If there ever was one most beloved food by kids and adults alike… of course it would be mac and cheese!! What could be better than creamy, hot pasta shells swimming in cheese? It’s the one thing guaranteed to please everyone! And what is the easiest, most delicious way to make it? Instant Pot Mac and Cheese, of course!!!
Forget the stuff that comes in a box with the fluorescent orange “cheese” sauce. This recipe is legitimately just as fast and easy, but infinitely more delicious (and made from whole food ingredients you can actually pronounce!). I keep this recipe in my back pocket for those days I just don’t feel like cooking, for last minute lunch guests, kids birthdays (they always request it!), or just a lazy day in. You would not believe how people rave about this meal, it really cracks me up given how dead simple it is.
Modifications
This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese is super adaptable to suit your needs. You can use any shape of pasta you like, just avoid quick cooking pasta like spaghetti or angel hair. I’ve left instructions in the recipe notes for how to adjust the cook time depending on the type of pasta you are using. I’ve been loving the Garofalo Organic Pasta from Costco, it comes in a 6 pack of 500g packages with a good variety of shapes and comes out perfect every time. I love that I don’t have to measure or guess how much pasta to use since one package is the perfect amount!
If you are gluten free, sub in your favourite gluten free pasta (try this one, I’ve been told it’s the best!). Just make sure to adjust the cook time accordingly, as noted in the recipe. For my dairy free friends, you can substitute full fat coconut milk or cashew cream and your favourite dairy free cheese and/or nutritional yeast for the cream and cheese. You can also prepare this recipe on the stovetop if you don’t have an Instant Pot (see recipe notes). I’m one of those annoying moms who will never miss an opportunity to add veggies to a meal… (sorry, not sorry), so I love throwing in some frozen peas or chopped baby spinach at the end. No one notices and it balances out the meal with little extra effort. Feel free to leave out the veggies if you are a Mac and Cheese purist!
Looking for more ways to bulk up this meal? You can always serve with some pan-seared chicken or leave out the veggies and serve it with a salad instead! However you serve it, be sure to let me know in the comments what you think of this recipe, and tag me on Instagram with your creation (@garnishathome)! I love seeing and hearing what you guys are making and how the recipes are working for you. Have a great week!
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 500 g dried pasta (any shape as long as it is not a quick cooking type of pasta like spaghetti, angel hair, etc.) sub gluten free pasta for GF*
- 4 1/2 cups water room temp or colder
- 3 tbsp butter sub ghee or vegan butter for dairy free
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup heavy cream sub full fat coconut milk or cashew cream for dairy free
- 2 cups grated aged cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice) sub your favourite dairy free cheese and/or 1/2 cup nutritional yeast for dairy free
- 1 cup frozen peas or chopped baby spinach optional
Instructions
- Add the pasta, water, salt, and butter to the Instant Pot. Secure lid and pressure cook for 4 minutes** with a quick pressure release. Remove the lid and stir. It will look a bit watery at first; don't worry, the pasta will absorb a lot of liquid as it sits and it makes a nice creamy sauce!*If using gluten free pasta, increase water to 5 1/2 cups and set pressure cooker to "0" minutes. Allow natural pressure release for 8 minutes before quick releasing the remaining pressure.
- Add the cream and cheese and stir until cheese is fully melted.
- Stir in the frozen peas/spinach, if using, and put the lid back on.
- Let it sit for 2-3 minutes to allow the peas/spinach to cook and the pasta to absorb the extra liquid/thicken up the sauce.
- Give it another stir, taste and adjust seasoning as necessasry and serve!
Notes
Featured in This Post:
This post includes affiliate links, meaning I made a small commission at no extra cost to you, should you decide to click through the links and purchase anything. These are my honest opinions and I would never recommend anything to you I didn’t absolutely love and use on a regular basis. Hope you find these lists helpful!
Instant Pot (8 Quart) – This is my most used kitchen appliance, I am obsessed with this thing! It saves me so much time and hassle in the kitchen and serves so many purposes that I think it is definitely worth the purchase. My favourite things to make are hard boiled eggs, rice, whole chickens, broth, pulled beef and pork, chili, soups, ribs, mac’n’cheese…. the list goes on!
GOGO Quinoa Gluten Free Macaroni – A friend of mine who has a child with celiac disease told me the GOGO Quinoa brand is the best gluten free pasta she’s tried! It’s made with a blend of rice and quinoa flour. If you’ve been missing out on pasta because of gluten, give this one a try!!
Thai Kitchen Coconut Milk– This is my go to brand to substitute for heavy cream. It has a nice thick layer of solid coconut cream, perfect for this Mac and Cheese recipe! Other brands are notoriously less creamy and do not work well as a heavy cream substitute. Save yourself the frustration and stick with the Thai Kitchen brand!
I have made this too many times to count . Kids love it and it’s sooo easy!
That’s so great to hear! Same here, this is a regular!!