Pressure Cooker Creamy Mexican Macaroni and Cheese

Pressure Cooker Creamy Mexican Macaroni and Cheese is a twist of my Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese, using Mexican cheese and a bit more heat!

Pressure Cooker Creamy Mexican Macaroni and Cheese

Pressure Cooker Creamy Mexican Macaroni and Cheese
Everybody loves Macaroni and Cheese and everybody loves Raymond, I mean, America’s Test Kitchen Mac & Cheese, so here is another incarnation, with a Mexican flair. It’s super rich and creamy.

This Pressure Cooker Creamy Mexican Macaroni and Cheese is similar to my traditional Mac & Cheese, but with a Mexican flair. Check out my Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese with an optional Crispy Bacon Garlic Breadcrumb Topping.

The Mexican Cheese Blend gives this Mac & Cheese a smooth and creamy texture.

Mild or Sharp Cheddar balances out the taste.

We prefer heavy cream, but evaporated milk also works.

How cute is Cavatappi pasta? I love the curly whirly of this past and I love that the cheese gets stuck inside and when you take a bite, you get a little squirt of cheese sauce in your mouth. I can’t always find it in my area, so I order in bulk from Amazon.

So simple, just add in everything but the cheese into your Instant Pot DUO Plus, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker..

Three minutes for this size and shape pasta is perfect.

If you use a heavier/thicker pasta (rule of thumb is Pressure Cook 1/2 the lesser time it says on the box of pasta and subtract 2 minutes), you might need an extra minute.

Perfection, perfectly cooked pasta in just four minutes! So cute!

The Cavatappi are so inviting and make you feel like a kid again.

W buy blocks of Cheddar Cheese and grate the cheese as needed.

It’s a much fresher and purer taste.

Then add in the Mexican Cheese and stir until completely combined.

The pasta will continue to absorb the liquid, so don’t allow all the liquid to evaporate.

Look how creamy this is; can’t you just taste it?

You can eat the Cavatappi and Cheese as is, which is how I like it, or you can add a Crispy Bacon Garlic Breadcrumb Topping, which my husband absolutely loves.

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

• Instant Pot DUO Plus, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
• J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
• Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
• Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
• Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
• Cilio Olivewood Spatula
• Alton Brown Salt Box
• Bellemain Porcelain Ramekins
• OXO Good Grips Cutting Board
• Microplane Artisan Ribbon Grater
• De Cecco Cavatappi Pasta

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Here is the handy printable recipe:

Pressure Cooker Creamy Mexican Macaroni and Cheese

Pressure Cooker Creamy Mexican Macaroni and Cheese

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican American

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes minutes

Pressure Release: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 8 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 602kcal

Author: Jill Selkowitz

Ingredients

Macaroni and Cheese

• ▢ 1 pound Cavatappi Pasta or other pasta
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Butter
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Dry/Ground Mustard Seed
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Hot Pepper Sauce
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt or 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
• ▢ 4 cups Fresh Water
• ▢ 12 oz Heavy Cream or Evaporated Milk
• ▢ 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese shredded
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups Oaxaca Cheese shredded (Monterey Jack or Gruyère work well too)
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Cream Cheese optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Add pasta, butter, mustard, hot pepper sauce, heavy cream,* salt and water to Pressure Cooker cooking pot.
• Lock on lid and close Pressure Valve.  Cook at High Pressure for 2 minutes.  When beep sounds, wait 5 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
• Turn off Pressure Cooker and then select Saute or Browning and mix in the cheese in three parts, mixing well before adding more. When desired thickness is achieved, turn off Pressure Cooker.
• Top with Crispy Bacon Topping, if desired.

Notes

Any pasta shells will work. Rule of thumb is to cook pasta for 1/2 the lesser cook time stated on package and then subtract 2 minutes with a 5 minute Natural Pressure Release.

*If using anything other than heavy cream, add it in AFTER pressure release, as opposed to adding it in with the dry pasta and change cook time to 3 minutes.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Pressure Cooker Creamy Mexican Macaroni and Cheese

Amount Per Serving (0 g)

Calories 602 Calories from Fat 324

% Daily Value*

Fat 36g55%

Saturated Fat 24g150%

Cholesterol 97mg32%

Sodium 1190mg52%

Potassium 184mg5%

Carbohydrates 45g15%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 22g44%

Vitamin A 865IU17%

Vitamin C 1.5mg2%

Calcium 185mg19%

Iron 0.8mg4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Pressure Cooker Creamy Mexican Macaroni and Cheese