Everyone’s favorite comfort food has been made even easier. In only 15 minutes, you’ll have Instant Pot Mac and Cheese smothered in a blend of four cheeses!
Now, who doesn’t love a big bowl of homemade mac and cheese? The days are quickly getting cooler, and I know we’re all ready to cozy up with a bowl of warm, cheesy comfort. I am absolutely in love with my Instant Pot and how much easier it makes my life- especially with this mac and cheese!
I made this recipe in an 6-quart pot, but if you have the 8-quart version this recipe will work just fine for you. I used cream cheese, sharp cheddar, provolone, and mozzarella to create my ultimate mac and cheese sauce. You can always mix it up and create your own blend of favorite cheeses to give your version some personalized flair!
TIPS FOR MAKING THE PERFECT MAC AND CHEESE
- We used whole wheat pasta for this recipe and it turned out fantastic. You can, of course, use regular noodles if that’s what you prefer.
- Evaporated milk creates a beautifully creamy sauce and rich flavor. If you don’t have it handy or don’t like it, you can use whole milk or 10% cream instead.
- If you don’t have dry mustard handy, try some prepared mustard or even turmeric.
- If you try your own blend of cheese, make sure you have one of each of these types:
1. Stretchy, elastic cheese such as mozzarella and provolone.
2. Sharp, flavorful cheese such as cheddar (old or welsh), pecorino, or aged gouda.
CRAVING MORE PASTA RECIPES? TRY THESE:
- Easy Pasta Alfredo
- Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Chicken Bacon Pasta with Tomato Sauce
- Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Chicken and Asparagus
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #cravinghomecooked on Instagram so we can see it. I always love to see what you guys come up with!
Craving More? Follow Along:
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 ounce elbow macaroni
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 3 cups water
- 4 ounce cream cheese
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1 cup cheddar cheese sharp, shredded
- 1 cup provolone cheese shredded
- 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
Instructions
- Shred the cheddar, mozzarella, and provolone, if not already bought shredded.
- Add the macaroni, butter, dry mustard, salt, pepper, and water to your Instant Pot. Stir to ensure all the noodles are submerged.
- Close the lid (follow the manufacturer's guide for instructions on how to close the instant pot lid) and make sure the steam valve is set to seal. Cook on high pressure for 2 minutes if the package instructions for your pasta call for 6 minutes or less. For more than 6 minutes, cook on high pressure for 3 minutes. (Manual 2 min, manual is the default setting, all you have to do is press the down arrow to lower the time)
- Once the Instant Pot cycle is complete, wait until the natural release cycle is complete, should take about 10 minutes. Follow the manufacturer's guide for quick release, if in a rush. Carefully unlock and remove the lid from the instant pot.
- Stir in the evaporated milk and cheeses and serve warm.
This was great! My 16 oz of pasta meant I scaled up the liquid and cheese, but 3 minutes for the “7 minute” rotini left a good texture. I used broth for half the liquid and parmesan, mozzarella, and cheddar with condensed milk and the texture was creamy and melty.
excellent recipe, tasted great and so easy! thank you!
My pleasure, so glad you liked it!
I made this and I think there was too much water. It did not say to drain it but I needed to before I added in the cheeses. It is a good start to a good recipe–just going to have to work on it for the pasta we use and the cheeses. We like a lot of flavoring so upped all of the spices as well. Thank you for getting me started on this! Daughter has been asking for homemade mac and cheese and we are trying to perfect it.
Different brands of macaroni noodles can have different requirements! These amounts were perfect for us, but you may need to make adjustments. I’m sure you’ll be able to perfect it, enjoy!
The only difference between the cheese sauce and fondue is substitute the water for a good white wine. Now, go forth and REALLY enjoy Mac n Cheese.