Instant Pot Mac & Cheese
Instant Pot mac and cheese has the classic dish on your table in under 20 minutes and is so much better than the kind from a box! With only a few ingredients and a simple prep, you can make this even on the busiest days for a quick, family friendly meal or side dish.
Mac and cheese is a staple.
One of the sons refused to eat anything else but the classic noodles for a large part of his childhood.
And even to this day, he still loves it.
So it finds its way onto our menus pretty often.
While the store bought kind is fine, it is just that.
Fine.
Meh.
Homemade mac and cheese on the other hand?
DELICIOUS.
5 out of 5 stars.
Highly recommend.
It is so much creamier and cheesier than the kind from the box.
Simple, easy comfort food!
And homemade Instant Pot mac and cheese is just as quick as making the store bought kind so it’s sort of a no brainer to make this when the mac cravings strike.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need:
- Noodles– The recipe is written for elbow noodles. You can sub another short pasta, but you may have to slightly adjust the cook time if you use something like penne or rotini instead.
- Butter– Cut into 4 pieces.
- Salt– Skip adding the salt if using salted butter.
- Water
- Cheese– Shredded cheddar
- Milk– Whole milk. Do not use lower fat milk if you can help it!
How to Make
Instant Pot mac and cheese is so easy to make!
To do it, add the liner to the bowl of your Instant Pot then add the pasta, butter, salt and water in that order.
Do NOT stir the mixture but press the pasta down below the water line as much as possible.
Secure the lid onto the Pot and set the vent valve to the sealed position.
Cook on HIGH pressure for 4 minutes.
Carefully open the vent valve to perform a quick release as soon as the Pot beeps.
Hit the ‘Cancel’ button to stop the cooking process, then press the ‘Saute’ button.
Add the cheese and milk, stirring to combine.
Once it’s melted and smooth, hit the cancel button.
Serve warm and enjoy!
Storing
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
Tips and Tricks
- You can jazz this mac and cheese up with your choice of spices. Sometimes I go for a Southwestern style with a sprinkle of chili powder and cumin. Other times, I add a teaspoon of mustard powder and another of paprika.
- Along with adding spices, I also often add other things to turn this into a heartier meal. For example, I will top it with cooked taco meat, black beans, and corn for taco mac. Sometimes, I add shredded rotisserie chicken and steamed broccoli.
- The whole milk is really important. If you end up using a lower fat milk, the mac won’t be as creamy. It’s much better to substitute half and half or even heavy cream.
Other Instant Pot Pasta
Instant Pot mac and cheese is a quick and easy meal or side dish you can make any time!
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other Instant Pot pasta recipes?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this INSTANT POT MAC AND CHEESE, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Instant Pot Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow noodles
- 4 tbsp butter cut into 4 'pats'
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup whole milk
Instructions
- Add the liner to the bowl of your Instant Pot then add the pasta, butter, salt and water. Do NOT stir! Press the pasta down below the water line as mush as possible.1 lb elbow noodles, 4 tbsp butter, 1/2 tsp salt, 4 cups water
- Add the lid and turn to close, set the vent valve to the sealed position, and cook on HIGH pressure for 4 minutes.
- Carefully open the vent valve to perform a quick release as soon as the time's elapsed.
- Hit the 'Cancel'' button to stope the cooking process, then press the 'Saute' button.
- Add the cheese and milk, stirring to combine. Once it's melted and smooth, hit the cancel button.2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup whole milk
- Serve warm & enjoy!
Notes
- You can jazz this mac and cheese up with your choice of spices. Sometimes I go for a Southwestern style with a sprinkle of chili powder and cumin. Other times, I add a teaspoon of mustard powder and another of paprika.
- Along with adding spices, I also often add other things to turn this into a heartier meal. For example, I will top it with cooked taco meat, black beans, and corn for taco mac. Sometimes, I add shredded rotisserie chicken and steamed broccoli.
- The whole milk is really important. If you end up using a lower fat milk, the mac won't be as creamy. It's much better to substitute half and half or even heavy cream.
Nutrition
