This easy Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe is the perfect kid-friendly weeknight meal. Pressure cooker macaroni and cheese is made with just a few simple ingredients and delivers creamy goodness in under 30 minutes. Forget the boxed stuff; your family is going to love this creamy mac and cheese recipe.
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This mac and cheese is ready in under 30 minutes, from start to finish, and it’s sure to satisfy your comfort food cravings!
Homemade mac n cheese is so easy in the Instant Pot. This is the creamiest, cheesiest macaroni and cheese with little hands-on time.
The pressure cooker does all the work! With this one-pot recipe, you cook the pasta with seasonings in the Instant Pot and then dump in the milk and shredded cheddar cheese.
Sharp cheddar cheese gives this pressure cooker mac and cheese recipe a bold, velvety, cheesy flavor I love. It’s as fast and easy as the boxed stovetop mac and cheese, but has much more flavor!
➡ If you’re looking for more Instant Pot pasta recipes, try my Instant Pot vegetarian rigatoni, spaghetti and meat sauce, sausage pasta, or garlic shrimp pasta recipes. For another delicious comfort food with Indian flavors, check out my Indian shepherd’s pie!
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients for Macaroni and Cheese
Note: cheese is missing from above photograph
💡 Ingredient and Recipe Tips
🍶 Liquid Base: Recipe uses 4 cups liquid (half broth, half water). Use any combination you prefer, even all broth or all water. If using 4 cups of broth, reduce salt as needed.
🧀 Cheese Selection: Use at least 2 cups of sharp cheddar and ¼ cup of parmesan cheese for classic flavor. For variety, mix in Velveeta, American, mozzarella, Monterey Jack, gruyere, gouda, fontina, or cream cheese. American cheese adds extra creaminess!
🚫 Skip Pre-Shredded: Avoid pre-shredded cheese! It contains anti-caking additives that prevent smooth melting and create a grainy texture. Shred your own for best results.
🥛 Creamier Texture: Substitute some milk with half-and-half or heavy cream for a richer mac and cheese.
🌶️ Flavor Boosters: The hot sauce called for in the recipe is not too much and adds flavor. Instead, you can add ½ teaspoon onion powder or stir in chopped roasted chiles for a spicy kick.
👨🍳 Sauce Technique: Add the milk first, then add the cheese in batches, stirring between each addition. Don’t add the cheese all at once!
💨 Pressure Release: Release pressure in bursts to prevent a frothy mess. Empty the Instant Pot condensation collector when you’re done – it fills up when cooking pasta.
🥗 Healthier Version: Reduce cheese to 1½ to 2 cups total and halve the butter. Stir in thawed frozen peas at the end for added nutrition. But honestly, this mac and cheese tastes best with all the cheese!
🔥 Baked Mac and Cheese: Transfer cooked mac and cheese to a greased baking dish. Mix ¾ cup breadcrumbs (plain or panko) with 2 tablespoons melted butter, sprinkle this on top, and broil until golden brown.
⏰ Thickening Tip: The cheese sauce thickens as it sits. Add more milk to reach the desired consistency if needed.
❓ FAQS
Yes, you can double the recipe. Keep the cooking time the same. The Instant Pot company recommends that your ingredients not exceed the ½ full mark of the inner pot. So if you have an 8-quart, you can safely double it.
To halve the recipe, halve the ingredients but cook for the same amount of time.
Whatever pasta shape you use, take the cooking time on the box, divide by 2, and add 1. For example, if the cooking time is 8 minutes, 8 divided by 2 equals 4, plus 1 equals 5 minutes. For al dente, halve the cooking time on the box.
Yes, this Instant Pot macaroni and cheese recipe can be frozen. Transfer the mac and cheese to a large baking dish and allow to cool. Seal tightly with aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bake for about 30 minutes or till heated through and bubbly.
You need to add the cheese in batches, stirring between additions. Rather than using pre-shredded cheese, shred blocks of cheese, rather than pre-shredded cheese.
⏲️ How to Make Mac and Cheese in Instant Pot
- Add water or broth to the Instant Pot
- Add in macaroni
- Add salt and spices
- Stir all ingredients till combined. Make sure the liquid covers the pasta!
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.
- The display will go from On to 04:00. The float valve will go up after a few minutes. The display will count down to 00:00.
- Do a quick release in bursts after waiting for 2 minutes. The steam might take some time to release completely due to the quantity of food in the Instant Pot! Open the Instant Pot once the float valve goes down.
- The macaroni will probably have extra liquid and appear soupy after cooking is done. Don’t worry, I promise it will thicken after resting for a bit at the end. Separate the pasta pieces with a spatula if they’re clumped together.
- Add milk and butter. Add cheese to the pot in 4 batches, stirring after each addition.
- Stir all ingredients and let the pasta rest to thicken. If you find it too thick, add more milk as needed.
See the recipe card below for detailed instructions.
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 16 oz. elbow macaroni (453 grams)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder (ground mustard)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 4 tablespoon butter
- ⅔ cup whole milk or 2% milk
- 3 cups cheddar cheese shredded (See Note 1)
- ½ cup parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Stir together 2 cups water, 2 cups low sodium chicken broth, 16 oz. elbow macaroni, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon mustard powder, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon hot sauce. Make sure the pasta is completely immersed.
- Close the lid and pressure cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes.
- Do a Quick Release of steam, and open the Instant Pot. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Stir in the 4 tablespoon butter and ⅔ cup whole milk. Add the 3 cups cheddar cheese and ½ cup parmesan cheese in 4 batches, stirring after each addition. This will help prevent clumping. The macaroni may appear liquidy, but it will thicken as it sits. If it's too thick, stir in a couple of tablespoons of milk.
Stovetop Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven or deep pan over medium heat. Stir together water, broth, macaroni, salt, pepper, mustard powder, garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon of butter. Stir to combine, pushing down on the pasta so it's submerged below the level of liquid, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, and let the pasta simmer until cooked (about 8 minutes for al dente pasta), stirring every 2 to 3 minutes. If you like the pasta to be well done, add a few more minutes of cooking time.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining butter and milk. Add the cheeses in batches, stirring between each addition.
Notes
- Note 1: Use your choice of cheeses, including fontina, gruyere, gouda, and mozzarella. Add some extra cheese, like a few slices of American cheese, for an extra creamy mac and cheese!
- For Baked Mac n Cheese: After pressure cooking, transfer the mac and cheese to a large, greased baking dish. Mix ¾ cup plain or panko bread crumbs with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Top the mac and cheese with the breadcrumb mixture and broil until the top is golden brown.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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