Instant Pot Mac and Cheese: The ultimate comfort food, creamy, cheesy, and incredibly easy to make. Perfect with whole wheat pasta too!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: This recipe cooks the macaroni and cheese sauce together in the Instant Pot, saving you from extra dishes!
Prep time: Less than 30 minutes
Equipment: Instant Pot
Servings: 8
Mac and cheese is a classic comfort food, and in my book, it’s right up there with freshly popped popcorn. There’s just something about that perfect combination of creamy, cheesy pasta that is utterly irresistible.
I’m not particularly picky about my mac and cheese. Whether it’s the boxed kind, a frozen version, or something from a restaurant, if it has pasta and cheese, I’m usually a happy camper.
That being said, this Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe is seriously delicious! While I’ll happily eat any mac and cheese, given the choice between this homemade version and the blue box, I’m confident you can guess which one I’d pick.
While there are other mac and cheese recipes out there, this is the first Instant Pot Mac and Cheese recipe I’m sharing. If you enjoy quick and easy recipes, especially those made in the Instant Pot, then you’re in the right place!
About Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
What I love most about this recipe is its simplicity. Everything cooks right in your pressure cooker, so there’s no need to boil the pasta separately. It’s fast, easy, and practically hands-off, which means less cleanup!
This Instant Pot mac and cheese starts like any other mac and cheese: with water and pasta. It cooks under pressure for just 4 minutes, and then you release the pressure. After that, you just stir in the seasonings, evaporated milk, and the cheese. Stir until melted, and then dig in!
What You’ll Need
- Elbow Macaroni: This recipe makes a generous amount, using a whole 16-ounce box of macaroni, which is about 4 cups of dry pasta.
- Water: You’ll need 4 cups of water to cook the pasta. The dry pasta will absorb all the water as it cooks, which is pretty amazing!
- Kosher Salt: I usually use kosher salt when I’m cooking. If you’re using table salt, you may want to use a little bit less.
- Evaporated Milk: Find canned evaporated milk in the baking aisle. Evaporated milk is regular milk that has had some of the water removed. It’s shelf-stable, so you can keep a can or two in your pantry for recipes like this.
- Ground Mustard: This dry, light yellow powder adds a subtle seasoning. It won’t make your recipe taste like mustard!
- Garlic Powder: This is optional, but if you enjoy garlic, it adds a subtle garlic flavor that really enhances the recipe.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Buy a block of cheese and shred it yourself for the best results. Pre-shredded cheese often has additives that prevent the cheese from clumping, which can also prevent it from melting smoothly. However, I’ve used both types with no problems! (See FAQs below)
- Shredded Parmesan Cheese: With two kinds of cheese, you can be sure there is plenty of cheesy goodness in this recipe.
Should I Shred My Own Cheese?
I’ve made this recipe both ways: with packaged shredded cheese and with cheese I shredded myself. I’m happy to say both ways work.
My preference is to grate the cheese yourself. It yields a slightly creamier end result with a better overall consistency BUT the difference is pretty minimal. I’m all about a shortcut here and there so if all you have time for is store-bought shredded cheese, go for it!
FAQs
FAQs
YES! I make this recipe with both whole wheat pasta and regular macaroni, and both turn out fantastic.
YES! I’ve baked the mac and cheese, and it’s super delicious. This is usually how I reheat the leftovers. It’s fun to repurpose it a little so you don’t feel like you’re eating exactly the same
thing. Be sure to grease your baking dish with nonstick spray, and sprinkle the top with extra cheese, crushed crackers, or buttered
bread crumbs for good measure. If you have quite a lot leftover (6 cups), you’ll definitely want to try my
macaroni and cheese pizza recipe.
YES! Go wild! I love the flavor of sharp cheddar in macaroni and cheese, but you could also use Colby Jack for a more mild mac, or you could get fancy with Gruyère, or spice it up a little with
pepper Jack cheese. Have fun, that’s what cooking is all about!
What To Serve with Mac and Cheese
Mac and cheese is a versatile dish, perfect as a main or side dish. If serving as a main, a simple green salad or a
citrus salad rounds out the meal nicely.
As a side, macaroni and cheese goes great with grilled chicken or
grilled salmon. We also enjoy it with air fryer chicken tenders or
air fryer chicken nuggets. And for a heartier meal, try it with tender melt-in-your-mouth ribs and tangy homemade
coleslaw?
More Mac and Cheese Recipes
- Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with Broccoli (cook healthy green broccoli in your mac and cheese, all in one pot!)
- Easiest Ever Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- Panera Copycat Mac and Cheese
- Green Chile Mac and Cheese
- Mac and Cheese Pizza
- Crockpot Mac and Cheese
- Microwave Mac and Cheese (like Easy Mac, but so much better!)