This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese is creamy, cozy, and ready fast. Elbow macaroni, three kinds of cheese, and simple seasonings come together in one pot for a stress-free side that’s perfect for Thanksgiving or any night of the week.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights
- Flavor: Rich and creamy with a tangy kick from sharp cheddar and ground mustard, it’s the perfect balance of smooth cream cheese and savory spice.
- Skill Level: This beginner-friendly recipe is a super-easy, extra-cheesy comfort food dish that is made with simple ingredients you likely have on hand.
- Tools: The Instant Pot is a must-have for this recipe.
- Serving Suggestions: Serve as a main dish with a side salad for busy weeknights, or serve it as a side at your next holiday gathering.
Easy Ingredients and Add-Ins
- Pasta: My preference is elbow macaroni, but any smaller-sized pasta can be used, such as small shells or mini penne.
- Seasonings: The pasta is cooked with water, butter, and seasonings for a delicious mac.
- Milk/Cream Cheese: Use regular milk and a little bit of full-fat cream cheese for a creamy sauce. Swap the regular milk for whole milk, light cream, or half-and-half for an extra-rich flavor.
- Cheese: For the best flavor, I use a combination of cheeses, including Parmesan and a sharp cheddar cheese. For a smooth sauce, grate it directly from the block. Pre-shredded cheese can be used, but it may not turn out as smooth!
Variations
- Add a Kick: Stir in a few tablespoons of chunky salsa or a dash of hot sauce for a Tex-Mex twist.
- Make it Heartier: Mix in bacon, diced ham, or cooked ground beef to bulk it up.
- Try New Cheeses: Swap in mozzarella, Colby, Gouda, gruyere, or Monterey Jack cheese for a new flavor.
- Add a Crunchy Topping: Transfer to a baking dish, top with breadcrumbs or Panko, and broil for a few minutes until golden.
Leftovers?
Keep leftover Instant Pot macaroni and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freezing isn’t advised due to the high dairy content.
Reheat in the Instant Pot or in the microwave with a splash of milk or heavy cream (about 1 Tbsp per cup of mac and cheese) to keep the sauce creamy.
More Mac and Cheese Magic
Did you make this Instant Pot Mac and Cheese? Leave a rating and comment below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 ounces elbow macaroni about 2½ cups
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 ounces cream cheese about ⅓ cup
- ¾ cup milk divided
- 2½ cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese about 10 ounces
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a 6qt Instant Pot, add uncooked elbow noodles, water, butter, dry mustard, onion powder, seasoned salt, and pepper.
- Add the lid and turn to seal. Select MANUAL – HIGH PRESSURE for 6 minutes.
- Once completed, turn or press the valve to release any pressure (quick release). There will be cooking liquid in the Instant Pot – do not drain it.
- Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Add ¼ cup milk slowly until blended.
- Add the cheddar and parmesan cheeses and stir until melted, adding additional milk if needed to reach the desired consistency. You may not need all of the milk.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- This recipe can be made with other types of cheese, ensure you use a bold or sharp cheese for the best flavor.
- Shred the cheese yourself for the best results; pre-shredded cheeses have additives and they don’t always melt well.
- Other shapes of pasta can be used, but depending on the shape, cooking time may need to be adjusted slightly.
- You may not use all of the milk; add just a little bit at a time.
- 6 minutes on high should be just right for most brands of pasta, if you use another small shape and find it isn’t cooked through, put the lid back on and let it rest for a few minutes.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Do not freeze!
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Pasta, Side Dish
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Although this was good and the consistency and cooking times were spot on the end product lacked salt and was pretty sharp. My kids didn’t love it. Maybe it needs half of a milder cheese?
Hi Amy, you could definitely try a milder cheese to reduce the sharpness. We have only made this recipe as listed but would love to hear how it turns out!
I made this for a large gathering on a camping trip this weekend and it was a hit! This is my go to Mac and cheese recipe from here on out. Thank you!
Yay! *doing a little happy dance* So happy you love it Pam! We totally agree with you, this is our go-to for sure and it takes hardly any time to make.
I love this recipe. The first time I made it, I used cavatappi.
I was wondering if brown rice noodles can be substituted for the macaroni. I need to make the recipe gluten-free. If it can, please advise me of any differences to the recipe.
Hi Jan, we have not tried this recipe with gluten-free noodles. If you do, please let us know how it turns out!
Very delicious and creamy and very easy to make.
I didn’t have seasoned salt so I sprinkled some paprika and garlic seasoning without salt.
The cheese I used had enough salt so I omitted salt in the recipe.
Wonderful dish. Will definitely make again.
I am so glad you enjoyed the mac and cheese Rosalyn!
My teenager requested mac and cheese tonight and I didn’t have any of the box stuff. I found this recipe and just whipped this up in my instant pot and he said “It’s really, really good Mom”. Definitely a keeper. The only change i made was i used the shells instead of the elbow mac because that was what I had on hand. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly and it was perfect.
That is so great Mona! This recipe is one of my favorites too!
If doubling the recipe, does the cooking time change?
Sorry Lenoir, we haven’t tried doubling this recipe. But if you do, let us know how much time it requires!
Yum. Well spiced. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us! My husband and I love it — it is definitely our go-to mac recipe.
That’s great to hear Courtney! So glad you both loved it!
This was easy and delicious, thank you! I have teenage boys, next time I will double the recipe. So happy I don’t have to make a rue!
We love this recipe too Gayle! Definitely have to double the recipe with hungry teenage boys around.
Seriously the best and easiest mac and cheese ever! Always make it for the kids at family events but the adults lkike it just as much as the kids do! It is my go-to recipe now! Beats standing over the stove making white sauce.
I might even enjoy it more than the kids Tammy! It’s so delicious.
The best one I have tried so far!!!!!!!!!!!
Yay! Thanks Lisa! It is so good!
Way, way, way to much water
I wish I had of listened to my common sense. It came out soupy. Forget the milk too, no need for it. I believe the poster of this recipe doesn’t realize, like cooking rice in the IP, requires 1/2 the water.
I sauteed onion and diced green pepper in a frying pan till caramelized. I used 4 types of cheese. Balderson, parmesan, mozzarella, and cream cheese. I added the green pepper, onion, and cheese at the end. I used cornstarch first to thicken it up and then some flour to correct this mistake. Flavor was great, I also put 1tsp of Knorr chicken bouillon in the cooking water. DON’T USE 3 CUPS OF WATER. USE 1 1/2 CUPS AND IT SHOULD BE FINE. Actually I prefer oven baked Mac and Cheese.
The recipe works perfectly for me as written and based on the reviews, most readers have had great success with this recipe as written. Sorry it didn’t work out well for you.
This stuff is AMAZING!!!! I’m making my 3rd double batch in a month.
Creamy smooth and super flavorful. I sub triple cheddar for the sharp.
I am so glad you have enjoyed this mac and cheese recipe Todd!
When you say double batch, do you mean you fixed it in one pot at once?
Need quick and easy recipes, wife not doing well doing a lot of cooking
Hi Mike, you can find some great crock pot meals here:
https://www.spendwithpennies.com/?s=crock+pot
This is my first recipe I will be making in my new instant pot! I am so excited!!!!
I hope you love the mac and cheese Crystal!
My family liked it I added chopped up cooked broccoli floweretts. definitely a keeper!
Great additions, so glad your family loved it Margaret!
First time trying pasta in my instant pot, and results were OK, not my favorite. It was definitely fast! Tasted homemade in the time it would have taken to stir up the stuff in the blue box, so that was a huge plus.
Needed lots more salt and pepper (I quadrupled the suggested amount to a full teaspoon, and still salted it more at the table) and way less mustard and onion, for our taste. But I MAY have been tasting ghosts of recipes past – because each bite reminded me of the last batch of chili/pot roast/Swiss steak I made in the trusty appliance…?
I also had to add a lot more milk – the noodles were tender but thirsty! All in all, would definitely try again. I liked very much how soft yet sturdy the macaroni got!
Oh, and for the folks having difficulty with stringy cheese – a teeny splash of acid (lemon juice, vinegar, wine, beer, or similar) will cut the strings!
Great tip about the cheese strings Cheryll, I had no idea!
It was good.It’s creaminess of the was there, But, the flavor was bland It needed more salt & pepper
So glad you loved it Cat!
Quick and easy! Thanks!!
So glad you loved it Mel!
This was delicious. I added some steamed broccoli to it and it was delicious. We had leftovers and I threw them in the oven with some cheese on top the next day to heat them up and was delicious and full of flavor.
Glad your family loved it Laura! Thanks for sharing your tips!
Looks like a nice recipe! Does the cream cheese affect the texture? I have more milk on hand than cream cheese and wondered if I could increase the milk and add more shredded cheddar instead of cream cheese? There’s not much liquid going in.
I ask because I don’t normally use cream cheese in my stove/oven Mac n cheese but wondered if it needed it with the instant pot.
Once hot, it will be slightly thicker than milk. It will affect the creaminess of the mac and cheese though. Let me know how it turns out!