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
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This is my go-to dinner party dish! I think -at this point I’m known for my mac & cheese. This instant pot recipe is great for beginners but none the less a 10/10 recipe. Hands down creamiest, cheesiest, & thickest mac & cheese you’ll ever have !
This is a fantastic recipe and the instructions are spot on. If this was a fail for you, it is because you did something wrong. I used mild cheddar and whipped Philadelphia cream cheese. Good cooks know to taste test after cooking. The only thing this needed for my taste was a tiny bit more seasoned salt. You can’t put this in the pressure cooker and then walk away. “Mis en place” the ingredients and do a quick release immediately after the cook time is done. And then slowly add the cheeses and milk right away. Hubs, who generally won’t eat any mac ‘n cheese but the blue boxed version declared this a winner! Awesome…thankyou. We will have this again and again.
Yummy.. this is soooooo good!! I am a new instant pot user and this was my first mac and cheese recipe I tried and I will not try another it is so yummy yummy yummy yummy!!
This Mac and Cheese recipe is my weeknight go to! It is always gooey and good with minimal effort. My only addition is to spray your instant pot with cooking spray before hand to help with the cheesy clean-up.
My kids loved this! My older ate 3 healthy portions of this and my little one had enough to make one adult serving! The adults feel that it’s lacking some depth in flavor. I’m wondering if substituting some of the milk for heavy cream or sour cream would help add to the richness and flavor dimensions that we are searching for. Otherwise, we will be trying this again soon with some twist.
How much time would you use in the instant pot for gluten free pasta or quinoa pasta?? Mine always comes out so mushy it’s so hard to tell??
I haven’t tried it with gluten free pasta, so hopefully another reader can help you out Brooke!
Made for lunch for unexpected last minute guests! I doubled it, and it was all gone. A big hit! I cut the water by about 1/2 cup for doubling, and added milk until it was perfect! SWP Employee
As someone who did not have boxed macaroni and cheese until I was an adult, I appreciate this from-scratch recipe. The mac n cheese of my childhood was usually Bahamian or Haitian style but I like American mac n cheese. This is the first time I have made it myself and really loved it. It is quick, easy, and delicious. Unfortunately, my kids did not like it. It’s not the recipe – they only like Kraft mac n cheese. However, my husband and I loved it. I will definitely cook it for our weekly family dinners at the in-laws. I took some from the IP to eat as is. I sprinkled shredded cheddar on the remainder and covered it with my Mealthy Airfryer Lid – 500 degrees for 5 minutes. It gave it a crispy, golden crust that complemented the lusciously creamy mac n cheese it covered.
Holly, thank you so much for this recipe.
Great idea to use the Airfryer lid!!
Can I half this recipe? Would it come out okay?
I haven’t tried halving this so I can’t say for sure. Let us know how it goes if you try it.
This was really easy and delicious. I halved the recipe because there were only three of us. everyone loved it. So much better than the stuff from the box. I’ve used several of your recipes, and they are all spot on! Thank you so much!
I am a self proclaimed Mac n cheese snob and this is delicious!! I was a bit worried when I saw how much water was left but it turned out beautifully using only 1/4 cup of milk. I’m digging in right after I save this recipe.
Love this recipe, it’s absolutely perfect.
My one question is recipe states eight servings…how big would the servings be?
Thanks
Hi Barb, a serving is about 1 cup.
Love this mac and cheese! I omit the mustard and onion powder, but I add cooked bacon.
Thanks for the recipes!
Always comes out perfectly! My first instant pot recipe and spend with pennies is such a yummy, reliable cooking resource!! thank you
Yay!! So glad you loved it Barb!
I made this and it worked beautifully – not really sure why so many have had problems. Actually, I probably used a tad more dry mac than the recipe called for and I had very little water when I released the pressure. I had some Heavy Cream so I used that for the first addition of milk, then I used 2% for the remainder. The only changes I would make next time, and it’s just personal preference, is I’ll cook the mac either an additional minute or let it NPR for a minute or two as we like ours a little more cooked, and I think instead of the 3 oz. of cream cheese, I’ll use the same amount of good ol’ Velveeta and will use a milder cheddar. However, not to take away anything from your recipe because it is really good.
Also, a tip on reheating pasta – do a pot-in-pot in the IP and push the steam button. It comes out just as creamy and soft as it did when first cooked. I’ve reheated a lot of pasta this way and it’s never failed me. I hate using the microwave!
Thanks again – I’m a new fan and can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Thanks for the suggestions Brenda. That sounds like a great way to reheat the macaroni!
I have made this recipe several times before, and have always been very pleased with it. If I want to double the recipe, will I need to double the water? I don’t want to have too much leftover water. Thanks for this great recipe!
Hi Sam, we have never doubled this recipe but other readers have with success. They have doubled the recipe as listed and it doesn’t sound like too much water was leftover. We would love to hear how it turns out for you!
I made this before and it was delicious but it was pure chance that I got the quantities right! I’m in the UK and we use grams and ml instead of cups. What is a cup?! Is it a full mug (e.g. for tea?) or a drinking glass? Any advice gratefully received!
Hi Miriam, a cup is about 240ml or 8 ounces when it comes to liquid measurements. Grams will vary for dry good measurements though. Hope that helps!
I’m new to the instant pot but want to learn how to use it. I’m searching the net for easy recipes for my instapot.
This is definitely a great recipe to try Billy. You can also check out our Instant Pot Guide including how to release the pressure.
I would love to try this recipe but I want to add some spicy hamburger to it. Should I cook that on the side and add it? Possibly cook it at the same time…how much longer do you think it would I pressure cook it for? Ideas…?
Lauryl
That would be a delicious addition! I would suggest to cook it on the side and stir it in with the cheeses. You may need to add a bit more milk/cheese to get the right ratio of sauce.
Wow! Absolutely so quick & easy to prepare. So much better than the stuff in the box with powdered cheese! In no time at all this delicious Mac n cheese is ready to serve . Very creamy & comforting on the cold winter days. Also, less expensive.