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Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese takes just 4 minutes in the Instant Pot and you have perfectly creamy and cheesy homemade mac and cheese. It’s comfort food in a bowl and thanks to the pressure cooker, it is so quick and easy to make.

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese in the instant pot.

 

There are 2 simple steps to making this Instant Pot Mac and Cheese and everything is done in the Instant Pot for easy clean-up. You don’t even have to strain the pasta. How awesome is that?

First the pasta is cooked in water, butter, and seasonings for just 4 minutes. Keep in mind the cooking time is actually longer than that because the time won’t start counting down until the pot pressurizes.

Mac and CHeese in the Instant Pot.

 

Next, you stir in the milk and cheeses and mix until the cheese is melted and voila! Ultra creamy and cheesy mac and cheese that’s ready to be devoured.

If you don’t have a Instant Pot, I recommend putting one on your wishlist. I have a  6-Quart Instant Pot 7 in 1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker and love it.

For this Mac and Cheese, I use 3 kinds of cheese for lots of cheese flavor. Three cups of cheddar cheese because I love the flavor. One cup of Monterey Jack cheese because it melts well and is so creamy. Plus just a little Parmesan cheese.

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese in a blue bowl.

 

If you wanted this Instant Pot Mac and Cheese to be spicy, use Pepper Jack cheese and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

Tip: I recommend shredding your own cheese for best flavor and texture. You can use any shape of pasta for this recipe. Shells, cavatappi, and fussili also work well.

 

Close-up of Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

A homemade bowl of mac and cheese was never so quick and easy.

More Instant Pot Recipes:

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese in the instant pot.

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese takes just 4 minutes in the Instant Pot and you have perfectly creamy and cheesy homemade mac and cheese. It's comfort food in a bowl and thanks to the pressure cooker, it is so quick and easy to make.
 


PREP: 10 minutes
COOK: 4 minutes
SERVINGS: 6

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces dry macaroni
  • 4 cups water
  • 3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 to 1 cup milk
  • 3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Place macaroni, water, butter, dry mustard, garlic powder, pepper, and salt in the Instant Pot.
    Place lid on, make sure valve is in "sealing" position and set to "Manual" or Pressure Cook on "High" for 4 minutes.
    Do a quick pressure release.
  • Once the pin drops, remove lid and stir in 1/2 cup of milk. Add the cheese in 3 batches, stirring until each addtion is melted before adding the next.
  • Add more milk if needed.

Notes

Note: Cooking time does not include the time it takes for the Instant Pot to pressurize.

Nutrition

Calories: 642kcal
Course: Main Dish, Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern
Keyword: instant pot, mac and cheese

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Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

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2 thoughts on “Instant Pot Mac and Cheese”

  1. Cheese and macaroni what a classic combination. This dish appears on my table almost every week.

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