Shredded Chicken Taco Bowl : Instant Pot

You gotta love a meal that you can prepare all in ONE POT, right? This shredded chicken taco bowl recipe is a one pot wonder that you can whip up in a snap. With simple ingredients and the use of the beloved Instant Pot, this Mexican dish will become one of your go-to dinner favorites.

Ingredients for shredded Chicken Taco Bowls

Chicken Breasts – 2 large or 4 small (If using large chicken breasts, cut them in half)

Chicken broth or water (broth makes it a little more flavorful)
Long Grain, or Jasmine Rice – 2 cups washed and drained
Black Beans – 1 15 oz. can, drained and rinsed

Frozen Corn – 2 cups
Salsa – 2 cups

Taco Seasoning – 1 -2 packages or 1/4 – ½ cup bulk seasoning ( depending on how spicy you like it)
Cilantro (optional)
Chopped Olives (optional) Love this slicer!!!
Cheddar Cheese – grated
Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt (optional) We love to use our homemade Greek Yogurt in place of sour cream!
Tomatoes, chopped (optional)

Instructions

Pour one cup of the broth or water into the Instant Pot pan.
Place the chicken into the pot on top of the broth.
Sprinkle the taco seasoning on top of that.

4. Add the beans, corn and rice.

5. Pour the salsa in and the remaining broth or water.

6. Press the “MANUAL” button and adjust time to 12 minutes.******If using frozen chicken, set time for 14 minutes.

7. When the beeper sounds, continue to “NATURAL RELEASE” for 6 minutes.

8. After 6 minutes release any remaining pressure and carefully remove lid.

9. Find the chicken in the bottom of the pan and remove to a plate.

10. Using two forks shred the chicken into bite size pieces or shreds.

11. Add the chicken back into the pot and stir to disperse the chicken evenly.

12. Serve immediately. Top with optional toppings (cilantro, tomatoes, chopped olives, shredded cheese and sour cream).

Yummy, Yum!!

This makes a great gathering meal for friends and family.

Enjoy!

Shredded Chicken Taco Bowl : Instant Pot

You gotta love a meal that you can prepare all in ONE POT, right? This shredded chicken taco bowl recipe is a one pot wonder that you can whip up in a snap.

Prep Time10 min
Cook Time18 min
Total Time28 min

Cuisine
- Mexican
Course
- Main Course
Cooking Method
- Instant Pot
- shredded chicken taco bowl

Ingredients

- Chicken Breasts – 2 large or 4 small (If using large chicken breasts, cut them in half)
- Chicken broth or water (broth makes it a little more flavorful)
- Long Grain, or Jasmine Rice – 2 cups washed and drained
- Black Beans – 1 15 oz. can, drained and rinsed
- Frozen Corn – 2 cups
- Salsa – 2 cups
- Taco Seasoning – 1 -2 packages or 1/4 – ½ cup bulk seasoning ( depending on how spicy you like it)
- Cilantro (optional)
- Chopped Olives (optional) Love this slicer!!!
- Cheddar Cheese – grated
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt (optional) We love to use our homemade Greek Yogurt in place of sour cream!
- Tomatoes, chopped (optional)

INSTUCTIONS

1

Pour one cup of the broth or water into the Instant Pot pan.

2

Place the chicken into the pot on top of the broth.

3

Sprinkle the taco seasoning on top of that.

4

Add the beans, corn and rice.

5

Pour the salsa in and the remaining broth or water.

6

Press the “MANUAL” button and adjust time to 12 minutes.******If using frozen chicken, set time for 14 minutes.

7

When the beeper sounds, continue to “NATURAL RELEASE” for 6 minutes.

8

After 6 minutes release any remaining pressure and carefully remove lid.

9

Find the chicken in the bottom of the pan and remove to a plate.

10

Using two forks shred the chicken into bite size pieces or shreds.

11

Add the chicken back into the pot and stir to disperse the chicken evenly.

12

Serve immediately. Top with optional toppings (cilantro, tomatoes, chopped olives, shredded cheese and sour cream).

Jan Howell

My intention for this website is to share tips and tutorials that I have found on my journey of life that has brought me joy, improved health, and peace, in hopes that it will do the same for you. I hope you'll join me on this journey!

Share:

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Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

DIY Bias Tape: Single and Double Fold Tutorial

Is there a project you’re making that calls for bias tape? I’m going to show you how simple it is to make your own unique single and double fold tape.

What is bias tape?

Bias tape is a long narrow strip of fabric that is cut on the bias.

What does “bias” mean?

The bias is a 45-degree angle across the weave of the fabric. The fabric that is pulled “on the grain” does NOT stretch. Fabric pulled “on the bias” stretches. That’s what is so wonderful about this stuff! It curves and still lies flat when sewn.

What do you use it for?

You can use it around necklines, armholes, bind blanket edges, and just use it as a decorative trim. You can also make an elastic casing with a wide bias tape.

There are two types of bias tape: single fold and double fold. The reason to use one over the other is simply by preference. Double fold is a little more durable because the fabric is doubled and will hold up better. Good for binding blankets etc. When sewing clothing edges, a single fold is less bulky. It also comes in a variety of widths.

Why make your own?

You may be wondering why you would want to make your own when you can just easily go to the store and buy it. Well, there are several reasons to make your own.

One of the best things about making your own bias tape is that you can make it out of colorful prints! A printed trim adds so much character and really makes it pop.

Bias tape at the store only comes in solid colors, and might I add, a very limited assortment of colors. There have been so many times when sewing up a project that I had to settle with a tape that that hardly matched the fabric I was working with. Now I just make my own and can match it perfectly if needed.

Although, bias tape is fairly inexpensive at the store, making your own can save you a little money, and personally I find the process quite enjoyable!

Here is a video tutorial showing you the whole process.

How to make your own bias tape

You can manually fold the bias tape, or you can use a bias tape maker. I will show you how to do it both ways.

However, this little gadget is one of the sweetest sewing tools EVER! It makes the job so much easier! You can get the whole set for a very reasonable price HERE.

Materials and items needed:

Woven fabric (cotton, or cotton blends) I recommend using fat quarters or fabric cut to ½ yard.

Fat quarters are pre-cut fabric pieces that measures 18 x 20 inches. You can get them at any fabric or craft store.
Scissors
Bias Tape Maker (optional, but it makes the job soooooo much easier) LOVE THEM!
Rotary Cutter, Mat, Ruler
Sewing Machine
Iron

Although you can make several different sizes as indicated above, I am going to walk you through the process of making a 1” single fold and ½ inch double fold bias tape.

There are different sizes of bias tape makers, each a different color. The packaged set did not come with instructions on how wide to cut the strips of fabric, which was very frustrating!

So hopefully this chart will simplify things and make it more clear for you.

Using a Fat quarter

Take your fat quarter piece of fabric and fold the bottom up so the side piece is aligned with the top edge. It will make a triangle.

Cut off the excess fabric on the side.

Cut along the diagonal crease.

Take the bottom right corner up to meet the top left corner, to make a smaller triangle. Flip the FOLDED EDGE so it is on the bottom, and the cut bias edge is now on the left.

Cut 2 inch strips (about 3-4 strips) and save the leftover for your scrap box.

sewing the strips together

To get one continuous strip of bias tape, you’ll need to sew the strips together. NO PROBLEM!

As you can see you will end up with three different lengths of strips. You’ll want to mix them up so you don’t have a bunch of seams close together.

If using a ½ yard piece of fabric:

Square off one of the cut edges so you have a straight edge to work with. You’ll basically do the same thing but you will be working with a double layer of fabric and the strips will be longer.

Place one of the strips with the RIGHT SIDE FACING UP. Take another strip and place it RIGHT SIDE FACING DOWN on top of the other strip at a 45 degree angle. If it doesn’t line up like this, flip the strip and the other end will meet up.

Line up the edges and slide it up or down so it overhangs at least a 1/4 inch, as indicated above.

You will be sewing from the notched corner to the other notched corner. VERY IMPORTANT! It doesn’t really matter how big the seam allowance is, but it does matter that you are sewing from those notched corners to notched corners.

I drew a line with a pen to show where the seam will be. ( You don’t have to mark it ).

Take it to the sewing machine and sew together. Back stitch at the beginning and end of the seam.

Clip off the little tags. Go to the end of the strip and add another one.

Continue until all strips are sewn together.

Using the bias tape maker

Poke the end of the fabric strip into the big end of the bias tape maker. (If the strip is cut at an angle, which it will be, it will be much easier to feed through the tool). If it gets stuck, simply get a pin and stick it into the hole in the top and pull it out.

Start pulling the strip of fabric and it will automatically fold the ends over. SO COOL! Use the iron to press as you pull. USE THE STEAM SETTING to get a good creased edge.

***When you come to a seam, you may need to tug a little harder, but no big deal. Continue pulling and pressing until the whole strip is folded.

That is SINGLE FOLD BIAS TAPE.

To make DOUBLE FOLD BIAS TAPE, simply fold it in half again and press.

Manually folding

To manually fold the tape, fold the tape in half first, then fold the edge up to the crease you just made. Press. Then fold the top edge down to the halfway point and press. Then if you want double fold tape, fold it half again and press.

So that wasn’t hard, was it?

Oh, the fun things you can embellish with a cute printed strip of bias tape.

This is a blanket bound with a strip of printed double fold bias tape.

Although you usually use a cotton fabric to make bias tape, you can also make trim with knit fabric. This is a t-shirt that I just added a strip of knit binding over the existing neck ribbing. Cute Hugh?

So many fun things you can do.

I hope this opened your eyes up to a whole new world of bias tape.

Don’t settle for the drab and boring tape at the store, MAKE YOUR OWN!

You got this!

Have fun sewing,

Jan Howell

My intention for this website is to share tips and tutorials that I have found on my journey of life that has brought me joy, improved health, and peace, in hopes that it will do the same for you. I hope you'll join me on this journey!

Share:

Connect:

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

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bias tape DIY how to sew binding pieces together Sewing

Sewing Machine Needles: Why Choosing the Right One Matters

You may think that the type of sewing machine needles that you’re using in your machine doesn’t really matter, but it does! Using the right sewing machine needle size and type for the project can mean the difference between broken threads, skipped stitches and a professional looking seam.

I thought for years that the reason I was getting a “bad stitch” was because there was something wrong with my machine. Not so.

One day I was doing a little research on needles and read how using a “sharp” needle will give you a nice straight stitch when topstitching. So I switched my needle to a sharp needle, and BAM I got a beautiful straight stitch.

I was considering buying a new sewing machine, thinking mine had serious problems, when all I had to do was use the right type of needle! That piece of information saved me a few bucks.

So choosing the right needle does matter!

How do I choose the right sewing machine needles?

It’s all about the needle type and size.

You’ll select the needle type by what kind of fabric you are sewing on (i.e. knit vs. woven).

The needle size is determined by the thickness and weight of the fabric.

Needle Types

I am going to go over some of the most common needle types. (Don’t let all this information overwhelm you. It really is quite simple).

Universal Needles

As the name suggests, universal needles are the most commonly used needle. They can be used with woven fabrics, synthetics and some knit fabrics. This is the type of needle I use for 90 % of my sewing. The finer needles are mostly used for lightweight fabrics. Larger sizes are used on medium to heavyweight fabrics. I recommend staying stocked up on a good basic Universal needle. There are variety packs that include sizes 70-90, like the one pictured above.

Ball point

Ball point needles are similar to a universal needle but it has a more rounded tip, which pushes the fabric fibers apart rather than cutting them. This makes ball point needles ideal for working with tightly woven, rib knits, interlock, cotton knits, fleece, and double knit.

Jersey

Jersey needles are a standard ball point needle specifically for knit fabric (t-shirt fabric). If when using a jersey needle you experience stitch skipping, you will want to switch to a stretch needle.

Stretch

Stretch needles, often confused with Jersey needles, are also a medium ballpoint tip. These needles are good for extremely 2 way stretchy fabrics like spandex and elastic. If you’re sewing swimwear, grab this type of needle for sure.

Leather

Leather needles are often known as chisel point needles thanks to a point that looks and acts like a chisel when in use. These needles should be used with genuine leather, suede and difficult to sew projects, but should not be used with imitation leather, ultra suede or synthetic suede since the characteristics of these fabrics are quite different.

Quilting

Quilting needles are designed to be used with several layers of fabric because of their reinforced shaft.

Sharps

This needle has a sharp point and narrow shaft for piercing woven fabric. Works best on finely woven fabric like chintz, silk, light weight faux suede, and microfiber. They are also great for heirloom sewing or any other type of topstitching.

Topstitching

The extra large eye, large groove, and sharp point make it perfect for heavy decorative threads, like embroidery thread, or even two strands of all purpose thread. Use this needle anytime you have stitches visible on the outside of your project for a neat, clean look.

Denim

Denim Needles have a sharp point and strong shaft. These needles can stitch through many layers without breaking. Use on heavy, tightly woven fabric, like denim, canvas, and duck.

Twin

Twin needles have a single shaft connecting two needles. This is often used when you want two perfectly matching stitches. This is a common seam for jeans and decorative stitching. Your machine must be twin needle capable, with two separate thread spools and a wide enough needle plat. They are available in Denim, Stretch, Embroidery, Metallic, and Universal. These work well for topstitching t-shirt hems.

Sewing Machine Needles Sizes

So what are those numbers shown on the packages of needles? I am embarrassed to admit that until just recently I didn’t understand what they meant. I knew it had to do something with the size.

If you look at most needle packaging they will have 2 numbers on them with a / to divide them. For example ( 80/12). The smaller number relates to the American system and ranges from 8 to 20 and the larger number is for the European system and ranges from 60 to 120. Who knew?

What sewing machine needles size do you use for what projects?

The numbers represent the thickness of the fabric that you are able to sew with the needle. The larger the numbers the thicker the fabric you can sew. Common sizes are 60/8, 70/10, 75/11, 80/12, 90/14 and 100/16

I have created a sewing machine needle guide that will hopefully help you figure out what type of needle will suit the sewing project you’re working on. (Look for the download link below) What do the colors on the needle shaft mean?

You may have wondered what the little color stripes painted on the shaft of the needle mean. The top color indicates the needle type and the bottom color indicates the needle size

You will find variations of the same color in different brands but ultimately, this is the chart:

Universal – no color code
Ball point – medium blue
Jersey – orange or light brown
Stretch – Yellow
Jeans – dark blue
Microtex – purple
Leather – brown
Universal twin – red shaft
Stretch twin – blue shaft
Quilting – green

I love having a copy of this chart in my wallet for those times when I need to purchase a new needle. You can laminate the charts to make them last longer.

I have made the PDF available for you to download and print for FREE!

This PDF includes THREE different size charts.

1 LARGE – to hang in your sewing room.
1 MEDIUM
2 SMALL – to keep handy in your purse or even your wallet.

How long do sewing machine needles last?

Ideally, you should change your needle beginning of each project. But if that’s a little too much, the best practice is to change the needle about every 10 hours of continuous sewing.

If you accidentally hit a pin when sewing, then you should change the needle immediately as you will have damaged the tip and you won’t get a good stitch and may even mess up your bobbin.

What brand is the best when it comes to sewing machine needles?

Every seamstress may have their favorite brand or if you’re like me, they all seem to work just fine. I don’t think you can go wrong with a Schmetz needle. They offer such a large variety. Schmetz needles are of such good quality you’ll find that changing the needle every 10 hrs of sewing is not quite necessary, the needles still look and feel amazing! You should still change the needles though as they might get damaged when you’re in the middle of your next project or 10 hrs round.

How to store and manage your sewing machine needles

Do you ever change needles and just stick it in your pin cushion or on your sewing cabinet? Then weeks later wonder what size or type of needle it is?

I do this all the time and end up just pitching it because I don’t want to be using the wrong needle. They do engrave that information on the needle itself, however you’ll need a magnifying glass to be able to read it.

So I have started marking the needle when I take it out of the machine with a little piece of masking tape. Works like a charm.

I store my needles in a recycled Altoids Mint tin.

I hope this was helpful!

When I started using the correct needle for the project at hand; it did make a huge difference in my sewing results, and I didn’t have to buy a new sewing machine. LOL.

Want some hand sewing tips? Check out this post showing you some basic hand-sewing stitches.

Have fun sewing my friends,

Jan Howell

My intention for this website is to share tips and tutorials that I have found on my journey of life that has brought me joy, improved health, and peace, in hopes that it will do the same for you. I hope you'll join me on this journey!

Share:

Connect:

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

Ingredients for shredded Chicken Taco Bowls

Instructions

Pour one cup of the broth or water into the Instant Pot pan.

Place the chicken into the pot on top of the broth.

Sprinkle the taco seasoning on top of that.

4. Add the beans, corn and rice.

5. Pour the salsa in and the remaining broth or water.

6. Press the “MANUAL” button and adjust time to 12 minutes.******If using frozen chicken, set time for 14 minutes.

7. When the beeper sounds, continue to “NATURAL RELEASE” for 6 minutes.

8. After 6 minutes release any remaining pressure and carefully remove lid.

9. Find the chicken in the bottom of the pan and remove to a plate.

10. Using two forks shred the chicken into bite size pieces or shreds.

11. Add the chicken back into the pot and stir to disperse the chicken evenly.

12. Serve immediately. Top with optional toppings (cilantro, tomatoes, chopped olives, shredded cheese and sour cream).

Shredded Chicken Taco Bowl : Instant Pot

Ingredients

INSTUCTIONS

Jan Howell

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Related Posts

What is bias tape?

What does “bias” mean?

What do you use it for?

Why make your own?

How to make your own bias tape

Materials and items needed:

Using a Fat quarter

sewing the strips together

If using a ½ yard piece of fabric:

Using the bias tape maker

Manually folding

Jan Howell

Share:

Connect:

Social Media

The Latest

Jan Howell

Related Posts

How do I choose the right sewing machine needles?

Needle Types

Universal Needles

Ball point

Jersey

Stretch

Leather

Quilting

Sharps

Topstitching

Denim

Twin

Sewing Machine Needles Sizes

What sewing machine needles size do you use for what projects?

How long do sewing machine needles last?

What brand is the best when it comes to sewing machine needles?

How to store and manage your sewing machine needles

Jan Howell

Share:

Connect:

Social Media

The Latest

Jan Howell

Related Posts