Creamy, delicious Instant Pot mac and cheese. If you’re wondering how to make macaroni and cheese in your Instant Pot, I’m going to show you how to do it with just 5 minutes of cooking time. This Instant Pot mac and cheese is easy to make and it’s super creamy and delicious!
We love macaroni and cheese around here. Hundreds of satisfied viewers have enjoyed our Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese so we knew you would love a similar version made in your Instant Pot pressure cooker!
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
An Instant Pot is a multi-function cooker that acts as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, yogurt maker, rice cooker, and more. Cooking your elbow macaroni in the Instant Pot is fuss-free and easy, then you stir in your cheeses and milk to make creamy, gooey, delicious mac and cheese!
ANOTHER RECIPE YOU MIGHT LIKE: Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce
Tips for Making Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Please do not use pre-shredded packaged cheese. This cheese is covered with an anti-caking agent that can cause your macaroni to become gritty. Get block cheese from the deli and shred it yourself.
- Measure out all refrigerated ingredients first (including the milk). These ingredients should be at room temperature when you mix them in.
- Cut the cream cheese and butter into cubes so it’s easier to incorporate.
Ingredients we use for Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Elbow macaroni – Please use the standard sized noodles for these instructions. If you prefer to use shells or other pasta, you may need to adjust the cooking time and liquid levels. This recipe was tested with regular elbow macaroni. I have NOT tested this with gluten-free noodles. I used Barilla brand elbow macaroni.
- Chicken broth – I use a “no salt added” chicken stock because it adds a delicious flavor to the noodles as they cook. You can try substituting vegetable broth or you can certainly use an equal amount of water instead.
- Table salt – You can omit the salt if you are concerned about sodium levels. I use regular table salt, not sea salt or Kosher salt for this recipe.
- Garlic powder, dry mustard, paprika – This is my favorite combination of spices for this mac and cheese. Feel free to experiment with other spices if you like. I’ve seen other recipes that skip the dry mustard and use regular yellow or Dijon mustard instead.
- Freshly ground black pepper – The pepper is added “to taste”, so use as much or as little as you like. I used black pepper, but you are certainly welcome to use your own favorite peppercorn variation such as white, pink, green, red, or a medley!
- Unsalted butter – Many people ask if they can use salted butter instead of unsalted butter. If you do, I would definitely omit the salt itself from the recipe. Salted butter has salt, obviously, so it can change the taste of the finished dish. However, it will not affect anything else as far as cooking or mixing is concerned.
- Shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese – Please, please make sure you do not use a pre-shredded cheese for this recipe. As I stated above, pre-shredded cheeses are coated with an anti-caking agent so that the shreds do not stick together in the package. That agent can create a gritty feeling in your finished macaroni and cheese.
- Shredded mozzarella cheese – The same rule applies about shredding the cheese yourself. However, here’s a tip. You can actually use string cheese for this recipe! Just pull the sticks into strings and cut the strings into small pieces. Works perfectly!
- Cream cheese – I used regular, full fat cream cheese for this recipe. You could certainly use low-fat or even try a dairy-free cream cheese substitute. Please note that I have not tested this recipe with anything other than full fat cream cheese.
- Milk – I used Vitamin D milk, but you could easily substitute 2%, 1% or skim as well. I have not tried subbing a dairy free alternative.
Kitchen Tools you will find helpful:
Settings for your Instant Pot:
If you’re an Instant Pot pro then all you need to know is you’ll set your cooker to sealing and cook on manual for 5 minutes then do a quick release.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot, please be sure to read your manufacturer’s directions as well as the safety precautions. There’s a lever on the top of the Instant Pot that has two settings: “sealing” and “venting”. When a recipe says “set to sealing” move that lever to the sealing side. This closes the vent and allows the pressure to build up.
When cooking has completed, you will either do a “natural release” or a “quick release”. A natural release means you will leave that lever in the sealing position until the pressure decreases enough for the float valve to drop on its own.
A quick release means that you will manually turn the lever from sealing to venting. This can be very startling the first time you do it! Steam will come out fast and hard and will dissipate as the steam releases.
Please be sure to place your Instant Pot on a counter that does not have hanging light fixtures above it that would be close enough for escaping steam to reach.
Also please note that while the cooking time is only 5 minutes, it will take 5-10 minutes for you cooker to reach the pressure level to the point where the actual 5 minute cooking countdown will begin.
How to Make Instant Pot Mac and Cheese:
- Combine broth and seasonings in your Instant Pot and whisk together. Stir in the elbow macaroni.
- Place lid on Instant Pot and set to sealing. Cook on manual function on high pressure for 5 minutes. When done, do a quick release.
- There may be a small amount of liquid left in the pot, do not drain. Immediately stir butter and all three cheeses into the hot macaroni. Continue stirring until the cheeses are completely melted.
- Stir milk into the macaroni gradually until loosened and creamy.
This is one of my all time favorite ways to make macaroni and cheese. The broth adds a wonderful flavor and extra-sharp cheddar is a must. It’s creamy and comforting and the perfect side dish to Spicy Oven Fried Chicken, Crockpot Sticky Chicken or these Oven Chili Dogs.
More Macaroni and Cheese Recipes
I mentioned before that we love all sorts of mac and cheese around here. Here are some of our favorites!
- Crockpot Macaroni & Cheese
- Baked Macaroni & Cheese
- Rotini Peas & Cheese
- Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese
- Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
- Macaroni Casserole with Ham and Peas
- Bacon Cheeseburger Pasta
- Lobster Mac and Cheese
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate ItIngredients
- 16 oz elbow macaroni
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 4 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Combine broth and seasonings in your Instant Pot and whisk together. Stir in the elbow macaroni.
- Place lid on Instant Pot and set to sealing. Cook on manual function on high pressure for 5 minutes. When done, do a quick release.
- There may be a small amount of liquid left in the pot, do not drain. Immediately stir butter and all three cheeses into the hot macaroni. Continue stirring until the cheeses are completely melted.
- Stir milk into the macaroni gradually until loosened and creamy.
Nutrition
This post was originally published on this blog on February 14, 2019.
Amanda Davis
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Hannah says
Hello, do you think it would work if we doubled the recipe? Thanks!
Amanda Formaro says
Check the level limits on your brand of Instant Pot. As long as you don’t go over that it should be fine.
Julia says
This looks great! Would it work the same if I only used cheddar and cream cheese? (I don’t have any mozzarella on hand.) Thanks!
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Julia! Mozzarella has a better melting consistency and definitely adds to the creaminess of the recipe. I’m not sure how it would turn out without the mozzarella.
Ruby says
I use a jack cheese as a substitute sometimes Colby jack some time Monterey or pepper jack