With just 5 minutes cooking time, this lush and creamy Instant Pot mac and cheese recipe is made with 100% real cheese and couldn’t be easier or faster to make.
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“Best mac and cheese I’ve ever made!! And sooo easy to make!! My family loves it!!! Thank you!!!!” -Brenda, FoodieCrush reader
Dreamy, Creamy Mac and Cheese Made Lightning Fast in Your Instant Pot
I grew up on the blue-boxed variety of mac and cheese. In high school, my friends called it yellow death. I called it delicious. In fact, it’s still one of those things we always have in the cupboard for emergency situations…like when it’s Tuesday…or Wednesday…or Thursday…or…you get the picture.
But after making this homemade mac and cheese recipe in my Instant Pot in less time and with all real ingredients, I don’t think I’ll be replenishing my stash any time soon.
I honestly can’t think of a food that is more comforting to me than a lush and creamy macaroni and cheese recipe, and I am ALWAYS on the lookout for a new variation on my favorite cheesy noodle. So when I was introduced to this pressure cooker version by my friend Ashley, it went straight to the top of my bust-out-the-Instant-Pot-must-make list.
And that’s how in just 5 minutes cooking time, we had this velvety lush mac and cheese ready for devouring.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
To make lush, creamy mac and cheese without any processed cheese or a roux, use evaporated milk. It’s real cow’s milk that’s been cooked down so some of the water content evaporates, creating a shelf-stable, always at the ready ingredient. In macaroni and cheese, it keeps the cheese from breaking or getting greasy because there’s less moisture to contend with.
Cooking in an Instant Pot means we need less liquid. When cooking this mac and cheese there’s no need for draining the pasta cooking water, it’s all mixed into the sauce, and that’s why you only need 5 ounces compared to recipes like this that call for 3 cups of whole milk.
The 5 Main Ingredients
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Pasta — I used elbow macaroni, but shells or cavatappi work too.
- Butter — We’re taking a nod from the blue box kind and adding butter for richness.
- Spices — Kosher salt, mustard powder, and garlic salt season the mac and cheese.
- Evaporated milk — You’ll need a small 5 oz. can. Don’t confuse with sweetened condensed milk, which is thick and syrupy.
- Shredded cheese — In my recipe testing, I found that a combination of yellow and white cheeses is the best combo. Choose a cheddar that has a bite to it, such as medium or sharp cheddar cheese (this is the key for the signature cheese flavor). Pair it with a meltable white cheese like Gouda, Havarti, provolone, Swiss, fontina, or Monterey Jack.
Heidi’s Tip: To make your own evaporated milk, simmer 2 ¼ cups of regular milk down to 1 cup. Or replace it with ¾ cup whole milk and ¼ cup half-and-half.
How to Make Mac and Cheese in an Instant Pot
- Add the pasta, water, butter, and spices to the Instant Pot. Pressure cook on high, then do a quick release.
- Stir in the evaporated milk and shredded cheeses. When adding the cheese to this mixture, you’ll want to use a heavy wooden spoon to really get in there and stir things up and add the cheese in batches. The result is a mac and cheese that’s smooth and rich and creamy.
- Add any mix-ins you like. I’ve shared our favorite mac and cheese creations after the recipe card below.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound macaroni pasta , such as shells or cavatappi
- 4 cups water
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt , optional
- 5 ounces evaporated milk
- 4 cups shredded medium or sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 cups soft white cheese (such as gouda Swiss, fontina, or provolone)
Instructions
- In the insert of an Instant Pot or pressure cooker, add the macaroni, water, butter, kosher salt, ground mustard and garlic salt. Cook in the pressure cooker for 5 minutes on high, then quick release.
- Add the evaporated milk and half of the cheeses and use a wooden spoon to vigorously stir until the cheeses have melted then repeat with the rest of the cheese, stirring until the sauce is creamy.
- Add any additional toppings or mix-ins below at this time. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
Variations and Mix-Ins
Macaroni and cheese is one of the easiest meals to add a just a couple of ingredients and create a whole new spin on the original classic. I like to create these additions for parties, and serve up a simple, make-it-yourself mac and cheese bar. Simply keep the mac and cheese warm in the Instant Pot then let your guests mix and match to their hearts desires.
If I’m making it at home, I’ll often keep half of the mac and cheese plain for leftovers, then dress up a couple of individual bowls for eating right now.
- Mac and Cheese with Hot Dogs — Boil up a batch of hot dogs, then slice into bite size pieces and mix in. Use chicken sausage, kielbasa or other sausages if you’re feeling fancy.
- Pesto Macaroni and Cheese — Stir in homemade pesto or store-bought. I typically use 1 tablespoon pesto per bowl. Add a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese or toasted pine nuts or walnuts for a little crunch. To make this even more of a Mediterranean-inspired meal, add chopped sun-dried tomatoes or roasted red bell pepper to round out the savory flavors.
- Macaroni and Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Garlic Breadcrumbs — Top the mac and cheese with warmed caramelized onions and sprinkle with the toasted panko breadcrumbs, or, stir the onions into the mac and cheese if desired.
- Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese — Add 2 tablespoons butter to a medium bowl and melt the butter in the microwave. Stir in 2 tablespoons Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Sauce and add 1 cup of shredded chicken, mixing until combined. Top the mac and cheese with a few tablespoons of the shredded chicken in sauce, and garnish with crumbled blue cheese.
- Macaroni and Cheese with Butternut Squash and Crispy Fried Sage — Both diced roasted squash or creamed work equally well here when combined with the cheesy sauce.
More Macaroni and Cheese Recipes to Love
- Classic Stovetop Mac and Cheese
- The Best Baked Mac And Cheese
- Mini Meatball Mac and Cheese
- Mac and Cheese with Chicken and Broccoli
- Skillet Cauliflower Mac And Cheese
- Lobster Mac And Cheese
- Fried Mac And Cheese Balls
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Christine
This dish is my favourite (I call it) homemade “fast food”. But, I cut the cheese down to two cups of cheddar (in total, no more cheese) and put in a head of cauliflower or broccoli (cut up into large bite size pieces) along with other ingredients to pressure cook. If I have baby spinach on hand, I stir in an ample amount immediately after I open the pot after cooking. The vegetables may be soft, but it’s all delicious and healthier. I also use 500 g of pasta.
Sounds great Christine!
Tina Gerow
I used provolone & a Mexican mix of Cheddars. First, it was WAY too much cheese, and it was MUCH too thick. You could barely tell there was pasta in it. Next time I’ll use sharper cheddar and half the cheese, or at least half the provolone, which I think was a lot of the issue. And maybe more evaporated milk. But I’m going to play with the recipe. I’m not ready to give up just yet.
Brenda Henderson
Best Mac and cheese I’ve ever made!! And sooo easy to make!! My family loves it!!! Thank you!!!!
I’m glad everyone enjoyed it!
Mary Ann
Question…for the mac and cheese recipe, is it a 5 oz can of evaporated milk or a 15 oz can?
Thanks!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
5oz!
Jenna
This recipe is so good!! I used sharp cheddar and Gouda and it was so creamy and delicious!! The only pointer I am going to make is one that should be common sense. Stir the noodles, water, salt, and garlic salt before cooking!! I forgot and it made some of the noodles harder than others and a few strong bites of garlic salt. I definitely won’t forget next time but just wanted to point it out for anyone else who might forget!!
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Oh dang it!! Next time!
Clarissa Marchalk
My family loves this recipe. I am wondering if I wanted to double the recipe (2 lbs pasta) do you think I would still go to 8 cups water and what about cooking time? Any estimates?
Sorry Clarissa, I haven’t doubled the recipe before so I can’t give you exacts. But, I think if you doubled the wet ingredients and kept the same cooking time you should be good. Let us know how it works!
Jen
First recipe in our new 8qt. instant pot. If I’ve being honest, I was a bit of a doubter…how could we NOT drain the pasta. But we followed the recipe as stated, using 4 cups of cheddar that we shredded, and 2 c. of provolone/swiss. Absolutely PERFECT flavor, and hardly any clean up compared to my usual stove top/oven baked recipe. I’ll definitely make again.
So glad you liked it Jen! And yes, it seems counterintuitive but totally works!
Rhonda V
Made you mac and cheese recipe this a.m. Perfect!!!! Nice and creamy. Thanks for the recipe.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
Yay! This is my favorite. Glad you enjoyed it.