Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
User Reviews
5
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Cook Time
10 mins
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Servings
4 people
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Calories
1069 kcal
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Course
Side Dish, Main Course
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Cuisine
American
Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Description
The Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese recipe begins by combining elbow macaroni, chicken stock (or water for a vegetarian option), butter, and seasonings such as onion and garlic powder, black pepper, ground mustard, salt, and hot sauce in the Instant Pot. The macaroni is pressure cooked for 4 minutes, ensuring it maintains shape and texture by releasing the pressure immediately after cooking.
After cooking, freshly grated cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan cheeses are stirred into the hot pasta, along with evaporated milk, which enriches the sauce’s creaminess. The hot sauce adds a faint kick that complements the cheese flavors without overpowering.
This dish is served immediately for best texture and taste, pairing well with fresh salads to balance its richness. The blend of cheeses and seasonings produces a cheesy pasta with smooth, creamy sauce and a well-rounded, savory profile.
To prevent overcooking, a quick pressure release is vital. Adjust evaporated milk to reach the desired saucy consistency and select cheeses that melt smoothly to suit personal preferences. The recipe yields a richer mac and cheese with a velvety texture and subtle spice.
Ingredients
- 1 lb elbow macaroni
- 4 cups chicken stock (use water if you want to make it vegetarian)
- 4 tablespoon butter I love mac n cheese rich. Cut the amount of butter if you think it's a lot of butter, unsalted
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon black pepper ground
- 1 pinch salt (adjust as per taste)
- 2 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 cups cheddar cheese freshly grated
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese freshly grated
- ½ cup parmesan (freshly grated)
- 1 cup evaporated milk (adjust and add extra if needed)
For Garnish
- parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Add macaroni, water, butter, all the seasoning to instant pot. Like I said, you can play around with the flavors to find a mix that you really like. Cover lid. Set it to “pressure cook” and adjust timer to 4 minutes. If using old Instant Pot use “manual setting” to 4 minutes cooking time. Please note - Cook time allows for approximately 10 minutes for pot to come to pressure before cooking for 4 minutes. Recipe was made in 8-Qt Pot.
- While macaroni cooks in the pot, grate cheese and keep it ready.
- Once cooking time is up, turn off Instant Pot. Do a manual pressure release immediately. Use a kitchen towel to hold the pressure knob to release pressure and stay far away from pot.
- Open the lid, stir in cheese and evaporated milk into the pasta. Adjust milk quantity as per the texture. If you feel it is dry, add more milk.
- Viola creamy cheesy easy homemade mac and cheese is ready!
- Serve immediately along with salads. Or as it is!
Notes
- Quickly release the pressure as soon as the cooking time ends to avoid overcooked, mushy pasta.
- Use a cheese mix you prefer; sharp cheddar combined with a mild white cheese works well for balance.
- Adding evaporated milk makes the sauce exceptionally creamy; adjust quantity to desired texture.
- Hot sauce can be omitted if not desired, but it adds a subtle layer of flavor.
- Nutritional information varies with ingredient brands and quantities used.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1069 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 0g | |
| Calories | 1069kcal | 53% |
| Carbohydrates | 104g | 35% |
| Protein | 51g | 102% |
| Fat | 49g | 75% |
| Saturated Fat | 29g | 145% |
| Cholesterol | 146mg | 49% |
| Sodium | 1174mg | 49% |
| Potassium | 815mg | 17% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 14g | 28% |
| Vitamin A | 1356IU | 27% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 905mg | 91% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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