Who knew the easiest way to make macaroni and cheese was in the Instant Pot? This bowl of creamy, comforting goodness is healthier than your favorite boxed treat from childhood, but just as delicious, only more!
This Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese recipe is our go-to way to cook it, and we know once you try it, it will be yours too!
Let's admit it: We all occasionally crave a big bowl of boxed mac and cheese. But what if I told you that you could do this? Easier But homemade?
The Instant Pot is one of the most used kitchen gadgets in my home and in the LCK test kitchen. It's easy to use, versatile, and perfect for getting dinner on the table quickly!If you're intimidated by new devices, try Instant Pot Boiled Eggs (the best), and any of these Easy Instant Pot Recipes!
This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese has everything you need and more when you're craving it! All you need are a few pantry ingredients and a few minutes of (mostly hands-off) cooking, and you're ready to get cozy in a bowl!
Required ingredients:
Scroll down for the full recipe!
- Elbow Macaroni (both gluten-free and traditional creations here!)
- water
- Salt
- Cheese (This recipe calls for a combination of mild cheddar, Colby Jack, and Parmesan cheese!)
- butter
- milk
- Hot sauce (optional, but recommended!)
Not all cheese is the same
Grating the cheese cubes is worth taking the extra step. We find it easier to use the large holes in a box grater, but you can also use the grate attachment on your food processor!
While it's much easier to buy pre-shredded cheese, we recommend taking the extra step of shredding your own cheese from the block for this recipe. Typically, homemade macaroni and cheese recipes rely on batter to add creaminess, but this recipe skips that step. Instead, we rely on the starch in the pasta water and the cheese's ability to completely melt into the macaroni and cheese.
Pre-shredded cheese also has other ingredients added to prevent the cheese from sticking together in the bag, but these added ingredients will prevent the cheese from melting completely.
How to Make Macaroni and Cheese in the Instant Pot
Making Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese couldn't be easier! Simply:
- Pressure cook the pasta. No need to drain water here. We've tried a few different types of pasta, both gluten-free and non-gluten, and they all work great!
- Add cheese, milk and cream. Seriously, that’s all you need to do! If it seems too thin, give it a few minutes to thicken and it will. If it's too thick, add a little more milk as needed.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust. Add salt and pepper to taste, some hot sauce, and a little more cheese if desired!
A word about leftover pasta water
We have conducted extensive testing with various brands and shapes of pasta. We note that the amount of pasta water remaining may vary depending on the shape of the pasta and the brand of pasta.
If there is too much water left, drain some.
How to judge whether it is overdose? Well, there should be some pasta water left as it is needed to make part of the creamy sauce. But if your pasta is in water, drain some of it.
It's always easier to add more liquid in the form of milk than to remove the liquid after the cheese sauce is made.
What Instant Pot do you have?
i love mine 6 qt.Duo.If you regularly cook for more than four people, I would choose 8 qt.
More Instant Pot Rice:
More pasta recipes:
Watch the video:
- 1 pound. Elbow Shape Macaroni Is it gluten free?
- 5 cup water
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup Shredded Colby Jack cheese
- 1 cup Shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese more ingredients
- 2 spoon grass fed butter
- 1/2 cup oat milk Or milk of your choice, add as needed
- 1-2 teaspoon hot sauce Elective
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Add macaroni, salt, and water to 6 or 8 qt. instant pot. Set pressure valve to seal. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Once finished, carefully move the valve to relieve the pressure.
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Stir in the pasta. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until just combined. If the pasta is too thick, add a little more milk. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
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Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
- Freshly chopped cheese works best here, as pre-shredded cheese may have stabilizers added and won't melt.
- If you have an Instant Pot model with an air fryer, you can add extra cheese on top and bake with the lid on for 4 minutes for a crispy lid.
- If there is too much liquid in the pasta, drain some off. There should be some liquid left, but the pasta should not be swimming in it. We've noticed that certain brands or shapes of pasta leave more water behind than others. See the notes in the body of the post for more information.
Serve: 1/4 recipesCalories: Chapter 453kilocaloriescarbohydrate: 46Gprotein: 19Gfat: 29GSaturated fat: 11Gsodium: 1500milligramsfiber: 1Gsugar: 4G
