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a hand scooping a bite out of a bowl of Mac and cheese.

Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese


Description

Is there anything truly better than creamy lick-your-lips-worthy mac and cheese? Yes, actually. This creamy mac and cheese comes together in 10 minutes thanks to the instant pot! This is going to become a go-to in your house!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 Pound of Pasta (your preferred shape - shells, elbows, bowtie, etc.)
  • 4 Cups Water
  • 4 Ounces Cream Cheese
  • 2 Tablespoons Butter
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Salt +more to taste if needed
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Pepper +more to taste if needed
  • 16 Ounces Cheese - shredded (see notes for cheese instructions)
  • 1/4-1/2 Cup Milk

Instructions

  1. In an instant pot, add your noodles and water. Place the lid on and seal.
  2. Set to a custom pressure cook time of 5 minutes (note that it will also take 5-7 minutes to come to pressure before cooking times begins).
  3. While the pasta is cooking shred your cheese.
  4. As soon as the 5-minute cooking time is up, manually release the steam. You want to do this right away and not wait so that the noodles don't overcook.
  5. Remove the lid and add cream cheese, butter, salt, and pepper. Gently stir to start melting.
  6. Add in the shredded cheese. Stir for 1-2 minutes. As you stir, the heat of the noodles and pot will begin to melt the cheese. It will turn into a luscious, thick, and creamy sauce.
  7. Add 1/4 cup of milk and stir. Taste to see if more salt is needed. Add if so. Feel free to add more milk if preferred or needed to loosen and make it more creamy and "soupy". 
  8. This will be ready when all of the cheese is melted into a creamy sauce. 

Notes

  • You can use any combo of cheese you would like. In this recipe video, I used 8 ounces of mild cheddar and 8 ounces of white cheddar. You can use different types of cheese or just all one kind. Use whatever you have or like. Note, if you use mozzarella or provolone you will get a stringy cheese sauce which is totally great if you like that! Cheese combos to try
    • All Cheddar
    • Mild Cheddar and White Cheddar
    • Mild Cheddar and Gruyere
    • Cheddar and Colby Jack
    • Cheddar and Pepper Jack (for a bit of a kick)
    • Cheddar, Mozzarella, Parmesan
  • Any shape noodle can be used that you have. I usually use shells, bowties, cavatappi, radiatori, etc.
  • If you do not have an instant pot, check out this recipe here for a Southern Mac and Cheese made on the stovetop
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Instant Pot
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 scoop
  • Calories: 525
  • Sugar: 3.9 g
  • Sodium: 436.1 mg
  • Fat: 27.5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 46.4 g
  • Fiber: 1.8 g
  • Protein: 22.3 g
  • Cholesterol: 78.7 mg

Keywords: Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

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