Instant Pot Mac n Cheese is creamy cheese sauce and pasta heaven in a bowl. It comes together in one pot in just 15 minutes, and is the easiest mac and cheese I’ve ever made.
If you love cheesy pasta recipes, then give my creamy orzo recipes or my cheesy ramen recipe.
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Why this Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe is a Keeper
I love this easy recipe because it’s a quick and easy way to make this creamy classic. You will definitely want to add this 3 cheese macaroni and cheese to your stash of easy dinner recipes.
- 11 Minute Meal: This Instant Pot mac and cheese is one super quick meal, and is almost as easy as if you were to make box mac and cheese.
- Easy Ingredients: All found in pantry or fridge and only a few ingredients. It is the perfect side dish. There is nothing like mac and cheese.
- Family Friendly: Everyone loves mac and cheese. It’s super easy to double the recipe so it’s a real crowd pleaser. So cook as much as you like.
- Easy Clean Up: One pot macaroni and cheese doesn’t leave much mess or many dishes to pile up.
- Adaptable: You can make it low-carb, gluten free or low calorie pasta. It is one of the reasons that I love this recipe.
What Type of Pasta is Best for the Instant Pot Mac n Cheese?
Elbows, cavatappi or rotini are all perfect options to make this homemade mac! Long noodles don’t work as well as the short ones, so stay away from fettuccini or spaghetti.
Ingredient Notes for Macaroni and Cheese in the Instant Pot
To make instant pot one pot meals, you will need just a few easy ingredients. If you don’t already have these ingredients in your kitchen, they can all easily be found at the store.
- Pasta: You will need about half of a 1 pound box of pasta for this ip recipe.
- Cheese: The recipe calls for cheddar and Monterey jack; They are best cheese for macaroni and cheese!
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Prep Ahead Suggestions for this Easy Instant Pot Recipe
When you prepare ingredients ahead of time, it can help save you time and kitchen space when it comes to making everything for dinner!
- Shred the Cheese: Shred your sharp cheddar cheese ahead of time and place in zip top bags or other airtight containers.
Special Equipment Needed for homemade Mac and Cheese
Sometimes you need a specific piece of equipment to make a recipe just right. In this case, all you need is an instant pot!
- Instant Pot: An instant pot or pressure cooker will quickly make mac and cheese!
Pro Tip for Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese Recipe
If you need to thin down your cheese sauce but don’t want to lose flavor, use a little chicken broth!
How to Make Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
This recipe comes together in 3 easy to follow steps. This cheesy instant pot mac is so good, you’ll be adding it to your weekly meal rotation!
These are the basic steps for making Instant Pot Mac n Cheese. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions. Let me know if you made this recipe.
1. Pressure Cook the Pasta
Add pasta, water, All Purpose Seasoning, dry mustard and butter to the instant pot. Close the lid and turn the instant pot to manual for 6 minutes. When mac and cheese is done, quick release the pressure.
2. Add the Milk and Cream Cheese
After pressure releases, there will still be some water in the instant pot – do not drain it. Stir in the cream cheese and allow it to melt. Then, slowly stir in ¼ cup whole milk until combined to make the cheese sauce.
3. Stir in the Cheeses and Milk
Add the cheese and Monterey Jack cheeses and stir to combine. Slowly stir in remaining milk until you reach your desired consistency. You may not need all of the milk.
How to Store, Reheat and Use Leftover Instapot Mac and Cheese
- Storing: This mac and cheese recipe made quite a bit, so store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days.
- Reheating: Reheat homemade macaroni and cheese in the microwave. You can also reheat in a pot on the stove.
- Using Leftovers: Enjoy leftovers with some delicious Easy Sloppy Joes!
Variations and Substitutions for Mac N Cheese Instant Pot Recipe
This great recipe is so versatile! Try taking it to the next level by experimenting with flavors, or trying this with different ingredients.
- Herbs and Spices: Experiment with different herbs and spices like thyme, rosemary, oregano, paprika, cayenne or nutmeg in your creamy sauce.
- Proteins: Feel free to add cooked bacon, ham, or chicken for a more substantial meal.
- Hot Sauce: Add a kick of heat with your favorite hot sauce. Feel free to use as much as you’d like in your melted cheese.
Cheesy Pasta in the Instant Pot Recipe FAQs
Serve this recipe with Garlic Parmesan Green Beans, Grilled Warm Potato Salad or Chili Cheese Dogs.
Yes! There are so many kinds of cheese options, so use your favorite cheese for this quick dinner. You can also add extra cheese to thicken the sauce. For best results, avoid pre-shredded cheese as it doesn’t melt easily.
Add some vegetables to thick stovetop mac and cheese! Veggies like cooked broccoli, cauliflower or spinach are great to add for a healthier twist in this excellent recipe.
Expert Tips for Making The Best Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Adult Version: Preplace the Monterey Jack cheese with smoked gouda and finish off with a little truffle oil to this high pressure cooker recipes.
- Avoid Long Pasta: Long pasta shapes like spaghetti or fettuccine may not cook evenly and can be difficult to stir.
- Cheese: Grate your own shredded cheese for a fantastic fresh flavor if you like mac n cheese super cheesy.
- Crunchy Top: To mimic a baked mac and cheese, transfer to a casserole dish, add bread crumbs and broil for a few minutes for this easy instant pot macaroni.
- Adjust for Altitude: If you live at a high altitude, you may need to adjust the cooking time slightly for this cheesy mac.
- Creamy Sauce: To make extra creamy mac and cheese, you can try a bit of evaporated milk or heavy cream.
Instant Pot Mac n Cheese
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Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups Pasta, I prefer elbows, cavatappi or rotini
- 3 cups Water
- 1 teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Dry mustard
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 3 ounces Cream cheese
- ¾ cup Milk, divided
- 1 ½ cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 ½ cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Add pasta, water, All Purpose Seasoning Blend, dry mustard and butter to the Instant Pot.
- Set Instant Pot to cook on manual for 6 minutes.
- When cooking is finished, quick release the pressure.
- There will still be some liquid in the pot – do not drain it.
- Stir in the cream cheese and allow it to melt.
- Slowly stir in ¼ cup milk until combined.
- Add the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses and stir to combine.
- Slowly stir in remaining milk until you reach your desired consistency. You may not need all of the milk.
Christina’s Notes
- Adult Version: Preplace the Monterey Jack cheese with smoked gouda and finish off with a little truffle oil to this pressure cooker recipes.
- Avoid Long Pasta: Long pasta shapes like spaghetti or fettuccine may not cook evenly and can be difficult to stir .
- Cheese: Grate your own shredded cheese for a fantastic fresh flavor.
- Crunchy Top: To mimic a baked mac and cheese, transfer to a casserole dish, add bread crumbs and broil for a few minutes for this easy instant pot macaroni.
- Adjust for Altitude: If you live at a high altitude, you may need to adjust the cooking time slightly for this cheesy mac.
- Creamy Sauce: To make extra creamy mac and cheese, you can try a bit of evaporated milk or heavy cream.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.
I need to get my instant pot out and make this asap! I’m a sucker for mac and cheese!
Yum! Pretty sure my kids would lick the pot insert if I let them for this recipe! Love how fast this gets on the dinner table.
So creamy and delicious! We will make this one again and again!
This just makes mac n cheese even more easier to eat now 🙂