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:
Love this recipe!
I plan on making this for a party as part of a pasta bar and I was wondering if hot sauce can be omitted and used on the side instead? Apparently I have a few friends who can’t handle hot sauce and a tsp might be too sensitive for them.
Yes, you can leave the hot sauce out 🙂
I’ve been making this for a few years now and I use brown mustard instead of hot sauce. My kids can’t get enough!
I MADE THIS FOR A FAMILY GATHERING AND NOW EACH TIME WE GET TOGETHER I AM ASKED TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS SO EASY TO MAKE VERSION OF MAC & CHEESE. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE!!!
I just got everything from the store and totally forgot the mac noodles! I have penne, would that work as well?
The method is solid. Like other reviewers, the cheese combo wasn’t my family’s favorite (the mozzarella is too stringy for our tastes), so I changed it to cheddar when I made it again. Being able to make mac and cheese all in one pot is so easy and convenient. Thanks for the great recipe!
I have tried this recipe several times and the cheese always ends up clumpy. I sometimes use bagged, shredded cheese but this time grated a block of cheese myself and had the same result. The cheese and the milk never mix and we end up with cheesy cream soup. I use all cheddar instead of mozzarella, and add the cheese in handfuls and stir after each addition. What could I be doing wrong?
I like to pour it into a 9×1: greased pan and throw it in the oven for a few minutes at 400 degrees and then under the broiler for a couple more. This helps to soak up the cheese into the noodles.
I like to pour it into a 9×1: greased pan and throw it in the oven for a few minutes at 400 degrees and then under the broiler for a couple more. This helps to soak up the cheese into the noodles.
Hi Dana! Sorry it’s clumping up on you, I have never had that issue especially with freshly grated cheese which is what should be used every time. I would try adding the cheese in smaller handfuls and stirring constantly while adding and see if that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions!
What kind of milk are you using? The cheese needs enough fat to cling to so I’d recommend using whole milk also there are additives in bagged shredded cheese to keep it from sticking together so definitely keep doing hand grated. It’s also possible it’s not hot enough so the cheese is only half melting so make sure you add milk and cheese right after venting! I hope this helps everyone deserves delicious Mac and cheese!
What would be the best way to make this with chicken in it? Would diced chicken cook in the amount of time specified in this recipe? Would it be likely to cause a Burn notice?
Amazing recipe thank you! Always a hit with my family and their friends
Can this recipe use velvetta cheese ?
Can this recipe be made in half? Would I just add half the ingredients? Does it change the cooking time?
I tried to make it with half, but with a 3L instant pot instead. It took ages to pressurise and then as soon as the timer came on, I got the dreaded “food burn” message! I checked and sure enough all the liquid was gone and there were some burnt bits at the bottom. Strangely, the macaroni was already quite cooked so I just continued with the recipe. Next time I’ll add a bit more water for half the recipe I think.
I made a half batch (with half ingredients) but found the noodles too al dente for my liking so I would just add more broth and maybe 1-2 mins extra time. I added broth after the quick release and popped it back on saute with the lid on for 3 mins and it fixed it. 🙂
I used 4 cups of liquid for double the amount of elbow macaroni, but after the quick release and opened the lid there was pool of liquid.
I understand if the water was too little and macaroni became undercooked, but why was there so much liquid left? I ended up using the sauté mode and that made the macaroni really mushy 🙁 What did I do wrong??