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.
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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 stock or water
- Garlic and onion
- Dijon mustard
- Whipping cream
- 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 Chifferi 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 best version of penne.
- For the liquid, I recommend that you use vegetable stock for an amazing flavor! But you can use water instead. If you’re using low sodium stock, 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 stock 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 stock first, and only after the cooking is finished, you will add the whipping cream, 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 whipping cream, or heavy/double cream if you’re in the UK.
- 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 indulgent Instant Pot recipes? Try:
- Instant Pot chicken alfredo pasta
- Instant Pot broccoli mac and cheese
- Instant Pot chicken mac and cheese
- Instant Pot Rasta pasta with chicken and shrimp
Don’t forget to check out the rest of my Instant Pot recipes!
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I hope that you love every recipe that you make! – Diana x
Instant Pot Mac And Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound 450 grams 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 stock
- 1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese grated
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated
- ¼ 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 stock.
- 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 whipping cream, followed by the cheeses and the parsley. Mix everything together until you get a creamy cheesy sauce. Serve.
Jenny
Question…when it says 1 cup of cheese, is that 8pz before it’s grated, or 1 cup of grated cheese?
Diana
1 cup of grated cheese, if you want it lighter you can reduce it by a 1/4 cup.
Lucy
This Instant Pot recipe is one of our favorites at home. I actually can’t think of anyone who doesn’t love Mac and Cheese. Absolutely delicious!
Meena
Excellent recipe! Thanks