Easy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe
This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese is ready in under 30 minutes, and is SO creamy and delicious! This homemade macaroni and cheese is WAY better than the boxed version, and is perfect as a side or main dish for an easy dinner!
For more Quick Dinner Recipes, be sure to check out my Cheeseburger Macaroni, Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet, and Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup.
If you haven’t tried making homemade mac and cheese in the instant pot yet, then this is the recipe for you! It’s the epitome of classic comfort food, yet it’s simple and quick to make thanks to the Instant Pot.
I’ve been making this mac and cheese recipe for years now and have it tweaked just right; it’s super creamy, yet full of flavor, too. It’s quick and easy for a weeknight dinner, and also makes a great side dish recipe, especially during the holidays.
I’ve tried a few other Instant Pot mac and cheese recipes over the years and just haven’t been pleased with the flavor. But this one delivers with a creamy cheese sauce that is so delicious. It has a game changer ingredient that I believe really makes all the difference: onions!
Now if you’re 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 are picky eaters and would for sure pick out onions if they saw them in their mac and cheese, but in this easy recipe the onions kind of just melt into the creamy macaroni, leaving behind 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! I hope you enjoy it and that it becomes part of your regular rotation, too!
Ingredients for Easy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
- Butter – you will need a tablespoon of unsalted butter for sauteeing the onions and garlic.
- Onion and garlic – about 1/2 cup of finely diced yellow onion and a couple cloves of garlic add so much flavor to the mac and cheese. Make sure to dice the onion finely!
- Pasta – I like to use traditional, elbow macaroni for my mac and cheese, but you could also use any small pasta shape, like shells, mini bowtie, etc. You can also use whole wheat pasta instead; just add 1-2 extra minutes to the pressure time.
- Spices – salt and black pepper are used for seasoning your Instant Pot mac and cheese.
- Evaporated milk – make sure to only use full fat evaporated milk! This will create a super creamy and rich cheese sauce.
- Cheese – I like to use freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese. I recommend shredding it yourself from a block instead of using pre-shredded cheese. It will melt more smoothly into your mac and cheese.
A full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions are located in the recipe card below.
How to Make Mac and Cheese in the Instant Pot – Step by Step
- 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 with a wooden spoon.
- 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!
Tips and Notes
- Milk options: I’m going to be a stickler here and say that I only recommend using full fat evaporated milk as listed in the recipe. I usually like to offer substitutions for ingredients in my recipes, but in this case whole milk, low-fat milk, or even heavy cream just won’t do. Evaporated milk has less water content than regular milk, making it thick and richer. This lends to a more creamy and flavorful mac and cheese, which is the goal here!
- Pasta options: I always make this with elbow macaroni, but you could also use any other short pasta like shells, mini farfalle, rotini, etc. If using whole wheat pasta, add 1-2 minutes to your pressure time. I have not tried this with gluten-free pasta, but it should work fine with the regular cooking time.
- Add some veggies: Frozen veggies like peas, carrots, or even broccoli would be easy to add to your instant pot macaroni and cheese. Just add them in along with the pasta, water, etc. to the inner pot.
- Store any leftover mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes You Should Try!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. I love to hear from you and always appreciate your feedback!
Recipe: Easy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
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!
Notes
- Milk options: I’m going to be a stickler here and say that I only recommend using full fat evaporated milk as listed in the recipe. I usually like to offer substitutions for ingredients in my recipes, but in this case whole milk, low-fat milk, or even heavy cream just won’t do. Evaporated milk has less water content than regular milk, making it thick and richer. This lends to a more creamy and flavorful mac and cheese, which is the goal here!
- Pasta options: I always make this with elbow macaroni, but you could also use any other short pasta like shells, mini farfalle, rotini, etc. If using whole wheat pasta, add 1-2 minutes to your pressure time. I have not tried this with gluten-free pasta, but it should work fine with the regular cooking time.
- Add some veggies: Frozen veggies like peas, carrots, or even broccoli would be easy to add to your instant pot macaroni and cheese. Just add them in along with the pasta, water, etc. to the inner pot.
- Store any leftover mac and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
I haven’t made mac and cheese in my Instant Pot yet. I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Yes please. I will be trying this. We love our mac and cheese here.
I add a tsp of mustard powder and a tsp of cayenne and replace the water with chicken broth. Hands down the best Mac & cheese!
My kids are obsessed with mac and cheese. I can’t wait to see what they think about this… yum!
I love this creamy comfort food dish made right in the Instant Pot. Great on it’s own or as a side dish.
I never made instant pot Mac and cheese before, so I can’t wait to try this! Looks so yummy!
I absolutely LOVE using my instant pot for mac and cheese – as do my kids! So creamy and delicious. I am absolutely bookmarking this to cook up this week! Thank you!
Every time I see an Instant Pot recipe, I remember how badly I want to get one. My family would love this mac and cheese!
I love how easy this is to make in the Instant Pot. Makes pulling together one of my kids favorite meals a snap on a weeknight.
YUM! This looks great! I just got an instant pot for Christmas-always looking for new recipe ideas!
Another great IP recipe! I gotta get one…
Seriously easy and delicious! Yum!
I have been looking for an instant pot mac and cheese. Yeah! thank you for sharing is amazing recipe.
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!
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.
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!