Super creamy and rich Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese cooked in under 20 minutes! Made with 3 kinds of cheese, you will never want to have it any other way!
Who doesn’t love a bowl of super creamy and cheesy Mac and Cheese? It’s a comfort food that I love and always crave, and once I learned how to make it in my Instant Pot, I never made it over the stovetop again.
I’ve been really busy lately, and it’s still quite cold in Cardiff and that means I’ve been making Instant Pot meals every day! I love how my beloved Instant Pot is making my life much easier. Here’s my version of mac and cheese, I hope that you love it as much as we do!
INSTANT POT MAC AND CHEESE
After testing so many different mac and cheese recipes in my Instant Pot, I finally found the best recipe! It’s super creamy, cheesy, mouthwatering and just perfect!
Fun fact: In the UK, this dish is called Macaroni Cheese. In the US and Canada, it’s called Mac and Cheese or Mac n Cheese.
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
- Instant Pot Duo 6 Qt 7 in 1
- Wooden spoon
- Chiferri Rigati pasta
- Sharp cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese
- Vegetable or chicken broth
- Garlic and onion
- Dijon mustard
- Milk
- Parsley
- Salt and pepper
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT MAC AND CHEESE
- You can use any kind of short pasta that you like, I normally use this Chiferri Rigati pasta for my mac n cheese. I love it because it’s short pasta but it’s not too small, and it helps make that squeaky sound when stirred with the sauce. It’s the bent version of penne.
- For the liquid, I recommend that you use either vegetable or chicken broth for an amazing flavor! If you’re using low sodium broth, then you can safely add a little bit of salt.
However, I recommend that you have a taste at the end of the cooking, and then decide whether you need to add salt or not. The cheese is salty, and the broth can be salty as well so you don’t want to end up adding too much salt to your mac n cheese. - Add onion and garlic. Fresh onion and garlic make such a huge difference, if not available then you can use dried onion and garlic granules.
- Add dijon mustard! It adds a depth of flavor, and you can also add a little bit of hot sauce as well. It won’t make your mac n cheese hot, just more flavorful.
- You’ll be cooking the pasta along with the seasonings and broth first, and only after the cooking is finished, you will add the milk, and the cheeses that you are using.
- I normally use 3 kinds of cheese for maximum flavor. Sharp cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan. You can leave out the parmesan if you’re vegetarian or if it’s not available.
- Cook the pasta on high pressure for 5 minutes, then do a quick release. Open the lid, and stir in the cheeses. Make sure that you stir in the cheeses right away and stir very well. This will make sure that your cheeses are perfectly melted and you’re not left with any clumps.
- After opening the Instant Pot lid, keep the mac and cheese on “keep warm” setting. This will help melt the cheese, but if you feel like your pasta might burn at the bottom then switch it off right away.
- Use full-fat milk. If you’re avoiding cows milk, then you could substitute with plant milk. I tested this recipe with almond milk and it worked great. Avoid using canned milk.
- Stir in chopped parsley for a little bit of color and enjoy warm!
- This Instant Pot mac and cheese can be left in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheated in the microwave or in the Instant Pot.
LOOKING FOR MORE INSTANT POT RECIPES? TRY THESE:
Instant Pot Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Instant Pot Buttered Potatoes (AMAZING RECIPE!)
Don’t forget to check out the rest of my Instant Pot recipes!
If you make this recipe, please don’t forget to rate it and share a picture on social media. Tag #LittleSunnyKitchen in your posts as I would really love to see what you make! Thank you for supporting Little Sunny Kitchen, so I can keep sharing my family recipes with you for free.
Instant Pot Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
- 3 cups (300 grams) macaroni pasta dried
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 4 cups (1 litre) vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 cup (250 ml) milk or almond milk
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup parmesan Cheese grated
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
Instructions
- In the pot, add the pasta, garlic, onion, mustard, butter, nutmeg, salt, and pepper, and vegetable broth.
- Close the lid, seal valve and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. When the cooking is finished, do a quick release.
- Open the lid, add the milk, followed by the cheeses and the parsley. Mix everything together until you get a creamy cheesy sauce. Serve.
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