I’ve had my Instant Pot* for a few years now, and let’s be real – I’m definitely not the ultimate Instant Pot expert, but I use it regularly enough to have a few recipes that are worthy of YOU, my favorite internet people.
Friends, this Mac and Cheese is at the top of the list. Top spot, position one, gold medal winner. It could not be easier or cheesier. I love this recipe so much.
And yes, I love our other Instant Pot recipes, too, and you can find them here.
But today it’s all about the cheese. Nostalgic, creamy, simple elbow macaroni and melted cheese is just a golden meal that makes life better.
How To Make Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Step 1: Put noodles, water, and salt into the Instant Pot, plop the lid on to seal it, and push a few buttons. Let the whole thing pressure cook in the Instant Pot under high pressure.
Step 2: Stir in butter, cheese, and milk until it all melts to make your cheese sauce.
Step 3: That’s it. There is no step 3. Grab your bowl and start scooping!
But seriously: my number one goal with Pinch of Yum is to connect with you and share recipes that you’ll actually make and actually love, and THIS! I am confident that this is one that you can and will actually make.
And absolutely one that you will love, assuming you’re into cheese?
Also: my specific Instant Pot is the Instant Pot DUO60* but I have made this in several types (“the old ones” and “the new ones” both) and it’s great all around.
Let’s Discuss The Cheese Selection
The type of cheese you use really does matter here. We’re going for high meltiness factor and big flavor factor.
One of our favorite combos is part sharp cheddar cheese, part Italian blend shredded cheese. Use about 2 cups of the cheddar and 1/2 cup of the Italian blend. This mac and cheese is super flexible though and almost any smooth-melting cheese will be incredible in this pasta. Gouda, gruyere, fontina, and Monterey jack would all be solid cheese choices. Mozzarella and provolone get a little tricky to work with since they’re a bit stringier. We’re going for major cheese bomb here, people.
Mac and Cheese Extras
You’ve made delicious Instant Pot Mac and Cheese and want to level it up even more? May we suggest some of the following to go on top?
- A sprinkle of black pepper
- A dash of hot sauce
- Crumbled bits of salty bacon
- Maybe even more cheese on top? You do you.
Why Use The Instant Pot For Mac and Cheese?
Obviously Instant Pot Mac and Cheese is pretty straightforward and simple and that’s kind of the point, in my opinion? I creep around on the internets and lately I’ve seen people chatting about how frustrating it is when people just use the Instant Pot for “basic recipes like Mac and Cheese.”
Excuse me but I’d like to respectfully disagree. There’s a reason why people use the Instant Pot for basic recipes like mac and cheese, and it’s because, especially in this case, the mac and cheese your Instant Pot can give you is NEXT LEVEL GOOD. I am not food-sciencey enough to tell you how or why this works, but the texture of the creamy sauce that you get a little melted butter, and cheese, and milk?
Ingredients
- 1 pound uncooked elbow pasta
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
- 2 1/2 cups shredded cheese
- up to 1/2 cup whole milk
Instructions
- Noodles: Put the pasta, water, and salt into the Instant Pot. Cook for 4 minutes using the manual function. Quick release the steam so your noodles don’t get overcooked.
- Cheese: Gently stir in the butter until melted. Add the cheese and milk (use 2-3 tablespoons of milk at a time, as needed, up to 1/2 cup). Add more seasoning or liquid if necessary. For best results, let it sit for 5-10 minutes to let it thicken up a bit. MWAH! Enjoy. It’s so, so good.
