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 is a favorite of ours since I discovered it 3 years ago! I make this for any occasion we have. I’m currently making it for Sunday funday today! I put whatever cheese I have in it and use penne noodles. Thank you for sharing❤️
I often make this recipe (halved) for me and partner for lunch or dinner. Simple and delicious. I usually make it just with cheddar because that’s usually what we have. But I’ve also added Gouda and Parmesan before and that was great. And I usually use penne. Very flexible recipe! Yum! ♥️
When you halve it, do you change the cooking time?
Nope! When I halve recipes in the instant pot I do not change the cooking time. For this one, I just look at the boiling time on my bag of pasta, half that, minus 1 minute.
This is the best mac ‘n cheese I’ve ever made in the Instapot!!
Thank you, Nicole for the tasty recipe.
Cheers,
Roxana
( From Canada)
Can you make this is a slow cooker or stove top?
Yes her is the stovetop version https://thesaltymarshmallow.com/one-pot-mac-and-cheese/
I tried this and I’ve been using my instapot for years. I ended up having to add the cheese and milk and turn the pot back on as the cheese wouldn’t melt.
I really love the Salty Marshmallow. Probably 1/2 of my recipes are from here. When I glance at all the options online and I see you, I just go straight here. This mac recipe is excellent. One small frustration on this one though. I did not discover until after it was cooked the “Notes” section that specifies 1 BOX 16 oz noodles not 16 loose noodles. (Which I still don’t quite understand the difference here lol.) I used 16 oz loose noodles (2 cups) and the notes do clearly say loose noodles should be 4 cups. So we had extremely soupy yet delicious mac n cheese. I don’t know, maybe just a very friendly suggestion for us less than professional and don’t read the notes cooks to state in the directions 1 16 oz box or 4 cups loose….. Thanks for always helping me get dinner on the table.
This is my go to Mac n Cheese recipe and it is often requested for gatherings. So much so that I sometimes make 2 batches back to back for my son’s hockey team. Can I double the recipe and make it in one batch?
I’m curious have you had success in doubling it?
I double this recipe frequently. No need to change the cooking time. I only add 1 cup of milk and that seems to be sufficient.
Also curious about doubling the recipe!
*Nichole
Hi Nicole,
I just tried your recipe and it was awesome! I made the mistake of adding the cheese in with everything else to cook. That’s ok though. I have soupy Mac and cheese instead. It is delicious regardless.
Cheers,
Vicky
We often at Noodles’n Company and the kids love there Mac’n cheese. Gave this one a try and it was a success and pretty close to there’s. Only made a half batch to test it out but should have made the full one. Good thing is it took less then 10 minutes so can easily make more. Definitely putting this one in our recipe book.