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:
This was delicious! Made 1/2 a recipe for hubby and me, used extra old Gouda, Parmesan and smoked cheddar – 1/2 recipe was just enough for the 2 of us…no leftovers! Total time including prep to shred cheese 30 minutes. Thanks for an easy, quick, satisfying dinner.
This was delicious! Made 1/2 a recipe for hubby and me, used extra old Gouda, Parmesan and smoked cheddar – 1/2 recipe was just enough for the 2 of us…no leftovers! Told time including prep to shred cheese 30 minutes. Thanks for an easy, quick, satisfying dinner.
Do you use the same cooking time for half a recipe? My husband and I cannot eat a full 16oz.
Cooked this for the first time tonight. OMG. Yum! Can I upload a photo here cuz j have a great one! I pre-cooked some Pancetta and Bacon in the pot, then added it at the cheese-adding time.
If you dont have chicken broth, can you substitute this for water?
Yes, water works fine 🙂
Came out great! Perfect for a college night dinner
We just got home from a rainy hike and were starving. I only had 8 oz of spiral pasta in the cupboard, so just halved the recipe. The cheese I had on hand was mexican shred and parmesan shred. I used a cup of each. My family loved it AND it is awesome to have success with my first IP endeavor. Thank you!
I love hearing that this was your first IP recipe and that you loved it! Thank you 🙂
Loved how easy this was! I’ll use less hot sauce next time (ours was very spicy – I think it’s probably just the particular brand of hot sauce I have on hand at the moment). The 3 of us didn’t finish it all, so I think I’ll add some cooked chicken and veggies to the rest for dinner #2 tomorrow. Total score! Love having one more way to use my IP. Thank you!
Since I got my IP a month ago I’ve been searching all over for a great mac & cheese..hubby loves it & only knew of the awful box stuff. I tried about 5 so far and most were terrible..what is this adding “mustard” thing? UGH! Well I have found the perfect one here! THANK YOU! Your recipes are simply awesome. He is going to be so impressed tonight!
if a Mac and cheese recipe calls for mustard or dry mustard it really should only add a brighter flavor, usually does not taste like mustard.
Looks delish! Do you know how much longer to cook for wheat/whole grain pasta? Thanks!
Hi! I think the same amount of time should be just fine!
This was wonderful and even my picky eater went back for seconds! Macaroni was done perfectly! One pot, one measuring cup, two measuring spoons and 3 forks to wash…that’s alll!!! Have I said how much I love my InstaPot???
Thanks for sharing this recipe!