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Home > Main Dish > Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe

CrockpotDinnerInstant PotMain DishMeatlessPastaQuick MealsSide Dishes

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This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese goes from pot to table in under 30 minutes, and is SO creamy and delicious! This macaroni and cheese is WAY better than the boxed stuff, and perfect as a side or main dish!

This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese goes from pot to table in under 30 minutes, and is so cheesy and delicious! Way better than the boxed stuff!

I’m currently writing this to you bundled up in my kitchen, donning furry socks, an oversized sweatshirt, and wrapped up in a fleece blanket. Y’all, it is EIGHTEEN degrees outside my door here in Texas right now! I don’t even know what to do with this kind of cold weather!

My older kiddos were out of school yesterday because of the sleet and icy roads, so it was an extra long weekend over here. I know there is snow and MUCH colder weather in other parts of the country right now, so for that I will try to keep my complaints to a dull roar. But man, I thought south Texas would be in the clear when it comes to this kind of weather nonsense!❄️

This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese goes from pot to table in under 30 minutes, and is so cheesy and delicious! Way better than the boxed stuff!

While we were cooped up yesterday, I decided to make some mac and cheese for lunch and pulled out my new favorite kitchen gadget, the Instant Pot, to whip it up. This is a version of my sister’s macaroni and cheese recipe that we make in the crockpot a lot. I’ve been making it in the Instant Pot for awhile now and have it tweaked to be super creamy and full of flavor, too.

I’ve tried a few other Instant Pot mac and cheese recipes and just haven’t been pleased with the flavor, but this one delivers, while still being mild, creamy, and delicious.

Now if you’re looking at the recipe and not feeling so sure about adding onions to your macaroni and cheese, let me tell you that you won’t even notice them in the final product. My kiddos would for sure pick out onions if they saw them in their mac and cheese, but in this recipe the onions kind of just melt into the noodles, leaving behind just an extra boost of flavor. Just make sure that you finely dice them! This is our FAVORITE way to make homemade mac and cheese now and my kids devour this! Hope you enjoy it, too!

*Be sure to check out my Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup if you’re looking in more Instant Pot recipe goodness!!

This Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese goes from pot to table in under 30 minutes, and is so cheesy and delicious! Way better than the boxed stuff!

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese goes from pot to table in under 30 minutes, and is SO creamy and delicious! This macaroni and cheese is WAY better than the boxed stuff, and perfect as a side or main dish!
5 from 12 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 538kcal
Author: Ashlyn Edwards | Belle of the Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup finely diced onion
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 3 cups water
  • 12 oz dry elbow macaroni pasta
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • pepper to taste
  • 1 12 oz can evaporated milk (full fat)
  • 3 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese (I prefer sharp cheddar)

Instructions

  • Turn Instant Pot to sauté and melt the butter. Add in the onions and cook until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for one additional minute, stirring constantly to prevent garlic from burning.
  • Pour in the water, dry macaroni, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir everything together then place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the valve to "sealing." Cook over manual high pressure for 4 minutes.
  • When the time is up, perform a quick release and flip the valve to "venting" to release the steam. Once the steam is completely released and the pin has dropped, open the lid and stir the noodles. Turn the pot to sauté again, and pour in the evaporated milk and half of the shredded cheese. Cook for about 5 minutes until thick and creamy. Stir very often to keep the noodles from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  • Hit "cancel" to turn off the heat, then add in the rest of the cheese. Stir well and serve. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 538kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 825mg | Potassium: 373mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 760IU | Vitamin C: 2.4mg | Calcium: 576mg | Iron: 1.2mg
Tried this Recipe? Let me know!Mention @TheBelleoftheKitchen or tag #BelleoftheKitchen

 

This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese goes from pot to table in under 30 minutes, and is so cheesy and delicious! Way better than the boxed stuff!

 

If you like this Instant Pot Mac and Cheese, then you might also like:

Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup
My family LOVES this Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup. It's so creamy and full of flavor; plus ready in a flash!

 

Crockpot Chicken and NoodlesCrockpot Chicken and Noodles - a comforting, home cooked meal made right in your slow cooker. This is a family favorite!

Please share!

« Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup
Chipotle Pork Carnitas Burrito Bowls »


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Comments

  1. Pam Greer says

    March 1, 2019 at 12:43 pm

    5 stars
    I can’t believe I haven’t tried mac and cheese in my Instant Pot yet!! We are supposed to get really cold next week (well, really cold for TN) so this will be perfect!

    Reply
  2. Natalie says

    March 1, 2019 at 12:37 pm

    My kiddo is such a huge fan of mac and cheese. I never made it in a instant pot, so I definitely must give this recipe a try. Looks super delicious.

    Reply
  3. Jacqueline Debono says

    March 1, 2019 at 12:17 pm

    5 stars
    What a great idea to make mac and cheese in the Instant Pot! I would never have thought it would turn out so good. But, yours looks really yummy!

    Reply
  4. Tayler Ross says

    March 1, 2019 at 12:15 pm

    5 stars
    This is by far the BEST Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe I have ever tried! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Veena Azmanov says

    March 1, 2019 at 11:17 am

    5 stars
    Mac and cheeese my family favorite. Love the Instant Pot cooking this yummy dish.

    Reply
  6. Claudia Lamascolo says

    June 23, 2018 at 7:43 am

    5 stars
    We all love mac and cheese here and I make it once a week. I cant wait until christmas and hope someone buys me this pot. I see that it surely makes a mouth watering pasta dish!

    Reply
  7. Natalie says

    June 23, 2018 at 7:05 am

    5 stars
    I love mac n’ cheese! Looks so delicious and perfect for a cozy, hearty dinner! Saving this recipe for a bit colder days 🙂

    Reply
  8. Jacqueline Debono says

    June 23, 2018 at 3:53 am

    5 stars
    I think I’m one of the few people I know who doesn’t own an Instant Pot! But the more I see of the delicious dishes you can make with one, the more I need to get one!

    Reply
  9. camila says

    June 22, 2018 at 10:33 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious Mac and cheese! Never thought of making it in the instant pot!!

    Reply
  10. Carissa says

    June 22, 2018 at 8:46 pm

    5 stars
    I just got an Instant Pot and I am obsessed! I’ll definitely be making mac and cheese with it!

    Reply
  11. Renee says

    January 29, 2018 at 7:01 pm

    How much is 12 oz in cups ?

    Reply
    • Ashlyn says

      January 30, 2018 at 8:24 am

      Hi Renee, I like to use my kitchen scale to measure because it’s the most accurate. I just weighed the noodles then measured using cups and it comes out to just a tiny bit less than 2 and 3/4 cups.

      Reply
  12. Ushmana says

    January 21, 2018 at 2:53 am

    5 stars
    Anyone who doesn’t like mac and cheese must be insane because I am insanely in love with anything mac and cheese in it. The fact that this is instant and is ready by 30 minutes makes me so hyped up to make this right away! Thank you so very much for sharing, Ashlyn!
    ALL the love!

    Reply
  13. Krista says

    January 18, 2018 at 8:25 pm

    I love this! I love what you can do in an instant pot!

    Reply
  14. jessica | novice chef says

    January 18, 2018 at 5:17 pm

    My instant pot is my new BFF! My girls will LOVE this!

    Reply
  15. Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says

    January 18, 2018 at 12:26 pm

    This looks like pure comfort to me!

    Reply
  16. Des says

    January 18, 2018 at 10:58 am

    5 stars
    Comfort food at it’s finest! I love how simple it is to make.

    Reply
  17. Dee says

    January 18, 2018 at 9:43 am

    5 stars
    I’m obsessed with my IP right now, and I cannot wait to make this for my kids and hubs!

    Reply
  18. Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

    January 17, 2018 at 10:06 pm

    That looks absolutely perfect, yum!

    Reply
  19. Amanda says

    January 17, 2018 at 9:01 pm

    Seriously can’t wait to try this recipe!!

    Reply

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Welcome!

Ashlyn bio picWell hello! I'm Ashlyn, and I'm so glad you're here! I hope you're hungry, cause I've got lots of family-friendly eats and treats just waiting for you! I'm a wife, mama, taco lover, and am blessed to be living in the great state of Texas. I love the south, cold brew coffee, Georgia football, cooking, and EATING!

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