Instant Pot Creamy Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

Published: May 27, 2020Updated: September 8, 2020Author: Kristen Hills
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
Lunchtime can be a hit or miss but with this Instant Pot macaroni and cheese, it will always be a hit! It is also super easy and quick to throw together! You’ll be coming back for seconds, it is just that good.
Instant Pot Creamy Macaroni and Cheese Recipe

In our house, we LOVE macaroni and cheese! All of the different kinds. Even the box kind if my husband is making it. 😉

When we came up with this amazingly simple Instant Pot idea for macaroni and cheese, I fell in love! It’s so great that I can just pour the noodles in, set the timer and no draining is required.

By making the macaroni in the Instant Pot you cut down on not only the amount of time, but also the dishes to make macaroni. Both are wins in my book!

If you want to try out some more awesome macaroni recipes take a look at our Ground Beef and Macaroni Tomato Soup recipe, or our super delicious Cheeseburger Macaroni (my kid’s favorite meal!) recipe, and another favorite, our Cheesy Macaroni Casserole recipe.

Everything is laid out below that you will need for this beginner Instant Pot recipe!

Easy Instant Pot mac and cheese ingredients:

  1. Elbow macaroni noodles
  2. Chicken broth
  3. Butter
  4. Salt
  5. Whipping cream
  6. Sharp cheddar cheese
  7. Mozzarella cheese
  8. Parmesan cheese
  9. Garlic salt
  10. Parsley
  11. Dry Mustard

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 stove top, 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!)

 

You will also need these items for this recipe for Instant Pot macaroni and cheese:

  • Instant Pot
  • Wooden spoon
  • Knife

 

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

 

What Instant Pot Should You Get?

I have the Instant Pot LUX 6 Quart 6-in-1 Programmable Pressure Cooker. It’s basically 6 appliances in 1 – pressure cooker, rice cooker, saute, steamer, cake maker, and warmer. It is awesome!

I know there are so many different versions and sizes of the Instant Pot now that it can make it hard to choose “the right one”.

  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!

Let’s begin making this popular Instant Pot recipe below!

Begin by having your Instant Pot on the counter and plugged in. Pour in the whole 16 oz box of macaroni noodles and then pour in the chicken broth over top.

TIP #1: If you do not have chicken broth, you can use water, it just won’t have quite as much flavor. 

Then, take the butter and cut it into small pieces and place it in the Instant Pot with the pasta and broth.

Now add in the salt with everything else in the Instant Pot.

Once you’re finished with that, place the top on the Instant Pot and turn the valve to the “SEALING” position.

Next, press the “MANUAL” button and set the timer for 4 minutes and let the Instant Pot do it’s thing.

When the timer runs out, let the Instant Pot sit for another 5-minute natural release of the pressure. After that 5 minute mark, move the valve to the “VENTING” position to release the remaining pressure from the inner pot.

TIP #2: There might be some foam that comes out of the top. Just place a paper towel over top and wipe it off when it’s done.

Now, remove the lid and add in the whipping cream, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese.

Then add in the garlic salt, parsley, and dry mustard and then mix everything together! Keep mixing until the cheese is melted and smooth.

Now just serve it up and enjoy!

Tasty toppings

You can always add some protein to the macaroni and cheese. Here are a few suggestions:

  1. Chopped bacon
  2. Sliced up hotdogs
  3. Cooked sausage

All of the macaroni recipes you’ll need:

 

Serves: 6

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

5 minPrep Time

4 minCook Time

9 minTotal Time

Save RecipeSave Recipe
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 (16 ounce) package elbow macaroni
  • 4 cups chicken broth (or water)
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 teapsoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Instructions

  1. Place macaroni in Instant Pot. Pour chicken broth over macaroni so that all macaroni is covered by liquid.
  2. Cut butter into small pieces and place on top of pasta. Add salt.
  3. Place lid on top of Instant Pot and secure in place.
  4. Move vent to SEALING position.
  5. Press MANUAL button and set timer for 4 minutes.
  6. When finished cooking, allow for a 5 minute NATURAL RELEASE, then move the venting to VENTING to quickly release the remaining pressure. (Some foam might come out of the vent, just use a paper towel to quickly wipe it off)
  7. Remove lid and add whipping cream, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Add in seasonings and mix together until the cheese is all smooth and melted.
  8. Serve warm.

Notes

Just be sure your noodles are covered in the broth before you cook it!

Tags

Cuisines
American
Courses
Dinner
Lunch
Cooking
Instant Pot
Allergy
egg free
soy free
seafood free
treenut free
sesame free

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/

Be sure to not miss another recipe! 

Follow Six Sisters’ Stuff on Instagram | Facebook | Pinterest | YouTube

If you made our recipe be sure to tag us on Instagram so we can see your hard work using #sixsistersstuff.

 

Bring the restaurant to your own kitchen!

Have you heard about our newest cookbook, Copycat Cooking? We took over 100 of our favorite restaurant recipes and simplified them so that you can make them right at home!


Every recipe has a beautiful mouth-watering photo and has been picky-eater approved. The directions are simple, easy to follow, and do not require any strange ingredients.

This cookbook includes copycat recipes from Wingers, Texas Roadhouse, Starbucks, Panera, Cheesecake Factory, Kneaders, and so much more. We have you covered from drinks to dessert and everything in-between.

We are so excited to share these recipes with you. Order your copy today!

Six Sisters’ Stuff COPYCAT COOKING <—– Click here to order!

 

 

 

Leave a Review!

We LOVE hearing from you! Submit your question or review here.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked*.

  1. Stephanie says:
    September 17, 2017
    This recipe sounds delish!! What kind of milk are you suggesting we use: evaporated, whole, skim? Can't wait to try it!!
    Reply
    • Heather says:
      October 17, 2017
      I ended up having to use cashew milk because it's all we had! I don't think it really matters what kind you use. I also only ended up using about a 1/4 cup.
      Reply
      • Marilyn says:
        April 16, 2020
        CAN I USE 1/2 N 1/2 UNSTEAD OF WH. CREAM? Marilyn
        Reply
  2. Melissa says:
    September 27, 2017
    I made this today for lunch with my kids. We all enjoyed it very much. Next time, I'll probably do 6 minutes instead of 5, as I felt like there was a bit more moisture than I wanted when I opened it. Thanks for the great recipe!
    Reply
  3. Heather says:
    October 17, 2017
    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 ;)
    Reply
    • Jamie Lowe says:
      June 10, 2020
      I am having a problem with the recipe. I have made it twice now, and the first time I used the liquid that it called for. I got the burn notice. The pasta was done but scorched on bottom. The second time, I added an extra 1/2 cup of water. I got the burn notice and it scorched on bottom. What am I doing wrong? TIA
      Reply
  4. Renee says:
    October 23, 2017
    Is that about 4 cups uncooked macaroni ?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      October 30, 2017
      Yes. We buy the package and it is 16 ounces.
      Reply
  5. Cathleen h says:
    November 8, 2017
    So easy - added Fontina cheese to chedddar - nice and creamy.Will pass on to friends and family.
    Reply
  6. Emmy S. says:
    December 9, 2017
    Would this work in a Cuisinart pressure cooker too?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      December 11, 2017
      I'm sure it would. You will need to check on the cooking time and temp and compare the instant pot to the pressure cooker.
      Reply
  7. Cari says:
    December 27, 2017
    If I half this recipe is it still the same amount of cooking time?
    Reply
  8. Cindi says:
    January 5, 2018
    I needed to use 6 1/4 cups of broth to cover the noodles. I used 16 oz of elbow macaroni though. ?? I hope it all turns out.
    Reply
  9. Edith says:
    January 6, 2018
    Do you not drain the noodles? You keep the liquid it was cooked in?
    Reply
    • Mary says:
      January 18, 2018
      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.
      Reply
  10. Ckall says:
    January 11, 2018
    Not great... had to add a lot more water to cover noodles, and drain water after. The noodles were over cooked. I think it needs something to help the cheese stick to the noodles.
    Reply
    • Joanne Purdie says:
      June 5, 2019
      The starch in the pasta water helps bind the sauce to the pasta.. it's always a good idea to reserve *some* pasta water, in any pasta and sauce dish :)
      Reply
  11. Kellie says:
    January 19, 2018
    I made this today in my IP and boy was it tasty! There is plenty leftover for a quick snack.
    Reply
  12. Kim says:
    January 30, 2018
    I should have stuck to the recipe and set my Instant Pot for 5 min. Six minutes was too long.
    Reply
  13. Judy says:
    February 3, 2018
    This was the first thing I made in my IP. Delicious! I used left over cheese from a cheese plate. Thanks!
    Reply
  14. Kristy D. says:
    February 4, 2018
    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.
    Reply
    • Kristy D. says:
      February 22, 2018
      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.
      Reply
      • Cyd says:
        February 23, 2018
        The whole meal sounds amazing! Nothing better than homemade mac n cheese. Hope you are feeling better. It's crazy flu season everywhere! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment on the instant pot Mac and Cheese! Have a great weekend!
        Reply
  15. Meegan says:
    February 9, 2018
    Hey. I used 16 Oz of pasta - by weight - not volume- bad idea. I’d love it if you could specify weight or volume in the future for those of us who don’t buy pasta in 16 Oz Boxes. Thanks
    Reply
    • Jay Jay says:
      February 15, 2018
      She did specify...the recipe doesn't state fluid ounces. This is literally common sense.
      Reply
      • Beth says:
        April 26, 2018
        So, it's 2 cups of dry pasta then?
        Reply
        • Bev says:
          February 9, 2019
          1 pound or 16 oz is 4 cups of elbow macaroni.
          Reply
          • Dawn says:
            December 29, 2019
            Fluid ounces, 16 oz is 2 cups of "liquid", not 4 cups.
  16. Dawn says:
    February 18, 2018
    So you know if I double the recipe would I need to add more time? I am new to using an instant pot and have a potluck to go to and would love to bring this.
    Reply
  17. Kelly says:
    April 4, 2018
    Tip: use small noodles, not bow tie pasta. My noodles weren't quite covered in broth so they were a little too al dente for my son who had wisdom tooth extraction yesterday. Tasty though!
    Reply
  18. Jessica says:
    April 6, 2018
    I just made this and it’s super liquidy, the cheese melted into the milk and made a runny cheese sauce, and nothing sticks to the pasta ? One person asked if 16oz was 4 cups of uncooked pasta but 16oz is 2 cups
    Reply
    • Bev says:
      February 9, 2019
      16 oz is 4 cups dry, 2 cups dry is only 8 oz.
      Reply
  19. Kelli says:
    May 21, 2018
    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!!
    Reply
  20. jpf says:
    July 29, 2018
    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
    Reply
  21. Kari says:
    September 3, 2018
    I’ve only had my instant pot for about 3 weeks. I followed the recipe exactly as described and it came out absolutely perfect. Thank you!
    Reply
  22. Jill Worlton says:
    October 10, 2018
    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. :)
    Reply
    • Marie says:
      October 29, 2018
      That is what I thought - I watched the video so I just printed the recipe but it was totally different. Not sure which one is correct?
      Reply
      • Jenny says:
        November 1, 2018
        The video is a different recipe. It's the creamy mac n cheese recipe.
        Reply
    • Jenny says:
      November 1, 2018
      The video is a different recipe. It's the creamy mac n cheese. She specifies this in the very beginning of her post. It is easy to miss.
      Reply
  23. Danielle says:
    December 22, 2018
    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!
    Reply
    • Sally says:
      January 12, 2019
      Yes. You can set it and forget it, and do other things. Plus the broth taste gets inside the noodles.
      Reply
  24. Taylor says:
    January 2, 2019
    Made this tonight, 2 cups of cheese wasn’t nearly enough, all I could taste was the mustard, needs more cheese. Other than that it seems like a good texture.
    Reply
    • Paula says:
      January 14, 2019
      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.
      Reply
  25. Sally says:
    January 12, 2019
    I made this, left out the mustard and hot sauce, and substituted half of the chicken broth with lobster broth (from Better Bouillon) and made lobster mac and cheese. it was great!
    Reply
  26. Stephanie says:
    January 31, 2019
    If I want to double this, do I keep the times the same?
    Reply
  27. monica johnson says:
    February 24, 2019
    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!
    Reply
  28. Bernie Pulliam says:
    March 16, 2019
    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!
    Reply
  29. Brooke says:
    April 27, 2019
    Your recipes contradict themselves. In your written one you say chicken broth and water but your video says heavy whipping cream and water two different things ??
    Reply
    • Joanne Purdie says:
      June 5, 2019
      She mentions in the write up that the video is for the 'creamy' m&c version, and is not the same as the printed recipe :)
      Reply
  30. Michael says:
    November 7, 2019
    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
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      November 11, 2019
      That's because they are 2 different instant pot mac and cheese recipes.
      Reply
  31. Sarah W says:
    December 26, 2019
    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?
    Reply
  32. Patti HARRELL says:
    December 28, 2019
    Super fast, easy, and tasty!
    Reply
  33. Wendy says:
    April 3, 2020
    Could you use water instead of chicken broth??
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      April 8, 2020
      Yes, but it will not be as flavorful.
      Reply
  34. Sarah says:
    April 8, 2020
    This is a disaster. Turned into soupy noodles with some melted cheese. So disappointed. And now I've wasted a whole box of noodles. I followed the recipe to a T
    Reply
    • Sarah says:
      April 8, 2020
      Ok, after stirring for 10 minutes straight, it was no longer soupy (using the saute setting on and off), but the cheese was stringy, and didn't really make a sauce. It was ok. But I'll stick to your crock pot version, that tastes better and is easier.
      Reply
    • Cyd says:
      April 10, 2020
      We are so sorry this did not work for you. We make it all the time with no problems.
      Reply
  35. Ellen says:
    May 12, 2020
    I just made this for the first time...it is awesome! I used up the leftover cheeses we had from a cheese board and it is really yummy!!
    Reply
  36. Danielle says:
    May 13, 2020
    Ahhhh... did this recipe get changed? I always make this but I don’t have it memorized, sadly. My family loves the version with the hot sauce. This is the same web page with the same comments and everything, but a different recipe. Where is the old recipe?
    Reply
    • Cyd says:
      May 13, 2020
      This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese has hot sauce - https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipe/instant-pot-lobster-mac-and-cheese/ Did it have lobster in it? Maybe you could just leave it out if it didn't.
      Reply
    • Jennifer Coppersmith says:
      May 30, 2020
      I have the same problem as my family loves the original as well! I even searched the YouTube channel. Six Sisters can you repost as the Original Instant Pot Mac and Cheese please?
      Reply
      • Jennifer Coppersmith says:
        May 30, 2020
        Scratch that previous comment. I just found it on the YouTube channel under Extremely Easy and Affordable Macaroni and Cheese!😀💖
        Reply
        • Cyd says:
          June 2, 2020
          We have a couple of Instant Pot Mac and cheese videos on Youtube. Here are some of them: https://youtu.be/Fv6NnSrqZLI https://youtu.be/fm778n0QYvQ
          Reply
  37. Kitty says:
    June 7, 2020
    💕Best Mac-n-cheese ever! 💕
    Reply
    • Amanda Jones says:
      June 18, 2020
      We LOVED this Mac and cheese! We had leftovers of it and I made it into baked Mac and cheese the next day. It was amazing! Thank you for the simple delicious recipe!
      Reply
  38. Nadia says:
    July 15, 2020
    It smelt and looked great but unfortunately the cheesy sauce had a weird texture to it. Almost like there was powder mixed in to it. Anyone else experience this? I followed the recipe exactly as stated.
    Reply
  39. Dawn Nary says:
    September 21, 2020
    My family really enjoyed this Mac and cheese. It was so easy to make. Since I don’t usually keep fresh cream on hand and since the recipe also calls for Parmesan I substituted half a jar of Alfredo sauce for the fresh cream. It worked great!
    Reply
BuzzFeedElleGlamourHuffington PostParentingTaste of HomeToday Show