Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Total Time
25 mins
Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Rating
4.9 out of 5 stars
(40)
Ingredients
6-8 servings
- 1 pound uncooked pasta
- 3 2/3 cups water
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (or 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard)
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- fine sea salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1 cup whole milk (or evaporated milk or half and half)
- 4 cups freshly-grated sharp cheddar cheese (or see other cheese options below)
- 1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
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Preparation
Step 1
Prep the pasta. Add pasta, water, butter, mustard, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon salt to the bowl of an Instant Pot, and briefly stir to combine.
Step 2
Pressure cook. Cover and set lid to “Sealing.” Cook on high pressure (“manual”) for 4 minutes, followed by a quick release. Remove lid.
Step 3
Add the milk and cheeses. Add in the milk and stir briefly to combine. Then add in the cheeses and gently stir until they have completely melted into a creamy sauce. The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits, so if it seems too thin, just let it rest for an extra minute or two. Taste the dish and season with extra salt and black pepper, if needed.
Step 4
Serve warm. Serve warm and enjoy!
Step 5
Save recipe for the next time?
Chef's notes
Pasta options:
I have only tested this recipe with traditional semolina pasta. Different shapes/types of pasta (such as whole-wheat or gluten-free pastas) may have a slightly different cooking time.
Milk options:
You can decide how creamy you would like to make this mac and cheese! We are quite content with using whole milk in our house, but evaporated milk or half and half would make things extra-creamy and delicious.
Cheese options:
Cheddar, Fontina, Gouda, Gruyere, Havarti, Monterey Jack, Provolone — or a combination of any of these cheeses — all melt well into mac and cheese.
Why “freshly-grated” cheese:
Most pre-shredded cheeses that you can purchase at the store have a coating on them that prevents the cheeses from melting well. It’s best to purchase cheese in blocks and then grate it yourself just before adding it to the recipe.
