Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Get ready for the best Instant Pot Mac and Cheese!
Since I got my Instant Pot, I’ve discovered it’s really good for making comfort food – those warm, cozy dishes that used to take all day to cook. After using it for my favorite beef stew and for corned beef and cabbage, I decided it was time to put this thing to a real test. I wanted to use the Instant Pot to make the most classic comfort food of them all, mac and cheese.
Well, I don’t mind telling you, this wasn’t that easy. I had to do a little tinkering to get the amounts and the timing just right. But at last, I finally came up with a version that delivers truly perfect mac and cheese: rich, creamy, and incredibly comforting.
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The key turns out to be using a combination of different cheeses, plus milk and BUTTER. That way, all you have to do is cook the pasta with seasonings in the Instant Pot, let off the steam, and then stir in the rest of the ingredients. The heat of the pasta is enough to melt the cheeses and cream together into a perfect, creamy sauce in no time.
With this Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese, you can go from dry pasta to rich, cozy mac and cheese in just 10 minutes. That’s less time than it takes to mix up instant mac and cheese from a box – and this stuff is soooooo much better.
Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Directions:
- Place the dry pasta, butter, garlic salt, salt, dry mustard and water into the IP cooker pot. Place the lid on the top and seal the toggle switch. Press manual (high) and timer for 4 minutes.
- When cooking time is complete, do a quick release and remove the lid when the pin drops.
- Keeping the pressure cooking on low heat (the Instant Pot will automatically go into this warm mode after cooking) Add the evaporated milk, and half the cheeses. Melt the cheeses by stirring, and when the first batch of cheese is melted, add the second half.
- Test for seasoning and add more salt (and pepper) if you prefer. Remove mac and cheese from heat source and let rest for about 5 mins to let the sauce thicken.
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TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS CREAMY INSTANT POT MAC AND CHEESE
Instant Pot: This 6qt Instant Pot pressure cooker is always my go to!
Measuring Cups and Spoons: Each cup’s “ml” and cup sizes have
Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
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Ingredients
- 16 oz pasta
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 cups water
- 5 oz can evaporated milk
- 3 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place the dry pasta, butter, garlic salt, salt, dry mustard and water into the IP cooker pot. Place the lid on the top and seal the toggle switch. Press manual (high) and timer for 4 minutes.
- When cooking time is complete, do a quick release and remove the lid when the pin drops.
- Keeping the pressure cooking on low heat (the Instant Pot will automatically go into this warm mode after cooking) Add the evaporated milk, and half the cheeses. Melt the cheeses by stirring, and when the first batch of cheese is melted, add the second half.
- Test for seasoning and add more salt (and pepper) if you prefer. Remove mac and cheese from heat source and let rest for about 5 mins to let the sauce thicken.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
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LOOKING FOR MORE INSTANT POT FAMILY MEALS?
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- Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken – fan and family favorite!
- Instant Pot Goulash – a classic
Post updated December 12, 2019
Tonight will be my 4th time making it. It’s become a weekly meal for us. Rich enough that we only eat one serving and have plenty leftover and it reheats in the microwave amazingly well. Last week I put a portion of it in a ceramic pie plate, covered it with buttered Ritz crackers and broiled them to brown. Amazing. I’ve only ever made it as written, tonight tho I have to use whole milk since my husband bought SWEETENED condensed milk, wish me luck!
Oh, and thanks so much for this recipe – we love it!
I made this tonight with 2 Cups of macaroni, and it came out too runny/watery. I figured 8 oz = 1Cup, so 16 oz. = 2 Cups. Did I interpret the recipe wrong? Could you clarify how many cups of pasta should be used? I think other commenters with watery pasta may be having the same issue as me. Is 16 oz supposed to be weight instead? Thank you.
Yes, it is weight. It is hard to give cup measurements with the different sized noodles. If you check the package of your pasta, it should say how many oz are in the box/bag.
Absolutely wonderful!!!!
This recipe was fantastic!! It was my first time using the Instant pot and this mac and cheese dish was not only easy but quick and delicious! Thank you!
I’m not sure about all the 5* reviews, but this recipe calls for WAAAAYYYY too much cheese. I love cheese, and this was just too much. Super stringy, with no flavor. I tried putting some sour cream in it to thin it out but there’s no saving it. There has to be better recipes for Instant Pot Mac and Cheese.
I am so sorry you didn’t like the recipe Niki. Did you shred your own cheese or use pre shredded bagged cheese? I find that if I use the pre shredded stuff, it just doesn’t melt or taste the same. You can always add in some sharper cheese if you feel like it was lacking flavor. I hope that helps!