This Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese recipe is so easy and whips up fast! No need to precook the noodles beforehand! Fresh cheese and butter.
INSTANT POT MACARONI AND CHEESE
I will tell you, hands down, the one main reason I love this recipe for Instant Pot Mac and Cheese is because I do not have to boil the noodles first. It’s the reason why I love my recipe for NO BOIL MAC AND CHEESE. It saves so much time (and dirty dishes) when you don’t have to cook the pasta first!
VIDEO INCLUDED BELOW:
TIPS FOR MAKING PRESSURE COOKER MAC & CHEESE:
- Use any flavor cheese you love with this recipe. I am using white cheddar here but you can use any mild cheese that melts well.
- Sometimes when you do a “quick release” after cooking pasta, the pasta water will spit out. If this happens, close the valve and slowly let the pressure release.
- You can really use any pasta shape. I usually use elbow macaroni or cavatappi (which is the corkscrew looking pasta.)
INGREDIENTS NEEDED:
spiral or elbow macaroni noodles
water
salted butter
evaporated milk
freshly shredded white cheddar
pinch of salt
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT MACARONI AND CHEESE:
Combine uncooked pasta, water, and butter in the basin of your Instant Pot. *Make sure the water comes to the top of your noodles, so that the topmost parts are just under the water.* Close the lid, seal it, and turn your steam release to the “sealed” position.
Press “Pressure Cook”, set to high pressure, and select 2 minutes. The Instant Pot will take around 6-8 minutes to reach pressure, then the 2 minute cooking time will begin. Once the timer goes off, press “Cancel”, and turn your steam release to do a quick release until the steam starts to run slow.
Open your Instant Pot, drain out any excess water that might be in it (there shouldn’t be much), and return pasta to pot.
Stir in the white cheddar, evaporated milk, and a pinch of salt until thoroughly mixed.
Place the lid back on your instant pot, seal it, and press the “Keep Warm” button. Let it sit for a few minutes, then turn your pot off and open the lid. Stir melted cheese thoroughly until creamy and coated, then serve!
Enjoy!
Originally published: July 2018
Updated & republished: June 2020
CRAVING MORE INSTANT POT RECIPES? GIVE THESE A TRY!
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INSTANT POT RAVIOLI
INSTANT POT AMERICAN GOULASH
INSTANT POT MEATLOAF (MY MOST POPULAR INSTANT POT RECIPE!)
THE BEST INSTANT POT BEEF STEW
INSTANT POT BEEF POT ROAST
INSTANT POT MACARONI AND CHEESE
Ingredients
- 1 (16 oz) box spiral or macaroni noodles
- 4 ½ cups water
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
- 2 cups freshly shredded white cheddar
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine uncooked pasta, water, and butter in the basin of your Instant Pot. *Make sure the water comes to the top of your noodles, so that the topmost parts are just under the water.*
- Close the lid, seal it, and turn your steam release to the “sealed” position.
- Press “Pressure Cook”, set to high pressure, and select 2 minutes. Your Instant Pot will take around 6-7 minutes to reach pressure, then your 2 minutes will begin.
- Once the timer goes off, press “Cancel”, and turn your steam release to do a quick release until the steam starts to run slow.
- Open your Instant Pot, drain out any excess water that might be in it (there shouldn’t be much), and return pasta to pot.
- Stir in the white cheddar, evaporated milk, and a pinch of salt until thoroughly mixed.
- Place the lid back on your instant pot, seal it, and press the “Keep Warm” button. Let it sit for a few minutes, then turn your pot off and open the lid.
- Stir melted cheese thoroughly until creamy and coated, then serve!
Video
Nutrition
kids are not fond of cheddar…can velvetta be substituted?
I don’t see why not! 🙂 You could also go to the deli counter and ask for a chunk of white American cheese. It’s still super creamy and has a mild taste as well!
Is there an alternative to using an Insta pot?
Yes, I have two other recipes on my site here for Mac and Cheese. One is for the oven and the other is for the slow cooker. 🙂
How hard was the clean up of the insta pot after making the mac and cheese?
Could 2% milk be used to reduce calories?
Love this recipe but I had A LOT of water spatter with butter in it when I quick released. Any tips?
I used stuff I already had in the fridge – a bag of shredded cheese and some half-and-half. Didn’t need to use to keep warm function as it melted quickly once I stirred it together. Will definitely add this to my quick and easy last minute meals!!
Yay! So happy you liked the recipe. But boo for the splatter! Now that I’ve had my IP for a while, I’ve learned that pasta needs time to naturally release before releasing the valve all the way. Give it about 8-10 minutes, then turn the valve to release the rest of the pressure. Hope that helps! 🙂
Cover your release valve with a clean kitchen towel. I keep one by mine for quick releases.
Hey Brandie!
If I halved the recipe, would the cooking time still be the same?
Hey Tamara! That’s a good question. I would keep the same cooking time. You may notice some liquid still in there right after opening the lid. That’s normal. As it slowly begins to cool, it will absorb that liquid.