
Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or a dietician, I am doing what is best for my kid to create a balanced lunch.
KIDS LUNCH BOX #39 – Mac & Cheese + Mint Makhana + Red Grapes
Some kids school lunch box ideas to try…
- Spinach Corn Sandwich + Orange + Almonds & Pistachios
- Carrot Rice + Cucumber + Fruittellas
- Palak Chapati + Jeera Aloo + Orange
- Potato Spinach Pancakes + Sprouted Moong & Corn Salad+ Grapes
- Mayonnaise Veggie Pasta + Strawberries + Peanut Chikki
Here is what I packed for school lunch…
LUNCH – Mac & Cheese – Here is the detailed Recipe Link for Instant pot Mac and Cheese.
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Equipment
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
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
Nutrition
SNACK – Mint Makhana – Here is the Recipe Link.
SNACK – Red Grapes – I always use organic grapes and wash them before packing into the lunch box
Prep Work For The Previous Evening
- You can prepare mint (pudina) makhana previous day and can store in an airtight container upto 7 days.
Notes
- Packed in a stainless steel tiffin box called Lunchbots which is Eco-Friendly, Dishwasher Safe, BPA-Free and is easily available on Amazon. Do not use plastic lunch boxes to your kids, they are toxic.
- You can increase or decrease quantity based on your child’s appetite.
♥ We LOVE to hear from you If you make this recipe, please share your food photo with hashtag #indianveggiedelight on Facebook or Instagram, so we can see it and others can enjoy it too! Thank you ♥
Subscribe to my Youtube Channel for healthy & tasty video recipes.
Leave a Reply