Pressure Cooer Mac and Cheese is my go-to Macaroni and Cheese technique. I make it in my Instant pot for weeknight dinners, and as a side dish for potlucks. 4 minutes at high pressure cooks the noodles, then it's time to stir in the cheese. That’s right, homemade mac and cheese that didn't come from a packet in a blue box, ready in about a half an hour.
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Jump to:
For years I made the mac and cheese from Pam Anderson’s The Perfect Recipe. Then I read Ideas in Food; their recipe was similar to Pam’s, stripped down to the basics.
Both recipes use evaporated milk as their secret weapon. Evaporated milk replaces the flour and milk béchamel sauce, and all the whisking that entails. I mashed the two recipes together, and that’s what I’ve been using ever since.
Now, even with the evaporated milk shortcut, this was a stretch to make on a weeknight. Especially if I want a toasted bread crumb topping. And if I’m making macaroni and cheese, it must have a bread crumb topping.
That’s why I jumped when I saw the pressure cooker macaroni and cheese in Pressure Cooker Perfection. They pressure cook the pasta and spices in a small amount of water, treating it like a risotto. This trick really speeds up the recipe - no waiting for a pot of water to boil, no draining, and one (pressure cooker) pot to clean. Weeknight macaroni and cheese is now within my reach. 1
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried elbow macaroni
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 2 teaspoons table salt
- 4 cups water
- 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
- 16 ounces shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 ounces shredded parmesan cheese
Bread Crumb Topping (optional)
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
How to Make Pressure Cooker Mac and Cheese
Pressure cook the pasta for 4 minutes with a quick release
Stir the macaroni, butter, mustard, hot pepper sauce, salt, and 4 cups water in the pressure cooker pot. Lock the lid on the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes in an electric PC or stovetop PC. (For an Instant Pot, use Manual or Pressure Cook mode, and set the time to 4 minutes.) When the cooking time is done, quick release the pressure and remove the lid.
Stir in the evaporated milk and cheese
Turn the heat under the pot down to low (or turn the electric pressure cooker to sauté-low or keep warm mode), and stir in the evaporated milk. Test a piece of pasta by taking a bite - it should be al dente, but cooked through. If the pasta is still tough in the middle, simmer it for a few minutes, until it is tender. Stir in the cheese one handful at a time, stirring constantly and waiting for the current handful to melt before adding the next handful.
Top with breadcrumbs and broil
Optional step, if you like a toasted bread crumb topping: Pour the macaroni into a 3 quart broiler-safe dish, patting it down to level out the surface. Sprinkle the panko over the macaroni and cheese in an even layer. Broil the macaroni and cheese on high until the bread crumbs are toasted, about 5 minutes. Check the bread crumbs often - they go from pale brown to burnt in a flash.
Quick Tips
Ratio of 1 cup of water to 4 ounces of pasta
4 cups of water is just enough to cook 1 pound (16 ounces) of pasta. No draining is necessary; the water will be absorbed by the pasta. If you have a smaller box of pasta - 12 ounces and 13.25 ounces are common sizes of whole wheat pasta - cut the water back to 3 cups. (Everything else can stay the same.)
Serve with a bottle of hot sauce at the table.
I like Frank’s Red Hot, or the smoky flavor of chipotle hot sauce.
Watch the bread crumbs under the broiler
I have burned a lot of bread crumbs in my day. I set a timer for 1 minute intervals while I’m broiling, in case I get distracted. (By a homework meltdown…just to pick a hypothetical example). I have the timer to remind me - “Oh no! The breadcrumbs!”
Storage & Reheating
I save leftover mac and cheese in 2-cup containers. It will last in the refrigerator for a few days, or in the freezer for months. (Mac and cheese freezes well). I reheat 2-cup containers of mac and cheese in the microwave - it takes about 2 minutes to reheat from the refrigerator, or 6 minutes from frozen. (Your microwaving time may be different, depending on how powerful your microwave is.)
Print
Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Pressure Cooker mac and cheese - quick, easy, and better than the dreaded blue box.
Adapted from: America’s Test Kitchen Pressure Cooker Perfection
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried elbow macaroni
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 2 teaspoons table salt
- 4 cups water
- 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
- 16 ounces shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
- 6 ounces shredded Parmigiano cheese
Bread Crumb Topping (optional)
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
Instructions
- Pressure cook the pasta for 4 minutes with a quick release: Stir the macaroni, butter, mustard, hot pepper sauce, salt, and 4 cups water in the pressure cooker pot. Lock the lid on the pressure cooker and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes in an electric PC or stovetop PC. (For an Instant Pot, use Manual or Pressure Cook mode, and set the time to 4 minutes.) When the cooking time is done, quick release the pressure and remove the lid.
- Stir in the evaporated milk and cheese: Turn the heat under the pot down to low (or turn the electric pressure cooker to sauté-low or keep warm mode), and stir in the evaporated milk. Test a piece of pasta by taking a bite - it should be al dente, but cooked through. If the pasta is still tough in the middle, simmer it for a few minutes, until it is tender. Stir in the cheese one handful at a time, stirring constantly and waiting for the current handful to melt before adding the next handful.
- Top with breadcrumbs and broil: Optional step, if you like a toasted bread crumb topping: Pour the macaroni into a 3 quart broiler-safe dish, patting it down to level out the surface. Sprinkle the panko over the macaroni and cheese in an even layer. Broil the macaroni and cheese on high until the bread crumbs are toasted, about 5 minutes. Check the bread crumbs often - they go from pale brown to burnt in a flash.
Equipment
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Weeknight Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Would you like to save this recipe?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Video: How to make Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese (5:13)
Video: Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese [YouTube.com]
What do you think? Questions? Other ideas? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts
Instant Pot Chili Mac
Instant Pot Fettuccine Alfredo
Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
Pressure Cooker Beef Shank Osso Bucco
Pressure Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
Instant Pot Rotisserie Chicken Noodle Soup
Instant Pot Collard Greens
Click here for my other Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker recipes
Enjoyed this post? Want to help out DadCooksDinner? Subscribe to DadCooksDinner via email and share this post with your friends. Want to contribute directly? Donate to my Tip Jar, or buy something from Amazon.com through the links on this site. Thank you.
Rev says
I gotta say, this was the first recipe of yours I've had trouble with, and honestly, I'm not sure why. The noodles were perfect, I really like the flavor of the evaporated milk vs my usual ovenmade, but I could NOT get it to thicken at all. I even drained the cooking water before adding the evap milk, and while I guess some starch water would have helped, it just didn't get thick.
On another note, I have sucessfully made the beef and turkey stock in my 6qt electric, its not a DUO, but it gets the job done. The turkey was interesting, whole carcass didn't fit, so after it was done, I took the bones and big veggies out, added a new mirepoix and garlic and the rest of the carcass and just topped it off. Nice coming out of the PC already cooked down.
Mike V says
You shouldn't have to drain the water - that's why it's not in the instructions. Add evertyhing to the pot and stir.
Rev says
I'll have to try that next time. The leftover were amazing reheated with Buffalo chicken.
Mike V says
Just to check, because this happened to me after your original Comment: did you have a 1 pound box of pasta?
I bought a "high fiber" brand and didn't notice it was only 12 ounces of pasta...until I opened the lid after cooking and saw extra water left in the pot. (I had to simmer for 15 minutes to get it to thicken up. )
Rev says
Actually, yes, and I didn't even think about it at first. Used farfalle (bowties) instead of elbows, and thought surface area could win the battle, but that was something I thought about after I posted.
They keep making pounds of everything smaller; coffee, pasta, juice concentrate, canned veggies really need to pay more attention when I'm shopping
If you ever come around PGH, let me know, be happy to fire up the smoker and introduce you to my chipotle cherry BBQ sauce.
Mike V says
Thanks, Rev! Glad to hear that.
Vicki says
I didn't have anything in the house but 1/2 lb bowties, so I halved the recipe and used the bowties (as did Rev, I think?) -- apparently the bowties just don't absorb/expand as much as the elbows. Even though I used only 2 cups water, I had way too much liquid left after QR -- the noodles were done just fine. Since it was my first time trying this, I went ahead and left the water and hit Saute for a bit. Ended up dumping the whole mixture (after adding milk and cheese) into a casserole, topping with crumbs, and popping in the oven to dry out a bit. This is not the fault of the recipe -- just wanted to point out to others using a different style of pasta that they may need less water or to drain after PC step. 🙂
Joy says
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I have browsed the web for the PERFECT mac n cheese....and I found it here! I just made it and it was beautiful! I am totally new to the pressure cooking scene...and I am wondering why I haven't gotten one sooner!!! I have done applesauce, pulled pork tacos, and now, this recipe has been added to my list!!! I tried a couple other recipes, and I will just say...scrub a dub dub 🙁 I was nervous as I started it, but it turned out like a dream! To make it a little more "yellow" lol for my kids I added 2 teaspoons of Nutiva's Red Palm oil. It added a little more color and enhanced the flavor. I keep some on hand for homemade popcorn 🙂
Again, thanks so much! You have nailed it!
Browsing now through your other PC recipes!!
Terri says
I made this recipe tonight for the first time. I added about 1/2 teaspoon of Tumeric to add to the color and just because. It was great! Will definitely be making this one again.
Shelly says
This was SO DELISH! Thanks for sharing!
Mona says
This is a great recipe! I made two separate batches in two Instant Pot inserts for a crowd of 25 people (BBQ) and it disappeared quickly. (No time for topping- or oven!) Everyone raved about how good it was.
I did cut back on salt using 1 1/2 tsp fine pink sea salt. My husband and daughter would have preferred a bit less salt so next time will try 1 1/4 tsp for them...but I thought it was salted perfectly at 1 1/2 tsp.
Also may knock 1 minute off the cooking time next time, as the pasta got softer as it sat.
I did not turn my pot back on after releasing the pressure and needed no extra heat to finish the dish or melt the cheese/or warm it up. I just put my glass lid that goes with the Instant Pot on the pot as soon as the cheese melted and it stayed warm for service. (I stirred it a couple of times and it thickened)
Note: At first it seemed like it was going to have too much liquid, but as it sat it thickened perfectly!
Thanks for the great recipe! So fast and easy and will be a go-to for me. The most difficult part was grating the parm by hand for two batches, but next time will use my food processor to grate the cheese 🙂 I did use pre-grated packaged Kraft Sharp Cheddar to save time, which I normally wouldn't do but it was very good.
Patty says
I doubled it and it turned out great. However, I used my Fagor 10 qt cooker. Shocking how easy and fast the recipe was, and how well it turns out!
Mike V says
Thanks for following up - good to know.
Sherry says
I just got my Instant Pot today, and this was the first thing I tried. It's incredible! I did leave out the hot sauce and skipped the crumb topping, since I think my daughter wouldn't like it. Just a question, have you ever tried doubling this recipe in the 6 quart Instant Pot? If so, is the cooking time the same and all ingredients (including the water) exactly double? Thanks.
Mike V says
I haven't tried to download unless it, but it do think it will work by doubling all the ingredients and leaving the time the same.
KellieT says
I love Mac 'n cheese but boy it can be a real production to make--with making the sauce, boiling the macaroni, and baking. This was sooo much easier and very very tasty!! I even broke out the Marie Sharp hot sauce (which I have been rationing as I'm almost out of) for this. Thank you for the terrific recipe!
Patty says
Thank you for posting this! I normally only make mac and cheese a few times a year because I detest stirring the base sauce for so long. Never thought of using my pressure cooker until I stumbled upon this. I used my large stovetop size, doubled your recipe, and it turned out fantastic. And oh goodness, SOOOOOooooo much easier!
Mike V says
You're welcome! Glad it worked for you, and thanks for letting me know it worked
doubled.
Darlene says
I've made this several times just as the Recipe states & by adding some other variations of my own. I love how the mac & cheese is thick. My husband is a big fan of this recipe. Top notch! Thank you for sharing.
Mike V says
You're welcome! Glad to hear it works so well for you.
Christina says
Wowza. Surly 5 year old who EATS NOTHING but rare steak and baked potatoes (she was an investment banker in a previous life) just killed a whole bowl. Cruising for seconds. I need to sit down.
Mike V says
Hooray! I feel your pain with the surly 5 year old - thrilled to hear that I helped with a breakthrough!
SarahMoon says
You do not drain the pasta?
Mike V says
No, do not drain the pasta.
Debra says
Ah!! Ok! Just saw your first reply! Thank you!!
Debra says
Yes, I need twice as much Mac and cheese! I'm feeding a small army! Are ALL ingredients doubled?
Debra says
Hello! I have a ten quart elite pressure cooker (electric). I really want to try your recipe, but I would need to double it. Would I double ALL the ingredients, liquid and all? Would the cooking time change? If anyone has tried to double this, I'd appreciate your input. Thanks!
Mike V says
You should double everything, and the cooking time will not change. Good luck, and let me know how it goes.
Mike V says
PS: you don't have to double this recipe for it to work in the 10 quart PC. Only double it if you need twice as much Mac and cheese.
melody says
We have a lot of macncheese eaters at our house, so I need to double it! I'm glad I looked through the comments. We have an 8qt instant pot and I'm still learning it. So, double the pasta and the water, but use the SAME cooking time of 4 minutes? Crazy! I'll trust you...And I'll try to remember to report back.
kristy says
What button do you push on the electric pc to "simmer" if the macaroni isn't al dente? Thanks.
Mike V says
It depends on what brand of electric PC you have - check the manual. For my instant pot, it is the "sauté" button, and for my cuisinart there is a "simmer" setting.