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Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese Fully LOADED

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Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese is everyone’s favorite comfort food pasta recipe. Cheesy and creamy, it’s the best Mac and Cheese around.

Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese with Crispy Bacon Topping

Everybody loves Macaroni and Cheese. From young to old, from far and wide and from East and West. Okay, you get the drift, we all love Mac & Cheese.

You will be amazed at how easy and delicious it is to make Instant Pot Mac and Cheese in your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker. If you want to take it up another notice, my Crispy Bacon Garlic Breadcrumb Topping is fantastic.

 

Cast of Ingredients for Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

Cast of Ingredients for Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients for Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

  • Macaroni – I love using Cavatappia, because the cheese oozes in each bite. Elbow macaroni does the same thing, so try one of those two types of pasta.
  • Cheese – Use a combination. Cheddar, Sharp Cheddar and a melting cheese like Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, Gruyère or Gouda. This evens out the cheese to make it creamy, without being gummy or stringy.
  • Hot Sauce – don’t panic, this does not add heat. It adds amazing flavor without adding any spice.
  • Dry Mustard or Dijon Mustard – again, like the hot sauce, another lever of flavor is added without tasting any heat.
  • Heavy Cream

Homemade Greek Yogurt and Heavy Cream work well, but days when there is no Heavy Cream in the fridge, the canned milk will suffice.

 

Add Dry Macaroni

Add Dry Macaroni

How cute is Cavatappi pasta? I love the curly whirly of this pasta 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.

 

Add Butter and Seasonings

Add Butter and Seasonings

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

Perfection, perfectly cooked pasta in just three minutes! So cute! The Cavatappi are so inviting and make you feel like a kid again.

 

Slowly Mix in Cheese

Slowly Mix in Cheese

I like to buy blocks of cheese and shred/grate them myself. I use this little microplane ribbon grater and shred it myself. It is so easy.

Shred Your Own Cheese

  • Cheese that comes already shredded has a powdery cornstarch coating. This makes it hard to melt and can be gritty.
  • Grating your own cheese from a block of cheese is much better and fresher tasting.
  • Those fillers/cornstarch keep the cheese from sticking together and you don’t want that in your mac and cheese. Just shred the cheese yourself and enjoy a fresher tasting macaroni and cheese.

Pro Tip: If you use bagged cheese, there is more than a good chance the texture of the cheese will be gritty and not as smooth and stretchy.

You will notice that the pasta will be soupy at first, but don’t fret. The pasta will continue to absorb the liquid, so don’t heat the pot and try to let the liquid to evaporate. A bit soupy is good. 🙂

 

Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese [Instant Pot]

Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese [Instant Pot]

Tada!!!! 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.

You can use my breadcrumb topping on top of my Pressure Cooker Southern Style Green Beans recipe too.

Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese with Crispy Bacon Topping

Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese with Crispy Bacon Topping

The beauty of this Bacon Garlic Breadcrumb Topping is that you can prepare it while your mac and cheese is in the Pressure Cooker and then just put on the topping when you are ready to serve.

For a Mexican twist, try my Creamy Mexican Mac & Cheese or for an “adult” Mac & Cheese, you may enjoy my Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese, which is so creamy and delicious!

A terrific side dish is my Pan de Yucca in the Air Fryer (or in the oven) which made with Oaxaca cheese, so if you get a big block, you can use the Oaxaca in this recipe as well as the pan de yucca!

 

Use CrispLid to Brown the Topping

Use CrispLid to Brown the Topping

Some people like to transfer their macaroni and cheese to the oven (with or without topping) and allow it to brown.

Pro Tip: Or do yourself a favor and get a Mealthy Crisplid and brown the topping right in the pot!

More Instant Pot Macaroni Recipes to Make:

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

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Here’s the handy printable recipe.

Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese, Fully Loaded [Instant Pot]

5 from 22 votes
Print Pin Save Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 3 minutes
Pressure Release: 5 minutes
Total Time: 8 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 664kcal
Author: Jill Selkowitz

Ingredients

Macaroni and Cheese

Optional Topping

US Customary - Metric

Recommended Products

Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
Liquid Measuring Cup Set
De Cecco Cavatappi Pasta
High Heat Resistant Spatula
Microplane Artisan Ribbon Grater
Mealthy Crisplid

Instructions

  • Add pasta, butter, smashed garlic, mustard, hot pepper sauce, 1/2 cup heavy cream, salt, pepper and water (or chicken broth) to pressure cooker cooking pot.
  • Lock on lid and close Pressure Valve.  Cook at High Pressure (most machines default to high) for 2 minutes.  
  • When Beep is heard, wait 5 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
  • Give the pasta a good stir.
  • Add the rest of the heavy cream and mix in. The macaroni will continue to absorb and adding half the milk after pressure cooking will help distribute the cheese better.
  • Sprinkle cheese on top of pasta in three parts, allowing the cheese to begin to melt before mixing it through the macaroni. Mix cheese through and then repeat twice more.
  • If a softer macaroni is desired, turn pot to saute and simmer until done.
  • Top with Crispy Bacon Topping, if desired.

Notes

You won't taste the mustard or hot sauce as spicy hot; those two ingredients simply add a layer of depth, so don't leave them out!

Type of Cheese

  • Gruyère, Smoked Gouda, or combination of melting cheese is great to use too.
  • Allow cheese to melt on top of pasta for a minute, before stirring it in. This will prevent the cheese from accumulating at the bottom of the pot and clumping.
  • Amount of cheese is a personal preference, so start with the lower amount and add more, until desired amount is achieved.
  • Use any of your favorite kinds of cheese and be creative.

Milk

  • If heavy cream is not available, replace with 1 cup whole milk + 2 Tablespoons butter.
  • If using evaporated milk instead of cream, reduce butter to 1/2 stick.
  • If using anything other than heavy cream, add it in AFTER pressure release, as opposed to adding it in with the dry pasta and reduce cook time by 1 minute.

This Old Gal's Pasta Rule of Thumb

  • Any type of pasta or semolina noodle is fine to use in this recipe.
  • Look at package of pasta and find the variable cook time. Choose the lesser time given and then subtract 2 minutes. For example, if your package of pasta says "cook for 8 - 11 minutes," take that 8 minute number and cut it in half, which is 4. Then subtract 2 minutes from the 4 minutes and you will end up with the proper cook time. In this case the cook time will be 2 minutes.
  • If the variable cook time on your package of pasta is 11 - 16 minutes, err on the lesser side. In this instance, the cook time would be 3 minutes. It is better to end up with overly firm pasta rather than mushy because you can continue to cook the pasta, but if it is mushy, there is nothing you can do to correct.
  • After the two minute pressure cook time is up, wait 5 minutes and then release the rest of the pressure.
  • f the pasta is too firm or al dente for your taste, simply put the lid back on the pot and let the pasta sit in the hot pot.  The residual heat will continue to cook the pasta. Check after a few minutes to see if the pasta has reached the perfect firmness for your liking. If not give it a stir and let sit some more.
Brand of pasta matters. Some pasta holds up better under pressure so buy the best type that you can afford.
De Cecco Cavatappi Pasta is not only a great brand of pasta to use, but the style of pasta is wonderful as an alternative to elbow macaroni as, like the elbows, it also holds cheese in the twists and makes for a better cheesy bite. Bite = squirt of cheese! I suggest buying the DeCecco Five Pack Cavatappi from Amazon because the price is much better than buying in a local grocery store.
If doubling the recipe, please reduce cook time by 1 minute as the pot will take longer to come to pressure (the pasta is cooking as the pot is coming to pressure) and you don't want to end up with mushy pasta. If the pasta is too hard for your taste after pressure cooking, just simmer in the pot until you reach YOUR perfection. You cannot fix mushy, but you can fix overly al dente.
If making and browning the crispy topping, either cook the topping in cast iron or sprinkle ingredients onto top of the macaroni and use a Mealthy CrispLid to brown.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese, Fully Loaded [Instant Pot]
Amount Per Serving
Calories 664 Calories from Fat 387
% Daily Value*
Fat 43g66%
Saturated Fat 28g175%
Cholesterol 116mg39%
Sodium 1346mg59%
Potassium 189mg5%
Carbohydrates 45g15%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 24g48%
Vitamin A 1122IU22%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 334mg33%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @ThisOldGalCooks or tag #thisoldgalcooks!
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PIN this Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese, Fully Loaded!

Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese [Instant Pot]

Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese [Instant Pot]

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Comments

  1. Tonia says

    I like the idea of adding spinach, but wonder, did it turn the mac n cheese green? I’m not sure the kids would go for that.

    Reply

  2. Chris says

    5 stars
    I’m known for having awesome Mac n cheese. Since I’ve been doing the whole30 I haven’t made it. Tonight was a perfect night to try this recipe in my ‘received for Christmas IP’. My son didn’t want to share with my husband and my husband just said he knew what he was having for breakfast! We add nutmeg to our Mac n cheese so we added that and my son used his special hot sauce. Thank you for sharing. Looks like this will be a keeper.

    Reply

  3. Mary D says

    5 stars
    I have made homemade mac n cheese for years. Now have instant pot and got brave enough to try this recipe. I had low expectations. All I can say is Yum! I used lactaid 2% milk and cooked it down a bit on saute portion to make it evaporated. For us it was too salty but then again I used a stick of aged sharp cracker barrel cheddar and about 1/4 of a block of parmesan. Sooooo creamy and rich. Baked off with bread crumbs in oven after. Will definitely make again!

    Reply

  6. allison bendixen says

    Hello, I don;t have milk or evap, milk..I was going to use half and half mixed with water- Do you think that will be ok?

    Reply

  8. CC says

    5 stars
    Jill- This recipe and a couple of others mention using Oaxaca cheese. I love Oaxaca cheese but the 2 of us can’t eat the whole thing in just a couple of days. I’ve tried every way I can think of to keep it from molding so fast but so far nothing works. Can you please share any tips you have found to keep it from molding? Looking forward to trying this recipe soon!

    Side note… Just got my first IP and used your directions for easy hard boiled eggs. It was PERFECT and so easy. This alone justified the purchase price as I try to avoid recipes with hard boiled eggs as it always took so much time to peel the eggs. Never again!
    Thanks
    CC

    Reply

    • Jill says

      Hi CC~

      I know what you mean about the eggs. I do a dozen at a time without worry.

      We cut up the Oaxaca cheese and freeze into portions. It freezes nicely.

      Jill

      Reply

  11. Suzanne says

    Wow, I made this recipe tonight with the crispy topping. It was fast and delicious and the directions were easy to follow. Thank you Jill, I want to try more of your recipes!!

    Reply

  12. Beth says

    5 stars
    So I doubled the recipe. I have never experienced that “mess” people have mentioned with QR and starches, but this time I did. But I was prepared since I knew it would be full to the top, so I held a paper towel over the vent and let it catch the starchy steam. When it was too saturated, I threw it away and got second one, but I only used two. Really, it wasn’t bad at all. Very quickly the steam became clear. Then I made the recipe exactly as is except that at the end I added a bag of frozen corn and 16 oz. of green chile. (It was for a potluck and I live in New Mexico…everything has green chile.) It was popular.

    So the answer is that it can quite easily be doubled, but be prepared to “catch” the starchy steam the first couple of minutes of venting. I would post a picture but I don’t see a way to do that.

    Reply

    • Jill says

      Hi Beth~

      Thanks for sharing your story. I usually toss a kitchen towel over the vent when I do a quick release. You additions sound wonderful. 🙂

      Jill

      Reply

  15. Enid Ling-Stowers says

    This is so yummy!!!! And I haven’t even finished making the topping yet to add. Just eating out of the pot! Thank you for a keeper recipe!!

    Reply

  16. Kathleen says

    I haven’t tried this yet. So many on the Facebook IP group are saying what a mess it makes doing the QR, and I am just not up for that.
    Do you think if you reduced the cooking time to 2 minutrs, then did a 2 minute NPR before the QR, it would help with that?
    PS. Your Pork Chops w/ Mushroom Gravy is to die for!

    Reply

    • Jill says

      Hi Kathleen~

      I’ve never had a problem with a mess. Just slowly, turn the pressure valve back and forth to let a little pressure out at a time. I often will throw a towel over the valve to collect the steam during a quick release. Just a light towel, not a heavy one as you don’t want to block anything, just catch the steam.

      Thanks re the pork chops. 🙂

      Jill

      Reply

  17. Jennifer says

    This was really good! I halved the recipe and used whole milk. Adding the Siracha really did kick the flavor up a notch!

    Reply

    • Jill says

      Hi Jennifer~

      Thank you so much for visiting. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe. Whole milk works great!

      Jill

      Reply

  18. JenR says

    5 stars
    Soooo good! I used 1.5 c mild white cheddar and 6 sliced of Trader Joe’s organic American Cheese. While tit was in the “thickening” phase I added in some chopped fresh spinach to add at least a little healthy aspect to it. Started it 30 minutes ago and am eating for lunch as we speak. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  19. Terese says

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I LOVE that you can make it without processed cheese and that it is so creamy and not gritty in the slightest! I really appreciate that you explained WHY from-scratch cheese sauces and macaroni ‘n cheese often are gritty. I consider myself a very experienced cook, but I did not know that it has to do with the hardness of the cheese and how cheddar will cause more grit the sharper it is. That is really good to know! I used some sharp cheddar, and some mozarella and mild gauda and it was superb!! I was afraid to use so much mustard powder, so I used 1 tsp and that seemed perfect. My whole family loved it! Thanks so much, 5 STARS!!

    Reply

    • Jill says

      Hi Terese~

      Thank you so much for the lovely compliments. Glad you liked my ramblings. 🙂 I do tend to go on and on. Hehehehehe. I am very glad your family loved this recipe.

      Jill

      Reply

      • Terese says

        Oh not at all Jill, there was no “on and on” that I could detect, only very useful information! Well done! And I like your pictures, too!