Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Oh mac and cheese, even when I made you out of a box, I still had to drain you. I knew there had to be a better way. After a lot of internet searching and trying out different recipes, I found that I didn’t have to drain the pasta if I made it in my Instant Pot. I have finally come up with a basic recipe that I like. This recipe is forgiving and can be changed up. I have tried it out on kids and adults alike and everybody loves this recipe. My Instant Pot Mac and Cheese is a winner.
Although I wasn’t too sure of my Instant Pot in the beginning, I have fast realized it is a big help in certain situations. The Instant Pot is a simple electric pressure cooker. I had never used a pressure cooker before I got this one five years ago. I have come to respect it . Pasta is one of the things it really helps me with. If I don’t use the Instant Pot for pasta, I am left with two choices. The first is my microwave pasta cooker, which only works well for certain pastas. I also still have to cook and drain the pasta separately.. My second choice is asking someone to get the pot of hot water and pasta off of the stove and over to the sink to drain. I’m not a fan of asking for help. I am like a toddler who wants to do everything myself.
I have adjusted the seasonings so that there is a little more flavor than the classic blue box mac and cheese, but it is nothing specific. There isn’t enough of either the garlic powder or Sriracha that anyone can actually taste them. They simply round out the flavor of this Instant Pot mac and cheese. I also decided that white pepper would be better tasting in this dish than black pepper. White pepper also has the added benefit of not showing itself in the form of little black flecks. These flecks may be a deal breaker for kids who see “black dots” in their food and refuse to eat it..
I use whatever cheese I have on hand, which usually is Mexican 4 cheese blend and cheddar. I’ve used a cup or two of mozzarella in this before and it was good. I tend to use whatever cheese that I have left in the refrigerator that makes sense. I love chopped tomatoes in my mac and cheese and my husband likes cut hot dogs. Because neither of us cares for the other’s suggestion, we have respectfully decided to not add anything extra to the pot of mac and cheese. I have added chopped tomatoes to my bowl at the end but he has yet to add the cut hot dogs probably because it is too much work and he really just wants to eat his dinner.
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese, keeping our marriage together for the last five years.
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Equipment
- Instant Pot or other Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Elbow Macaroni uncooked
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 cups Water
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder I sometimes use up to a full teaspoon
- 1/2 teaspoon finely ground White Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 2 cups shredded Cheddar I prefer sharp
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican 4 Cheese Blend
- 1 1/2 cups Milk about ½ cup more if needed
- *** (up to ½ cup of cheese can be a mild Parmesan)
Instructions
- Add the uncooked macaroni, chicken broth, water, butter, Sriracha, garlic powder, pepper, and salt to the Instant Pot. Stir to make sure no macaroni is stuck to the bottom of the liner.
- Place the lid on the pot and set the valve to the sealed position. Cook on manual pressure for 5 minutes. Do a quick release.
- Add the milk and stir. Next, add the cheese to the pot in 3-4 handfuls, stirring in between each addition until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning to taste.
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