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:
It was great! I was thinking that adding some chicken in would add in some texture! How long would I cook it for in that case?
You wouldn’t even have to worry about that if you added a small can of chicken breast with the milk and cheese. I added a can of albacore tuna and thinly sliced spring onions the last time I made this … I let it sit for about 10 minutes after stirring.
turned out great. I used cavatappi pasta. It was a little el dente, maybe cook 1 minute longer. and i used up some Boursin. Thanks for the recipe
This is our favourite mac n cheese recipe! So easy and flavourful! Thank you!
Wow – what a recipe. It was absolutely delicious. Two thumbs up.
I will note that I did not add the milk at the end as the Mac & cheese was a good consistency and texture. Personal preference ?
Delicious. My kids said it smelled like soup and mac & cheese cooking. They were kind of right. I used Frank’s Spicy Hot Wing sauce as that was the only hot sauce I had in the house. We all loved it. Pasta cooked to perfection. Creamy but not too rich. Loved the flavors.
Love this, I’ve made it twice now. First time I used the Mozzarella and it was stringy so, second time I used sharp cheddar and Colby jack. It still came out stringy and not creamy. I’m using packaged shredded cheese, does it work better with block cheese shredded? Thanks!
you should shred your own cheese. Packaged generally has a coating to keep it from sticking together, so that is why you end up with stringy cheese. Shred your own and you will be much happier with the outcome.
Thank you Jim!
Can I use beef broth instead of chicken?
Yes
Hi! Love your recipes so tonight I want to try this one but I really want to put fresh broccoli in it. Any suggestions? More liquid? More time? Thanks
I am not the one who posted this recipe, but I’ve made it a few times and it’s great. I have added Fresh broccoli before, but I actually just steam it in the microwave or on the stove and then mix it in after I mix in the cheese. That way I am able to cook the broccoli ? to the way my family likes it. Otherwise it gets too mushy for me if it’s cooked while the noodles cook.
This recipe is outstanding! Easy and suits everyone in the family. I only had medium pasta shells, so I had to cook those an extra 2 minutes, but EVERYTHING else was on point and my roommate and son gobbled it down! This recipe is perfect as is, no changes need to be made, and it’s perfectly suitable to bring as a dish for any occasion, also the perfect comfort food. Thank you!
My first recipe with my instapot and also the recipe I go to the most often. My kids love it! Every now and then we will change it up with different cheese combinations.