Instant Pot Mac and Cheese – This macaroni and cheese is every family’s favorite comfort food pasta recipe made easy in the Instant Pot! You can have creamy, mouthwatering, homemade mac and cheese for dinner in about 10 minutes!
Have I mentioned lately that I’m kind of in love with my Instant Pot? Although, I do love our classic Baked Mac and Cheese too! If you have been following me on Instagram you’ll know that I’ve documented my daily trials and errors using the thing. I was so skeptical of even getting one in the first place, and now, it’s pretty much all I want to use for cooking at all! It takes a lot of the in-between steps out of making simple recipes. Like this mac and cheese, the pasta cooks in just enough liquid, with no need to drain! If you’re looking for more amazing Instant Pot dinners definitely try out this Instant Pot Jambalaya it’s out of this world!!
My family absolutely LOVED this macaroni and cheese. Well, I did too. The flavor was absolutely perfect and it was super creamy, just like a good mac should be.
I made this recipe in my 8 quart Instant Pot, and it will definitely work just fine if you have a 6 quart as well. It makes a whole lot by the way. Yay for leftovers!
There was enough for my family of four to eat this as a main dish with a side salad for supper. Then, my kids took some for lunch in their thermos to school the next day. Even after that we had enough left to use up as a side dish later in the week!
How to Make Instant Pot Mac and Cheese:
- For the best flavor, I recommend using chicken broth as your cooking liquid. I used low sodium chicken broth. If you don’t have low sodium, leave out the extra addition of salt, then salt as needed when serving.
- Use seasoning! I add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and hot sauce to this before cooking. Don’t worry, the hot sauce does not make this spicy at all. It just adds an additional layer of flavor that’s amazing.
- Use a combination of cheeses for the best taste. I use a mixture of sharp cheddar, mozzarella. When you add the cheese, make sure to stir continuously so that it all melts in really well and you aren’t left with clumps.
- Don’t use canned milk. I used regular 2% milk, and I recommend that or whole milk for best results. Most of the recipes I saw for Instant Pot mac and cheese used evaporated milk which I am not a fan of at all.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 16 Ounces Uncooked Elbow Macaroni
- 4 Cups Chicken Broth
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Teaspoon Hot Pepper Sauce
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- 1/2 -1 Cup Milk
Instructions
- Add the uncooked macaroni, chicken broth, butter, hot sauce, garlic powder, pepper, and salt to the Instant Pot.
- Place the lid on the pot and set to sealing. Cook on manual function, high pressure for 5 minutes. Then, do a quick release.
- Add the milk, then the cheese to the pot in 3-4 handfuls, stirring in between each addition until smooth and creamy. Season as necessary to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Looking for other great Instant Pot recipes? Try these:
Tried this tonight and doubled the recipe. Doubled everything except only added 7 cups stock and cooked for 4 minutes. Still stock left but just didn’t add the milk. I baked for 10 minutes with bread crumbs and extra cheese. Turned out amazing.
We made this and it was very good, although there was no leftover liquid after the pressure cooking and following the recipe. The noodles were stuck together. Anyway, we added milk and cheese and stirred. It was EXTREMELY cheesy but it was VERY good. Next time we’ll use more liquid. We also didn’t have parmesan so we just used cheddar and mozzarella. Our daughter loved it.
This is one of my favorite comfort food anytime!
Love that step-by-step video, this Mac n cheese looks outa this world!!
I have been addicted to my instant pot and this looks like a MUST make! Thanks for the Inso
Very good! I had a lot of liquid left so I drained about 3/4 of it and added a bit of milk!
Look at all that creamy cheese! It does look like the best ever!
I’m obsessed with my Instant Pot and my family loves mac n cheese so this is a must try for me. It looks heavenly!
IP for the win again! Looks fabulous!
I know insta-pots are very popular, but since I already own a pressure cooker and slow cooker, I feel like it would be redundant. Is it worth buying? Does it do anything new that I can’t do with either of those appliances or my dutch oven and a stove?
The saute feature I use all the time which saves a step on the stovetop and extra dishes. Also great for reducing sauces after pressure cooking. I’ve gotten rid of my slow cooker but this is my first pressure cooker. I guess it depends how often you use it and how much the convenience is worth to you.
buy the instant pot I had another brand and it was a pin to use i now have 3 instant pots