side dish to chicken, beef, or fish.
Green Beans from One Happy Housewife
The buttery garlic flavor make these tender green beans a favorite side dish.
Corn on the Cob from One Happy Housewife
Sweet ears of corn make an easy vegetable side dish.
Salsa Rice from One Happy Housewife
An incredibly easy and delicious side dish that makes a perfect companion for any meal, especially Mexican inspired dishes.
Desserts
Arroz con Leche from One Happy Housewife
This traditional Hispanic dessert is so creamy, rich and delicious. Simple ingredients and so quick and easy to make.
Coconut Cake from One Happy Housewife
This cake is loaded with coconut goodness and is the perfect sweet treat to share with friends and family.
Leprechaun Popcorn from The Halfway Homesteaders
Drizzled with green chocolate, sprinkles, and chocolate coated candies this popcorn is sure to delight!
Coconut Flan from One Happy Housewife
A delicious custard-like dessert filled with with coconut flavor and shredded coconut in every bite.
Irish Chocoflan from One Happy Housewife
Inspired by the an Irish cocktail, this Chocoflan is infused with Irish Cream, Irish Whiskey, and Guinness Beer. Wow!
Get the Printable Instant Pot Meal Plan
I’ve put together a handy printable calendar so you can get a full monthly view of the plan. The PDF has clickable links as well so you can download it and keep it on your computer to visit all the recipes. The printable/PDF is available to my subscribers. If you’re not a subscriber yet, sign up below so you can have access to my entire collection of printables.
Instant Pot Accessories!
There are so many accessories available for the Instant Pot. So many, that it is hard to know what to get and what is unnecessary. To make things easier for you, I have put together a list of my most recommended accessories. I also explain how to best use each accessory and where to purchase them, click here to check it out.
More Instant Pot Meal Plans
I’ve been creating my Instant Pot Meal Plans for quite some time and have accumulated over a year’s worth of meal plans. I’m making all of my previously published meal plans available to you via the list of links below. You can access each month of the year by simply clicking on the one you want to look at, the link will then take you to the recipes for that particular month.
Since I carefully select each recipe for each month, every month has a unique list of recipes. Browse through each month to see all the different recipes and get ideas for creating your very own meal plans. Feel free to peruse each of the months!
- January Instant Pot Meal Plan
- February Instant Pot Meal Plan
- March Instant Pot Meal Plan
- April Instant Pot Meal Plan
- May Instant Pot Meal Plan
- June Instant Pot Meal Plan
- July Instant Pot Meal Plan
- August Instant Pot Meal Plan
- September Instant Pot Meal Plan
- October Instant Pot Meal Plan
- November Instant Pot Meal Plan
- December Instant Pot Meal Plan
Don’t forget to check back at the end of each month for the updated Meal Plan!
Do your cook times take in account for the time it takes the pot to heat up to pressure and seal?
Hi Brian! Great question. No, my cook times do not include the coming to pressure time. There are too many variables involved. The amount of time it takes for the pot to come to pressure will depend on things like how full your pot is, the size of your pot, the model, your altitude, and so on. It would be like adding the preheating time of an oven, there’s just no way to tell. I do, however, include the natural release time in my recipes to give you a better total estimate of cooking and release. Hope this helps!
Ever since I got my pot I’ve had a constant burn notice problem. Every recipe I try it happens. I follow the directions exactly and it still happens. What am I doing wrong? I have even added extra broth or water and still. I bought the non-stick pot and still.
Hi Brenda! If you are having trouble with every single recipe, you probably need to contact Instant Pot. I have heard of quite a few people with faulty sensors in their pots which cause the burn message every time. Good luck! Keep me posted on what they say.
How long can I keep the jars in the refrigerator?
Hi Gary! Not sure what jars you are asking about. Let me know.
I bought my pot a few months ago but never have tried to use it. But I am now! Several of your recipes intrigue me. Thank You!
Hi! I’m happy to hear you will finally start using your new pot! Thanks for stopping by the blog. Happy cooking!
Hi Valerie, I’m finally going to start using my pot. Been kinda afraid of it, but your tomato soup recipe looks absolutely yummy. Wish me luck! Karen M.
Hi Karen! You got this! The tomato soup is easy and delicious! Have you watched my how-to video yet? If you haven’t, you should start there! Here’s the link just in case: https://www.onehappyhousewife.com/how-to-use-the-instant-pot/
Love this! Just wish the foods were diabetic friendly 🙁
Hi Kristie! I hope you can at least find some recipes that work for you. Thanks for stopping by!
This is a fabulous collection of recipes for folks to make their life easy. Thank you so much for including my Quinoa Salad, Valerie! 💕
Thank you Sonal!! Your salad looks delicious!! Thanks for stopping by the blog!
So helpful, thanks!
Glad to hear it was helpful Lizzy! Thanks for stopping by!
I have loved the monthly meal plans. Did we lose the ability to go back to a prior month’s meal plan? I was trying to go back to November’s meal plan but only the December calendar shows up. I thought all the prior month’s plans appeared before.
Hi Krista! The actual recipes for previous meal plans are still available in list form with clickable links, right here on this page. After the last recipe for this month, you’ll find the buttons for the previous months, they’re hot pink buttons. We did remove the actual pdf calendars to make it easier for people to print just this month’s. If you feel like you can still use the actual calendar for previous months then let me know and we will upload them again after Christmas. Thanks for stopping by!
I would like to still have access to the previous months calendars. Thank you for all your work on this site.
I just found this page last week. I have already made a few recipes from it! So far all of them have been a hit. When will you post Octobers menu?
So happy you found the blog! The October Meal Plan is ready! Enjoy!
Happy to subscribe to your recipes. I LOVE my Instant Pot, but sometimes my imagination limits me.
Hi Ann! Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope this meal plan makes it easier for you to plan more meals! Have a great day!
Vegetable steamer would be awesome!
Yes, Linda! So useful!!
Love the giveaway of all of the instant pot accessories, especially the silicone egg bite maker.
Lots of great accessories!!! Thanks for stopping by the blog!
Looking forward to the giveaway results!
Can’t wait to see who wins! Lots of goodies! Thanks for stopping by Meeta!
This looks neat! Just got one for Christmas and eager to try it out.
You will love it once you start using it!
I’m new to the site. Just wanted to thank you for all the time and effort you put into it. I still consider myself a newbie and learn alot from sites such as this. My only wish is that the giveaway included us Canadians. Maybe in the future?
Hi Sue Marie! You are so welcome and I’m glad you find the blog helpful! I’m sorry Canada isn’t included in this giveaway, we love our Canadian friends! Hopefully, we’ll be able to include you in a giveaway soon!
Pretty darn cool…i only cook one or two meals in the instant pot for the week, but this is easy enough to pick and choose! Thank you!
Glad you like it! Yes, definitely use it to suit your needs. It’ll make it easy to pick several meals for each week! Happy cooking!
Love this.
Thanks Pam! Glad to hear it!