Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese is a super simple recipe idea your family will devour! Four minutes of cooking time and you have a creamy and delicious ready to serve weeknight dinner.
Try our other pressure cooker favorites like Instant Pot Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and Instant Pot Tortellini with Sausage.
Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
How many of you got on the Instant Pot bandwagon early? We vacillated and it took us a little while to finally get one, but now we're loving it!!
Since this is the first Instant Pot recipe I'm sharing with you guys, we thought we'd make it a universally loved one - Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese!
If you're not loving your Instant Pot yet, give it time, you will! You'll also enjoy this Instant Pot Butter Chicken once you get the hang of it!
Any which way you make it, Mac & Cheese is oh, so good! Hello, pasta and cheese are involved! But, you may be asking why even use the Instant Pot, it's pretty easy to make on the stovetop.
Well, this stuff is tasty and the recipe is literally, throw your ingredients in the pot, and creamy, cheesy goodness comes out. So yes, totally worth it!!
Our kids, the mac and cheese experts, give this recipe a big double THUMBS UP!
We haven't gotten rid of our crockpot either! This Crockpot Pizza Casserole recipe is a dream when we are running around all day and I need dinner ready when we get home 🙂 Or, if I need a healthy meal we make Healthy Turkey Chili in the slow cooker. So tasty!
We recently fell in love with this Instant Pot Butter Chicken Recipe - give it a try, too!
How to Make Instant Pot Mac & Cheese
You know us, we're going to try and make Instant Pot Macaroni and cheese a little healthy because we're feeding it to our family, so we used whole wheat elbow noodles.
You could totally use regular macaroni noodles if you'd like.
The other neat thing about this recipe is you can customize it by using whatever cheese you like! How cool is that?? Want the flavor a little mild, use mild cheddar. Want your mac & cheese a little bolder, use sharp or extra sharp cheddar. It's totally up to you.
You can watch the video or follow the simple steps.
Step 1
Place your pasta and water into your Instant Pot. Top that with your butter and salt. Cook for only 4 minutes using the manual function. When done, release the steam.
You can do this one of two ways. Quick-release (that little lever on top) is the first way.
This can be a tiny bit messy because some butter may spray out, but just having a towel handy will take care of that. Or, the second way is slow release - just letting the steam come out naturally, which takes about 10 minutes.
Step 2
Once it's done cooking, the noodles will have a little starchy, buttery sauce on them (no need to drain it off). Now, it's time to add your milk and grated cheese. You may need a bit more milk if the consistency isn't to your liking. If you want to add any other spices, now is a good time.
And it'd done and ready to serve! Easy, right?? In under 15 minutes, you have your creamy mac!
Tips for Making Mac and Cheese In the Instant Pot
- As mentioned, you can use whole wheat or regular macaroni noodles. Penne would also work if that's what you have in the pantry.
- Use cheddar or any combination of cheese you like.
- Because it's so creamy, some people like to use evaporated milk in their Instant Pot Mac & Cheese, it's a personal preference.
- Keep a towel handy if you plan to use the quick release for the steam. A little of the butter may spray out.
- Feel free to add more milk if you want a creamier Mac & Cheese.
Tools Used to Make Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
We have this Instant Pot, but we've also heard great things about this version.
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Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked whole wheat macaroni
- 4 cups water
- 3 tablespoons butter (cut into small chunks)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 ½ cups grated cheese
- 1 cup whole milk
Instructions
- Place pasta and water into Instant Pot (affiliate link). Top that with butter, salt, and mustard. Cook for 4 minutes using the manual function. When done, release the steam. You can do this one of two ways. Quick release (that little lever on top) is the first way. This can be a tiny bit messy because some butter may spray out, but just having a towel handy will take care of that. Or, the second way is slow release - just letting the steam come out naturally, which takes about 10 minutes.
- Once it's done cooking, the noodles will have a little starchy, buttery sauce on them (no need to drain it off). Now, add your milk and cheese. You may need a bit more milk if the consistency isn't to your liking. Oh, yum! Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Allyson Zea says
My 6 year old LOVED this! Thanks for the easy recipe!
Erin Henry says
This recipe is so easy! And kids just love it. Moms too 🙂
Lauren Kelly says
There's nothing better than comfort food made in my instant pot! I love this!
Erin Henry says
Agreed! Comfort food this easy is a must-make. The Instant Pot makes it so easy.
Erin says
I love how fast and easy this is, a go to for our family!
Erin Henry says
A wonderful weeknight meal for families for sure. Glad you loved the recipe, Erin!