Main Dishesdashfordinner4.8
Easy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
An easy 5 Ingredient Instant Pot recipe that is picky eater approved! Almost as easy as the boxed stuff, and just as toddler friendly. This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese will be ready in minutes, and has all the classic comfort of the original.
👥 4 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 29 min⏳ Prep: 15 min🔥 Cook: 14 min👤 Dorothy Bigelow📖 dashfordinner
🥘 Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you prepare them:
🍳 Cookware
- ●pot
- ●bowl
- ●colander
- ●whisk
📝 Preparation Steps
1
Add the elbow macaroni, water, 1 tablespoon of butter, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the inside of your Instant Pot. Stir well to ensure the macaroni is submerged under the water.
elbow macaroni2 cupswater2 cups
2
Place the lid on your Instant Pot and move the valve to "sealing".
3
Cook on high pressure for ⏱️ 4 minutes.
4
When the cook time is finished, hit the "cancel" button to turn the Instant Pot off. Carefully move the valve to "venting". Do a full manual pressure release.
5
Once the pin has dropped, indicating the pressure has been fully released, carefully remove the lid from the Instant Pot.
6
Stir the macaroni and drain in a colander in the sink. Place a bowl over the colander to keep the macaroni warm while you prepare the sauce.
7
Select the "Sauté" function and let the instant pot warm up.
8
Once the pot is warm, add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the Instant Pot.
9
Once the butter is melted, add the flour and whisk well until all no dry flour remains.
flour2 tablespoons
10
Continue cooking, whisking often to prevent burning. You want to cook the "flour" taste out, and you are looking for a very light golden hue. You will need to cook and whisk for ⏱️ 2-3 minutes to achieve this, but it may be less time if your pot is particularly hot.
flour2 tablespoons
11
Once the roux has been sufficiently cooked, slowly pour in a small amount of the whole milk. Whisk to combine. This mixture will become very thick, very quickly. This is what will thicken your sauce. Whisk until it is lump free, then add more milk and whisk again. Repeat this until all the milk is gone and you have a lump free sauce.
whole milk1 cup
12
Let the sauce cook until thickened, whisking frequently. This should take ⏱️ 1-3 minutes.
13
Add in the cubed processed cheese, and stir well to help it melt into the sauce.
14
Once the processed cheese is melted, add the cooked macaroni. Fold the macaroni in until it is completely covered in sauce.
15
Optionally, you may add 1/8 teaspoon (or more) of ground black pepper, and 1/2 tsp. dry ground mustard for a little extra flavor if desired. You may also season to your own particular tastes. Seasoned salt, paprika, and/or cayenne all make great additions if desired.
16
Serve macaroni immediately. This macaroni and cheese does not reheat very well, so I recommend serving it and eating it the day of preparation.
Nutrition Facts
calories
282 kcal
fat Content
18 g
serving Size
1 g
fiber Content
1 g
sugar Content
5 g
sodium Content
825 mg
protein Content
10 g
cholesterol Content
55 mg
carbohydrate Content
20 g
saturated Fat Content
11 g
unsaturated Fat Content
3 g
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