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    Home » Recipes » Pasta & Noodles

    Instant Pot Mac And Cheese

    Oct 19, 2023. by Bhavana Patil. 2 Comments | This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    Instant Pot Mac and Cheese recipe is super easy, creamy, cheesy, and can be made in just 4 minutes with your electric pressure cooker.

    mac and cheese served in a bowl with sharp cheddar on the side

    My daughter loves pasta, and this pasta is so cheesy, yummy, and easy to make in under 15 minutes. Do try this recipe and write in your comments.

    Explore more American recipes for your next family dinner inspiration.

    I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT.

    Jump to:
    • What cheese to use for Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
    • Also check my Kids Lunch Box Series Posts
    • Macaroni and Cheese Ingredients
    • How to Make Mac and Cheese in Instant Pot
    • Variations
    • Tips
    • FAQs
    • More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes
    • Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
    mac and cheese served in two bowls with cheddar cheese on the side in a bowl

    What cheese to use for Creamy Macaroni and Cheese

    I have used a combo of sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheese for this recipe. Sharp cheddar is always the best cheese to start with for macaroni and cheese. But you can use just cheddar alone, or feel free to use your family's favorite cheese combination.

    Use good cheese. Mac and Cheese are more creamy and melt smoothly if you buy a cheese block and shred it yourself than using an already packaged, shredded cheese.

    Mac and Cheese served in a bowl

    Also check my Kids Lunch Box Series Posts

    Mac & Cheese + Mint Makhana + Red Grapes

    mac and cheese in a steel bento box with grapes and mint makhana on the side

    Macaroni and Cheese Ingredients

    To make this simple and best mac & cheese recipe, you will need only a few basic ingredients:

    • Uncooked Elbow Macaroni (about 4 cups)
    • Vegetable Broth or water
    • Butter
    • Garlic Powder
    • Dry mustard powder (optional)
    • Pepper
    • Salt, to taste
    • Shredded Cheddar Cheese (Sharp or Mild)
    • Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
    • Whole Milk (can also use heavy cream or evaporated milk)
    Macaroni and Cheese ingredients

    How to Make Mac and Cheese in Instant Pot

    Add pasta to the Instant Pot. Add water/broth, butter, salt stir well to combine. Close instant pot lid and turn valve to SEALING position.

    Set on MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) for 4 minutes (or half the time on the macaroni cooking directions).

    step to cook macaroni with butter collage

    When time is up, do a QUICK RELEASE.

    Add the milk, cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Stir constantly until the cheese is melted and everything is combined.

    Serve creamy instant pot pressure cooker mac and cheese immediately.

    step to add cheese to cooked pasta collage

    ***If mac and cheese hasn't thickened completely, turn the pot to saute mode and cook for a few minutes while stirring. This should thicken up any remaining liquid, OR if you want it to be more creamy, add more milk or cream.

    pasta in a bowl
    mac and cheese in a spoon

    Variations

    • Use a combination of cheeses for the best taste.  I used a mixture of sharp cheddar, and mozzarella. 
    • I used regular whole milk. But if you are not too worried about calories, then you can also use 12 oz of evaporated milk (1.5 cups) or 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, or ½ cup of whole milk and ½ cup of cream.
    • You can also add small chunks of pineapple to make Hawaiian-style pineapple mac and cheese.
    • You can also have some broccoli to make it more healthy.

    Tips

    • The time to cook macaroni and cheese in an Instant Pot is usually half of the suggested time on the pasta box.
    • Always stir in milk or cream, cheese, etc, after the pressure cooking cycle.
    • You’ll need 4 cups of water for this recipe. For the best flavor, you can use vegetable broth.

    FAQs

    Can you bake this?

    YES! You can just grease your baking dish and sprinkle some extra cheese on top of mac and cheese. This is a good way to repurpose leftover mac and cheese.

    How long can I store it?

    Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.

    More Instant Pot Pasta Recipes

    • Creamy Tomato Pasta
    • Avocado Pasta
    • Butternut Squash Pasta
    • Mayonnaise Veggie Pasta
    • Creamy Spinach Pasta
    • Alfredo Pasta
    Tried this recipe?Don’t forget to give a ★ rating below
    mac and cheese served in a white bowl with shredded cheddar cheese on side

    Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

    Bhavana Patil
    Instant Pot Mac and Cheese is super creamy, cheesy, and can be made in just 4 minutes with your electric pressure cooker
    4.88 from 8 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Servings: 8
    Calories : 598
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Method: Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker
    Prep Time : 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time : 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time : 15 minutes minutes

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker

    Ingredients
      

    measuring cup used 1 cup = 250 ml

    • 16 ounces Uncooked Elbow Macaroni (about 4 cups)
    • 4 cups Vegetable Broth or water
    • 2 Tablespoons Butter
    • 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
    • 1 Teaspoon Dry mustard powder (optional)
    • ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese (Sharp or Mild)
    • 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
    • 1 cup Whole Milk (can also use heavy cream or evaporated milk)

    Instructions
     

    Instant Pot Method:

    • Add pasta to the instant pot. Add water/broth, butter, salt stir well to combine. Close instant pot lid and turn valve to SEALING position.
      Set on MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) for 4 minutes (or half the time on the macaroni cooking directions).
    • When time is up, do a QUICK RELEASE.
      Add the milk, cheese, garlic powder, salt, and pepper stir constantly until cheese is melted and everything is combined.
    • Serve creamy instant pot pressure cooker mac and cheese immediately.
      ***If mac and cheese hasn't thickened completely, turn the pot to saute mode and cook for a few minutes while stirring. This should thicken up any remaining liquid OR if you want it to be more creamy add more milk or cream.

    Video

    Notes

    I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT.

    Note about measuring:

    This recipe calls for one 16 ounce box of dried elbow macaroni. This is equal to 4 cups dry measure.  The 16 ounces is also equal to 453 grams or 1 pound.

    Variations

    • Use a combination of cheeses for the best taste.  I used a mixture of sharp cheddar, mozzarella. 
    • I used regular whole milk. But if you are not too worried about calories then you can also use 12 oz of evaporated milk (1.5 cups) or 1 cup of heavy whipping cream or ½ cup of whole milk and ½ cup of cream.
    • You can also add small chunks of pineapple to make Hawaiian-style pineapple mac and cheese.
    • You can also some broccoli to make it more healthy.
     

    Tips

    • The time to cook macaroni and cheese in an Instant pot is usually half of the suggested time on the pasta box.
    • Always stir in milk or cream, cheese, etc after the pressure cooking cycle.
    • You’ll need 4 cups of water for this recipe. For the best flavor, you can use vegetable broth.
     

    FAQs

    Can you bake this?
    YES! You can just grease your baking dish and sprinkle some extra cheese on top of mac and cheese. This is a good way to repurpose leftover mac and cheese.
    How long can I store it?
    Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
     
    Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 598kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 28gFat: 15gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 936mgPotassium: 393mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 740IUVitamin C: 1.1mgCalcium: 580mgIron: 1.5mg
    Keyword instant pot, instant pot pasta, kids lunchbox recipes, mac and cheese, pasta recipes, recipe for kids, under 30 minutes
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo and tag @indianveggiedelight or #indianveggiedelight

    Subscribe to my Youtube Channel for healthy & tasty video recipes. Looking for Instant Pot recipes, then check out my Instant Pot Recipes board on Pinterest.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Krista says

      February 19, 2021 at 10:44 am

      5 stars
      This is my go-to Mac & cheese recipe. I’ve made it multiple times now. My 1 year old loves it and it’s easy to make. So much better than boxed Mac & cheese. Thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply
      • Bhavana Patil says

        February 19, 2021 at 4:44 pm

        Yayyyy! Thank you for the comment Krista, I am super happy to read such comments from Happy Mommy's 🙂 where I hear about cute little ones enjoyed the meal & gave a thumbs up 👍 Nothing more satisfying than these kind of comments for me as a Food Blogger 🙂

        Reply

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