Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Creamy mac and cheese made quickly in the Instant Pot with elbow macaroni and a blend of Colby Jack, mild cheddar, and Parmesan.
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 lb.elbow macaronigluten-free or not
- 5 cupswater
- 1 teaspoonfine sea salt
- 1 cupshredded colby jack cheese
- 1 cupshredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cupgrated parmesan cheesemore for topping
- 2 tablespoonsgrass-fed butter
- 1/2 cupoat milkor milk of choice more as needed
- 1-2 teaspoonshot sauceoptional
Instructions
Instructions
- Add 1 lb elbow macaroni, 5 cups water, and 1 teaspoon fine sea salt to a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot. Stir to separate any clumps and ensure the pasta is mostly submerged.
- Close the lid and set the pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure (Manual/Pressure Cook) for 4 minutes.
- When the cook time finishes, carefully perform a Quick Release by moving the valve to Venting. Wait until the float valve drops and it is safe to open the lid; watch for hot steam.
- Open the lid and stir the pasta to loosen it.
- Add 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter, 1/2 cup oat milk (or milk of choice), 1 cup shredded Colby Jack, 1 cup shredded mild cheddar, and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. If using, add 1–2 teaspoons hot sauce. Stir until the butter and cheeses are melted and the sauce is smooth.
- If the mac and cheese is too thick, add more milk a tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
- Taste and add additional salt if desired. Garnish with extra grated Parmesan and serve immediately.
Notes
Freshly shredded cheese works best here, as pre-shredded cheese can have added stabilizers and won’t melt as well.
If you have an Instant Pot model that includes an air fryer you can add additional cheese to the top and swap the lids to broil for 4 minutes to get a nice crispy lid.
If pasta has excessive liquid, drain some of it. There should be some liquid left, but the pasta shouldn’t be swimming in it. We have noticed that some brands or shapes of pasta leave more water than others. See note in body of post for more info.
If you have an Instant Pot model that includes an air fryer you can add additional cheese to the top and swap the lids to broil for 4 minutes to get a nice crispy lid.
If pasta has excessive liquid, drain some of it. There should be some liquid left, but the pasta shouldn’t be swimming in it. We have noticed that some brands or shapes of pasta leave more water than others. See note in body of post for more info.