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.
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Yes you can. I have hungry teenagers and usually triple or even quadruple it😉
What size is your insta pot in order to triple or quadruple? Also do you triple all the ingredients? The chicken broth? Thanks for your help! I am wanting to triple the recipe so any tips are appreciated. 🙂
Great! I take think to all of my kid functions and never have any left!
Not sure why but it didn’t turn out that great for me. Cheese was too stringy. Maybe it was the mozzarella? I think I will do fontina or gruyere next time.
This is one of my faves. Wondering how it will turn out with gluten free pasta…. My sons friend is celiac and needs gf pasta.
I thought 16 ounces was 2 cups? You said if you’re using bulk use 4 cups but the recipe says 16 ounce box so I’m confused.
Family loved it, even the 7yo!
My wife’s suggestion for next time would be to swap white pepper for black, less grainy.
I was surprised by how much broth was left, but after adding the cheese (and only 1/2 cup milk) it was all blended in.
Do I need to adjust cooking time if I am doubling the recipe?
Can the recipe be doubled successfully? If so would I need to adjust the cook time? Thanks!
This is only the 4th time using my instant pot, and this recipe came out perfectly and tasted delicious. It is true the hot sauce does t make it hot, but you can taste it. I may halve the amount next time and add some dry mustard instead. I made only half the recipe amount and the timing still worked perfectly
I’m a mac and cheese snob, but this is really good! I don’t like the texture of mozzarella so I use all cheddar and/or whatever else we have on hand. It’s also a good recipe to customize. You can add veggies, ham, bacon… Give it a try!