Sidetracked Sarah

Helping Busy Moms Take Back Their Lives!

Instant Pot Easy Mac & Cheese Recipe

By 6 Comments

One of my kids’ favorite side dishes that we eat, when we go to a friend’s house for Thanksgiving dinner each year, is her homemade macaroni and cheese.

Can you make Mac and Cheese in the Instant Pot?

YES!    I’m not sure why I don’t make it more often, really, because in the Instant Pot, Macaroni & Cheese is so easy!  Probably just about as easy as it is to make the boxed version!

 

We decided this past week, that we had to make an easy mac & cheese recipe, but we knew we didn’t want the cheap, sometimes tasteless boxed version.  We wanted the best mac & cheese recipe!  We wanted homemade!  We decided to try it out in the Instant Pot and it turned out great!  We were not disappointed by this easy mac & cheese recipe, that’s for sure!

What cheese is used for mac and cheese?

You can use most any kind of cheese.  This specific recipe calls for Colby Jack and Parmesan Cheese.  You can also use:

  • Sharp Cheddar Cheese
  • Mexican Blend Cheese
  • Monterey Jack Cheese
  • Colby Jack Cheese
  • and more.

Keep in mind that the sharper or stronger the taste of cheese, the better your Instant Pot Mac and Cheese will be.

This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese was so simple to throw together.  Of course, if you don’t have an Instant Pot, you could use a slow cooker or another electric pressure cooker, with very similar results.  I just love how quick it seems with the Instant Pot!

 

I’ve made a video, to capture the process.  I’ll post it below:

 

 

Print Recipe

Instant Pot Easy Mac & Cheese Recipe

This Instant Pot Easy Mac & Cheese Recipe is super simple and a family favorite!  You'll love it!
Prep Time3 hrs 52 mins
Cook Time3 hrs 52 mins
Author: Sarah

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Elbow Macaroni
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 tsp dry ground mustard
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 cups shredded Colby Jack Cheese
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions

  • Place macaroni noodles, butter, water, dry mustard, salt and pepper into Instant Pot.
  • Close lid, close valve.
  • Cook on Manual for 4 minutes.  (If you are new to the Instant Pot, it will take time for the pressure cooker to come to pressure, before the cooking cycle begins).
  • Use quick release, to release the pressure.
  • Remove lid and check to see that macaroni noodles are to desired firmness.
  • If they need to be cooked longer, turn the Instant Pot to Saute, and cook until they've reached your desired consistency.
  • Stir in cheeses and milk.
  • Serve!

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  • Amorette DavisUser of the Free Freezer to Slow Cooker One Week Menu

    Thank you so much! As a special needs mommy these recipes have helped us so much.   I often am very busy with being a nurse for our child that I don't have time for making sure we get meals.  This allows me to do all my prep on the weekends, while my husband is home to help, and to cook during the week.  So grateful!

  • Linda SearsOwner of Freezer to Slow Cooker Menus

    Sarah’s Freezer to Slow Cooker ebooks have been a fantastic addition to my meal plans.  They make meal planning easy and my family happy. I love the way each recipe is laid out, with a shopping list and ingredient prep list, along with cooking instructions. Sarah’s done all the hard work for me!  The recipes have used have all been delicious and easily adaptable to my family’s taste and the number of people I’m serving.

  • FranOwner of Freezer to Slow Cooker Ebooks
     I purchased all of your freezer to slow cooker ebooks a month or so ago and I'm in love with this way of cooking.  I now have taken all 10 weeks of recipes and written them of my menu planner and then I repeated the 10 weeks and will continue to do so throughout the year.  My family of 5 adults and 1 child enjoy the meals that you have planned and I have cooked and I'm excited that the next time when that meal comes due up in the rotation I won't have to purchase anything but just pull it from the freezer.  Thank you so much
           A Happy Slow Cooker User
  • rayzn2angelsfrom Freezer to Slow Cooker Series

    This makes my life so much easier. I'm a busy work at home/stay at home mom, wife, business woman and I feel like dinner is always the thing I just never get time to do. We have done like 15 of the crockpot recipes from Sarah and they are all very yummy. They get a thumbs up from my husband and kids every time. And there is always enough for my husband to take the left overs at least 2x per recipe. I have a family of 5, 2 adults, 21, 13, 16. So it makes plenty. Thank you Sarah.

  • Dawn S.Buyer of Freezer to Slow Cooker Ebook Series
    I am a 59-year-old wife and mother of two grown children.  I love your idea of fixing a lot of meals ahead of time and then pulling one out, put it in the crockpot, and you have dinner when you get home.  I hate feeling rushed when I cook so Monday - Friday I use those crockpot meals and make enough that we have lunch the next day.  I take Sunday afternoon, fix up what I need for the week (I don't have a lot of freezer space so I do a week's worth at a time) and I'm done with it!  Saturdays I like to try new recipes from some of my cookbooks which I am finding I can freeze as well!  So you have shown me a whole new way to organize my time and still put a healthy meal on the table.  Thanks so much and I look forward to future blogs.

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