I am always on a mission to reduce food waste, and one of my favorite ways to use up the scraps leftover in our fridge is to make a big pot of chicken stock. It’s a ritual in our house, every few weeks I’ll roast a chicken for dinner and use the leftovers for lunches and the bones for replenishing my stash of chicken stock (it freezes well for later use!). The stock is a kitchen staple –I use it in so meals from soups and sauces, and it even tastes great on it’s own. My secret to make fast work of stocking up on stock is to use my Instant Pot. 
It’s a throw-everything-in-the-pot kind of recipe, and the measurements are never exact. Have 4 carrots left in the produce drawer? Pop them all in! Have some rosemary, but no thyme? Toss in what you have on hand — it’s pretty much foolproof. After about 50 minutes in the Instant Pot (or several hours in a stock pot, I included those directions below too), I strain everything and store it in pre-portioned containers in the fridge or freezer. If you’re looking for a deeper flavor, you can also add the strained stock back to the Instant Pot and turn on sauté mode for about 20-30 minutes. This will simmer and reduce the liquids, concentrating the flavors in the stock. Get the full recipe below! 
- ½ Large Onion, peeled
- 1-2 Cloves of Garlic, whole
- 3-4 Large Carrots
- 3-4 Celery pieces
- Chicken Bones
- 2-3 Bay leaves
- Assorted Herbs (rosemary, thyme, parsley)
- 1 Tsp. of Whole Peppercorns
- 1 Tsp. of Sea Salt
- Combine vegetables, chicken bones, herbs and spices into an Instant Pot. Fill the pot with about water until it reaches the 8 Qt. line in your Instant Pot.
- Lock lid and cook stock on high pressure 50 minutes, then release pressure manually.
- Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large container; discard solids. Let it cool completely before storing. Note: I like to divide it into 2 cup containers for easy portioning and later use. Store the portioned containers in the refrigerator or freeze it for up to 6 months.
- *Optional: Return the stock to the instant pot or stock pot and simmer for 30 minutes to further reduce the liquid and deepen the flavor.
- **Alternative stovetop method: Combine ingredients in a large stock pot and simmer for 3-4 hours; follow remaining instructions.
