Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

mac and cheese on a serving spoon held over an instant pot

4.72 from 7 ratings

from kristineskitchenblog.com

This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese is ultra cheesy and so creamy. It's the easiest macaroni and cheese recipe, perfect for an easy dinner, side dish or potluck.

Prep Time10

Cook Time3

Inactive Time16

Total Time29

Servings: servings

Calories: 409kcal

Ingredients

16 ounces uncooked white or whole wheat elbow pasta
4 cups water
½ teaspoon salt or to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper or to taste
¼ teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese about 2 cups shredded
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese about 1 cup shredded
½ cup milk warmed, whole milk is best

Instructions

Place pasta, water, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder in Instant Pot. Stir well. Even out the pasta to make sure it is all in the liquid.
Close the Instant Pot lid and move the steam release valve to the sealing position. Cook on Manual/Pressure Cook at high pressure for 3 minutes for whole wheat elbow pasta or 4 minutes for white elbow pasta. (A good rule of thumb is to cook pasta in the Instant Pot for half of the cook time listed on the box.)
While the pasta cooks, shred the cheese and warm the milk.
As soon as the cook time ends, quick release the pressure by moving the steam release valve to the venting position. If possible, do a slow and careful quick release by moving the valve a little bit at a time, to slow the release of starchy steam from the pasta and minimize mess.
Once all of the steam has been released and the pin drops down, open the Instant Pot lid and add the butter to the pot. Slowly stir in the cheese, a little bit at a time, followed by the milk. Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired.
If the mac and cheese seems too liquidy, let it sit on the warm setting for a few minutes and it will thicken up. Serve.

Video

Notes

I recommend shredding your own cheese, rather than using pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is often coated with cellulose to keep it from clumping together and it doesn't melt as well.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is only an estimate.