Enjoy yummy Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese, with a creamy sauce of sharp white cheddar cheese, American cheese, butter, milk and seasoning.
I don’t know about your family, but ours LOVES macaroni and cheese! While macaroni and cheese is not known for being a really HEALTHY meal which is an understatement (*cough, cough), we still love it and have loved it since we were young kids!
Today I want to share a recipe I make for us – Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese, and it’s really good. The Instant Pot cooks the pasta so quickly and then everything else is simply added, stirred, melted, seasoned and then served! By the way, if you don’t own an Instant Pot, be sure to check out my recipe for delicious Easy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese!
If you are fortunate enough to have an Instant Pot (I was given mine and am grateful for it), I hope you’ll consider trying this yummy recipe. It can be served as a side dish or as a main dish (meatless). Here’s how to make Instant Pot macaroni and cheese.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Cook the Macaroni Noodles
Place uncooked macaroni noodles, chicken broth and butter in the inner cannister of the Instant Pot. Give them a good stir, then press the pasta down as much as possible into the liquid. NOTE: You can substitute water for the chicken broth, if desired.
Lock the lid in place, then flip the pressure release valve to SEALING. Now press the MANUAL button (high pressure) and set the timer for 4 minutes. It will take 5-10 minutes for the Instant Pot to reach full internal pressure and then the pressure gauge button will pop up.
The cooking program (and timer) will begin pressure cooking once the machine has reached full pressure. When the cooking time is completed, the machine should beep. Perform a quick release of the steam inside the pot by flipping the pressure release valve to VENTING.
When all steam (and pressure) has been fully released, the pressure gauge button should drop back down, indicating it is safe to open the lid of the Instant Pot.
Add The Remaining Ingredients
Press the CANCEL button to end the cooking program, open the lid and then press the SAUTÉ button. Add milk, Tabasco (or other hot sauce) and yellow table mustard to the cooked noodles in the pot.
Mix the milk, mustard and hot sauce into the pasta very well, to combine them with the cooked pasta. Keep stirring, so the noodles don’t stick to the bottom while heating them on Sauté.
Add American cheese to the pasta and give it a quick stir to combine. I cut mine into small pieces so it will melt faster. The use of American cheese gives the macaroni a nice creamy texture once it melts.
Stir in grated sharp white cheddar cheese and continue to stir constantly until all the cheese has fully melted and been “merged” with the noodles.
Final Step
The Instant Pot mac and cheese should be hot, tender, and the sauce should be quite creamy and cheesy. Stir in a teaspoon of butter and add additional milk, if desired.
The sauce will thicken as the cheese melts, so if you want the sauce to be creamier, add more milk (a little at a time) until the sauce reaches the consistency you prefer.
Take a bite and then season the Instant Pot mac and cheese with salt and black pepper to suit your taste. Continue to cook and stir, and once the pasta is fully heated through, it’s ready to serve. Remember to press CANCEL to turn off the heat for the Instant Pot.
Serve The Instant Pot Macaroni And Cheese
When the Instant Pot mac and cheese is hot, either transfer it to a large serving bowl OR scoop it straight out of the inner pot onto individual plates. Serve the mac and cheese immediately while hot and enjoy it as meatless main dish or as a side dish served with a favorite entree.
I hope you have the opportunity to make Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese for those you love. It really is a tasty side dish OR meatless main dish, and I trust you’ll enjoy it occasionally as much as we do, even if it is rather high in calories.
Thank you for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day!
Looking For More INSTANT POT Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index which is located in the Menu at the top of the page. I have some wonderful Instant Pot recipes you might enjoy, including:
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Instant Pot Cornbread
- Instant Pot Rice Pudding
- Instant Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff
- Instant Pot Green Beans
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↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Enjoy yummy Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese, with a creamy sauce of sharp white cheddar cheese, American cheese, butter, milk and seasoning.
- 2¼ cups low sodium chicken broth can substitute water
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni uncooked
- 2 TBSP. butter
- ¾ cup low-fat milk
- 1 TBSP. Tabasco sauce or other hot sauce
- 1½ tsp. yellow mustard
- 8 ounces American cheese (or Velveeta) cut in small pieces
- 8 ounces white sharp cheddar cheese grated
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 tsp. butter + more milk (if desired) for creaminess
Place macaroni, chicken broth (or water) and 2 Tbsp. butter in the Instant Pot. Stir, then press pasta down as much as possible into liquid. Lock lid; set pressure release valve to SEALING. Press MANUAL button (high pressure) and set timer for 4 minutes. It takes about 5-10 minutes to reach full pressure (pressure gauge button will pop up) and then cooking program will begin. When done cooking, perform a quick release of steam by turning pressure release valve to VENTING. When all steam (and pressure) is fully released, pressure gauge button should drop back down, indicating it's safe to open the lid.
Press CANCEL button, open lid then press the SAUTÉ button. Add milk, Tabasco and mustard to the cooked noodles. Stir well, to combine, so noodles don't stick to the bottom while heating.
Add American cheese; stir to combine, then add sharp white cheddar. Continue heating, stirring constantly until all cheese is melted and incorporated.
Mac and cheese should be hot, tender, and the sauce should be creamy. Stir in remaining 1 tsp. butter. Sauce thickens as the cheese melts, so if you want the sauce creamier, add more milk until it reaches the consistency you prefer. Take a bite, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Continue to heat and stir until pasta is fully heated through. Serve hot and enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!