Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese is made with just a few simple ingredients – noodles, chicken broth, butter, milk and cheese. This macaroni and cheese recipe only requires 5 minutes of cooking time and it is one of the easiest Instant Pot recipes ever!

Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese is a staple around my house because my kids love macaroni and cheese. I have made quite a few homemade macaroni and cheese recipes but just didn’t love any of them. Many of them had tons of ingredients or some sort of artificial type cheese and I just wanted to find a simple, easy macaroni and cheese recipe that was really yummy too!

I also have not spent much time using my Instant Pot that I got over a year ago! Something about it just intimidates me, even though the times that I’ve used it, I’ve had great results! I just need to use it more often. And I think I will after seeing how easy and fast it is to make homemade macaroni and cheese!

Many macaroni and cheese recipes either use Velveeta cheese or call for sour cream, heavy cream and/or evaporated milk and so I’ve been searching for a recipe that just required very basic ingredients, especially one that used real cheese! This recipe couldn’t be any more basic and it’s absolutely delicious!

The noodles only have to cook for 5 minutes in the Instant Pot and then you just add the other ingredients and the macaroni and cheese is ready to eat. Even taking into consideration the time that it takes for the Instant Pot to get to pressure (mine took about 10 minutes), you can have homemade macaroni and cheese ready to eat in under 20 minutes with no more effort needed than making the boxed kind!

What kind of cheese do you use in homemade macaroni and cheese?

I usually use medium cheddar or a cheddar blend because that is what I usually have in my refrigerator. You can use a sharper cheddar or a white cheddar or even a totally different type of cheese. Many times I use cheddar and mozzarella and it’s absolutely delicious! I think a Colby/Monterey Jack blend would be wonderful in this recipe – you can use whatever combination of cheeses you want! Depending on which type of cheese you use, you may need to add a little bit more milk to get the right consistency.

What kind of milk do you use in homemade macaroni and cheese?

I use 1% or 2% milk in this macaroni and cheese recipe because that’s what my family drinks, but you can use whole milk, skim milk, half and half or any other type of milk you have. If you prefer your macaroni and cheese to be a little bit runnier, you can add a little bit more than the recipe calls for. This recipe is completely fool-proof and versatile so you can customize it to your own taste!

Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese Ingredients

-16 oz. elbow macaroni, small shells, or any other type of small shaped pasta

-32 oz. chicken broth

-4 tbsp. butter

-1/2 cup milk

-2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or any other type of cheese you prefer!)

-salt and pepper to taste

How to make Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese

First, pour the noodles into the Instant Pot and then pour the chicken broth over top of them. Pat down the noodles if needed in order for them to be fully covered by the broth.

Place and lock the lid of the Instant Pot and then press the Manual setting – you want to cook the pasta for 5 minutes at high pressure.

As soon as the time is up, do a quick release to vent. Once it is done venting, open the lid and add the butter, milk and cheese, stirring until everything is completely melted. Serve immediately and salt and pepper to taste. That’s it!

INSTANT POT MACARONI & CHEESE

Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese is made with just a few simple ingredients – noodles, chicken broth, butter, milk and cheese. This macaroni and cheese recipe only requires 5 minutes of cooking time and it is one of the easiest Instant Pot recipes ever! 

Ingredients

• 16 ounces elbow macaroni, small shells, or other small pasta
• 32 ounces chicken broth
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 16 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (or any other type of cheese you like!)

Instructions

1. First, pour the noodles into the Instant Pot and then pour the chicken broth over top of them. Pat down the noodles if needed in order for them to be fully covered by the broth. 

2. Place and lock the lid of the Instant Pot and then press the Manual setting – you want to cook the pasta for 5 minutes at high pressure. 

3. As soon as the time is up, do a quick release to vent. Once it is done venting, open the lid and add the butter, milk and cheese, stirring until everything is completely melted. Serve immediately and salt and pepper to taste. That’s it!

Do you have to use broth to cook the noodles?

I love using chicken broth to cook the noodles in this recipe because it adds so much flavor, but you can use water instead if you prefer. You may need to add more seasonings, especially salt to add more flavor if you use water to cook the noodles. You can also use a low-sodium chicken broth, but you may need to add a little bit more salt to get more flavor once the macaroni and cheese is done.

What seasonings are good in homemade macaroni and cheese?

I think that the macaroni and cheese tastes really good as is, but if you like more flavor, feel free to add some seasonings. Onion powder, garlic powder or even a little bit of hot sauce will add extra flavor to this macaroni and cheese recipe. If you cook the noodles with regular chicken broth, you probably don’t need to add very much salt to get the right amount of flavor.

How do you reheat macaroni and cheese?

This macaroni and cheese recipe makes a lot, so you will probably have some leftovers! Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. To reheat, just add a little bit of milk and warm the noodles up in the microwave or over medium heat in a pan on the stove. This recipe can also be easily halved if you don’t need to make quite as much at one time. I’ve got 5 kids so we hardly ever have to cut recipes in half!

If you like cheese as much as we do, make sure to try some of our other favorite cheesy recipes!

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