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:
I love this recipe. I made a very labor intensive regular mac and cheese for thanksgiving, then tried this one in the summer when it was just too hot to cook. It wasn’t quite as good as the one that was so hard to make, but almost! And the easiness made me want to only make this one from now on. It’s got a permanent spot in the recipe book. The hot sauce is such a good bonus.
I’ve made this recipe a 1/2 dozen times and it’s a family favourite! Today, at my teens request I added 8 strips of cooked, chopped bacon. Also experimented with cheeses and seasonings using a combo of mozza, cheddar, parm and Monterey. For spices I used what’s already in the recipe and added 1 tsp. Dry mustard and 1-2 Tablespoons of Trader Joes “Cheesy” seasoning. OMG so amazingly delicious!
I loved how easy and creamy this was! I felt there wasn’t a richness to the sauce as there is when you make a roux but it was a quick, wholesome dinner!
Omg!! Who would have thought 5 minutes to make a delicious creamy Mac and cheese. This recipe is fantastic!! Thank you so much for sharing. I used a Mexican cheese blend with Parm/Romano, no other substitutions were made. Perfect, perfect, perfect as written!!
OMG! Tried it tonight for the first time! Sooo good! Tastes better than the box stuff and it’s just as fast! My kids all enjoyed it. I’ll probably cut back in the salt next time. But that’s just my personal preference! Thank you
My kids love this and I do too! It’s a fast meal that tastes great!
5 min with gluten free pasta made mushy Mac and cheese. Any suggestions?
I made it with chickpea, GF pasta and yes it was quite gooey so I added another cup of cheese and some strained tomatoes and it was still good but.. I’ve made this with out GF pasta and it was amazing!
I would decrease cook time to 3 min. usually you cook for 1/2 the recommended stovetop time.
I just made it with gluten free pasta and it’s perfect!
What type of gluten free pasta worked well? How much did you decrease the cooking time?
This recipe is easy and delicious. I’ve made this for my family at least a dozen times and it’s always a hit. It’s not much more work than the blue box but it’s a thousand times better. Thanks!
This is THE BEST macaroni and cheese! It was the first recipe I tried for instant pot mac and cheese and I’m thrilled to say that it will be the last. Everyone I’ve made this for loves it. I still can’t believe how simple, quick, and tasty this is. Thank you for creating and sharing this recipe! It’s a winner!
This is a family favorite – thank you! Can you advise if this freezes well? Trying to meal prep for a camping trip
Thanks in advance
Jenn B