Instant Pot Mac and Cheese - the easiest way to make creamy and cheesy macaroni your whole family will love! It's so easy to make with 5 ingredients right in your pressure cooker.
I cook pasta in my Instant Pot every week. Our favorites include the Spaghetti (fail-proof) and Pasta Carbonara.
Forget the box mac and make this mac and cheese with real ingredients, real cheese in just 12 minutes. This is the fastest and fail-proof way to make this classic dish that the whole family will love. The Instant Pot pressure cooker wins again! This macaroni and cheese could not be easier to make. Even my 11-year-old can make it!
This recipe is perfect for busy weeknights or simply when you are craving comfort food. You can jazz up this mac by adding steamed vegetables or cooked meat.
Instructions
- Place water, macaroni, nutmeg and butter in your Instant Pot insert.
- Close lid, set valve to sealing and set timer to 5 minutes. The IP will take about 7 minutes to come to pressure.
- Once done, stir the macaroni. Add evaporated milk and cheese, ½ cup at a time until it's your desired texture.
- Serve right away or place in a baking dish, top with breadcrumb topping if desired and place under broiler to toast it up.
Ingredients
- elbow macaroni
- water and chicken or vegetable stock
- nutmeg, salt and pepper
- butter
- evaporated milk (or half and half)
- cheese (mozzarella and cheddar)
Can I double this recipe?
Yes, you can double the ingredients to make more mac and cheese. The cooking time stays the same.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Reheating Instructions
If you store cooked mac and cheese, the pasta will soak up the sauce. You can reheat this mac and cheese right in your Instant Pot, on the saute setting, or on stove-top but you may need a little bit of milk to get the desired consistency.
Variations
- add broccoli, peas and carrots, corn, etc
- add cooked chicken, turkey or ham
- serve with pulled pork on your next barbecue
More Instant Pot pasta recipes:
For more recipes using the digital pressure cooker, feel free to browse our Instant Pot Category.
Also, check out my Instant Pot Guide for Beginners, filled with all the info you need to get started with your new appliance! Seeing BURN message on your IP? Read my Instant Pot Burn Message post to learn why and how to save your dish.
If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment! 😀
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 cups elbow macaroni uncooked
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chicken stock low-sodium
- 1 cup water
- 12 oz. can evaporated milk
- 1 ¾ cup shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1 ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place macaroni, butter, nutmeg, salt, stock and water in Instant Pot insert. Close the lid and set the valve to "sealing" position.2 cups elbow macaroni, 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 cup chicken stock, 1 cup water
- Press the "manual" or "pressure cook" button and set timer to 5 minutes. Make sure your Instant Pot is set to high pressure. The pressure cooker will take about 7 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking.
- When the IP beeps, press "cancel/off" button and wait one minute. Then switch the valve to quickly release the pressure. Open lid carefully, away from your face.
- Stir macaroni.
- Add milk to macaroni and stir well.12 oz. can evaporated milk
- Add cheese, half of a cup at a time, until you reach desired consistency. See notes.1 ¾ cup shredded mild cheddar cheese, 1 ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- You can serve mac immediately or bake in a dish with breadcrumb topping, if desired.
Beatrix says
I love this recipe. I recommend it to everyone.
Donna says
My daughter has already mastered this recipe to perfection because she loves this pasta.
J.K. says
As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I had to make it! The pasta came out delicious!!!
Jola says
Finally, my kids have stopped buying this cheese pasta! In the blink of an eye they make it at home and it tastes so much better. Thanks for the recipe Anna!
Diane Cohen says
My family's favorite recipe for mac and cheese! I have made it many times!
Kris says
Crowd pleaser EVERY time! I love how quick and easy this recipe is.
Sheri Smith says
I made this the other night. It was so easy and so very good! This will be my new go to! I did use gryure cheese too because I happened to have it on hand. I also used half & half. I did sprinkle with bread crumbs and bake a bit because my son likes it that way. This recipe would be just as amazing as is, too! Thank you for this deliciousness.
Elsa says
I have a 10q instant pot and have a large crew to feed could you tell me how many cups of pasta I would use. I do want to make as much as the 10q can hold. Thanks
Anna says
I think you can easily double the recipe, Elsa! I don't have the 10qt Instant Pot and didn't test the recipe in this size.
Lori says
Nice recipe for 2 adults. I used extremely sharp cheddar and Parmesan as cheeses of choice. Since my husband likes his mac and cheese baked with topping, I just added some and shoved it in the oven for a spell. Perfect and so little time even with baking. Thank you.
April says
How can I double this recipe?
Anna says
Hi April! To double the recipe use: 4 cups macaroni, 2 tablespoons of butter, 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of salt, 2 cups chicken stock, 2 cups of water, 2 cans of evaporated milk, 3.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese, 2.5 cups mozzarella cheese and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. The cook time stays the same. I hope this helps!
Monique says
How do you cook wheat pasta in the instapot I did it for the 5 minutes like it said and then release the pressure and it wasn't cooked all the way
Shaquwanna says
Can I make this in a crockpot? If so what would the cook time be?