Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

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If you have ever wanted to make an Instant Pot Recipe, this is the one to make! Also, check out our CREAMY Instant Pot Mac and Cheese down below in our Youtube Video! It is time to take your Instant Pot out of the box and try both of these Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipes!

I’ve had my Instant Pot for just over a month and I am in LOVE with it!  This week I decided to make something fast and something my kids would LOVE! Try this Mac and Cheese Recipe to have homemade Mac and Cheese in a matter of minutes!

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese 2

If you have never heard of an Instant Pot,  they truly are wonderful! I was a little nervous to try it out because I DO NOT like new things. But my husband surprised me for my birthday so I thought I would try it out. Well, I honestly can say I LOVE IT! Instead of cooking my roast for 8 to 10 hours in the slow cooker, It cooked for 60 minutes and was just as tender!I also threw in some carrots and potatoes in so I could have a side dish done all at one time!

Related recipe: Don’t have an instant pot? Try our Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese!

Don’t put Dairy in an Instant Pot!

When cooking dairy ingredients in the Instant Pot, it is a lot different than cooking them on the stovetop, oven, microwave or in a slow cooker.

If a recipe calls for dairy ingredients, make sure to add them once you have cooked your food and depressurized your Instant Pot. The high heat and pressure can cause dairy and milk ingredients to scorch or to turn clumpy. No one likes clumpy food.

So for this Instant Pot Mac and Cheese make sure you add your milk AFTER your noodles have already cooked!

If you are new to the Instant Pot, read our list of 9 Instant Pot Don’ts HERE!


Related recipe: Instant Pot Cheesy Penne Pasta (it’s so easy!)

 

How to Make Creamy Mac And Cheese (video):

Related Article: Do you have picky kids too? Check out these 20 Recipes for Picky Eaters! 

What Instant Pot Should You Get?

  1. If you are cooking for 1-2 people I would suggest the 3 Quart Instant Pot.  If you are cooking for more, I would suggest the 6 quart or 8 quart.
  2. This is the Instant Pot I have. I have a family of six and the 6 quart feeds us just fine! It is even the cheaper one and I love it! Find it HERE
  3. If you want to make big meals or big cheesecakes, etc. I would highly suggest getting the 8 quart!

    Need more Instant Pot Recipes?

    See our other Instant Pot Recipes on Youtube HERE.
    Find more Instant Pot recipes on our website HERE.
    Subscribe to our Youtube channel and get a NEW Instant Pot recipe every single Monday! Subscribe HERE.

Check out my 9 Instant Pot DON’TS if you are a beginner to Instant Pot cooking- Find it HERE!

 

Serves: 6

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

5 minPrep Time

5 minCook Time

10 minTotal Time

Save RecipeSave Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 pound of elbow pasta
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups of sharp cheese
  • Few drops of hot sauce (optional)
  • 1 tbs dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 tbs butter

Instructions

  1. Place pasta in your Instant Pot with chicken broth. Push manual (high pressure) and set the timer to 5 minutes. Do a quick release. Place your Instant Pot on saute. Stir in milk, butter, mustard and hot sauce. Stir in cheese and stir until melted about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.

Notes

Just be sure your noodles are covered in the broth. You might need 3 cups to cover all the pasta.

Nutrition

Calories

279 cal

Fat

13 g

Carbs

26 g

Protein

15 g
Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info
7.8.1.2
1397
https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/instant-pot-mac-and-cheese/

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese 2

 

 

 

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Menu Plans

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Comment on this Recipe

51 Responses to “Instant Pot Mac and Cheese”

  3. Heather
    Thanks for this recipe! I made it last night for my son and husband because I was going out (I am gluten and dairy free so this was a treat for them to get the real stuff haha), and not only was it super easy, it was really delicious. I did follow the suggestion above and let it cook for 6 minutes and found that was a good idea. Thanks for the easy Monday night dinner - will definitely make again (and might even try a gluten free/dairy free version one day ;)
    October 17, 2017 at 9:07 am
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    • Mary
      I did this with bow tie pasta. Used more broth than called for to get the pasta covered, maybe if I used elbows it wouldn't have taken so much broth. Also, I used 1/2 and 1/2 instead of milk. I did not drain the pasta. This was so good! Very creamy but not gobs of sauce. Served with a scoop of bbq pork over the Mac n cheese. Yummy! I'm not saying these changes were necessary, just how I happened to make it.
      January 18, 2018 at 9:29 pm
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  14. Kristy D.
    This. Stuff. Was. Awesome! I cooked the pasta for 5 minutes on HP then quick release. I used 3c sodium-free chicken stock; the noodles were just covered. (I like sodium-free stocks so I'm able to control the salt.) The elbow noodles were perfectly cooked! Closer to al dente...definitely NOT overcooked. I do take pasta and rice dishes out of the cooking insert to limit the cook over time as they will get soft. The only extra thing I added was 1/4 c of low-fat sour cream which I just like to add to my mac and cheese. :) Winner for sure...the fam is already asking when I'll make it again.
    February 4, 2018 at 5:48 pm
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    • Kristy D.
      I'm not feeling well tonight (Thank you elementary school! LOL) and was going to just order pizza until I realized I'd have this on the table long before pizza would be delivered. I think tonight is the 4th time I've made this mac and cheese in the past 3 weeks. :) It's a fast, yummy meal each time. To add a protein, I just put some organic nuggets or some type of marinated chicken breasts in the oven before I start the IP. By time the IP reaches pressure, noodles cook, I set the table and mix in the cheese and stuff, the chicken is cooked and ready to serve at the same time. (I have it down to a science now. LOL) At 5 mins. HP then quick release, the noodles are perfectly cooked; I've not had any problems with them being mushy or having to drain.
      February 22, 2018 at 5:47 pm
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  19. Kelli
    Made this in an 8qt IP with roughly half of a 32oz.box macaroni noodles, 1block of sharp cheese, and about 3 cups of broth. So good! I added a little more milk and a sprinkle of salt. Will definitely make this again!!
    May 21, 2018 at 6:53 pm
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  20. jpf
    I'm confused, I this post you tell us not to put dairy before the food is cooked and that matches the recipe however, in the video, you double the amount of the butter and put it in with the water, salt and pasta. Also, should the mustard go in at the beginning with the uncooked pasta or after with the milk. Thanks in advance
    July 29, 2018 at 1:55 pm
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  22. Jill Worlton
    Hmmmm....The youtube video and the recipe are two different things. That is confusing and misleading. In the video they use water. In the recipe, they call for chicken broth. In the video, she uses parsley and in the recipe, they use dijon mustard? I am probably going to be one of those people who missed an obvious detail in the post that would help me understand....If so feel free to correct me nicely. I am not intentionally trying to be an idiot. :)
    October 10, 2018 at 4:35 pm
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  23. Danielle
    Not asking to be negative - I'm really curious. Is there an advantage to doing mac and cheese in an instant pot? It seems like it would take less time to boil the noodles on the stovetop, then add in all the ingredients as usual, versus waiting for the instant pot to build pressure, cook the noodles, then depressurize. Is there an advantage to using the instant pot instead? Again, legitimately curious!
    December 22, 2018 at 5:16 pm
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    • Paula
      I have always used ground mustard in my mac and cheese. I still did this with this recipe instead of the dijon mustard and it turned out great! I may have added extra cheese too. I didn't really measure but one can never have too much cheese. Just thought I would share in case you wanted to try again with ground mustard instead.
      January 14, 2019 at 4:43 pm
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  27. monica johnson
    I made this and my boys loved it! My box mac n cheese enthusiast told me that "it barely tastes like homemade". Of course, I had to leave out the hot sauce and mustard for my picky eaters. Also, I drained the pasta before adding the rest of the ingredients. I am going to try it again with just enough broth to cover the pasta. Thank you for a much healthier alternative to the boxed stuff!
    February 24, 2019 at 9:49 am
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  28. Bernie Pulliam
    I have used this recipe three times with great success. The last time I added a can of evaporated milk after the dish was done I also omitted the hot sauce and mustard. Everybody had two helpings and enjoyed the meal. Looking forward to the next time and another variation. I have made other recipes from Six Sisters and all have come out great. Tomorrow is Orange Chicken!
    March 16, 2019 at 10:04 am
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  30. Michael
    Little confused as the video I originally watched on your Youtube channel say 4 minutes, water and here in the print it says chicken broth and 5 minutes. I'm making it now as per the video. Next time I'll try it with the broth. I gather the broth gives it a better taste? I'm a newbie to cooking and the Instant Pot. Thanks
    November 7, 2019 at 1:42 pm
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  31. Sarah W
    Thank you for the tip about not pressuring milk in the instant pot! That would explain why my cheesy broccoli potato soup always gives me the burn warning. I will try making it with just the chicken broth and stir in milk at the end. About this macaroni recipe, would it work the same with a good gluten free macaroni like Tinkyada fusilli? Or would the pasta need to be cooked longer?
    December 26, 2019 at 10:15 pm
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