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!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 Cups of Mac and Cheese
- Calories: 660
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 1499.1 mg
- Fat: 30.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 62.3 g
- Protein: 33.5 g
- Cholesterol: 79.2 mg
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
Instant Pot Baked Ziti
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.
Kathie Williams says
Are ounce measurements (e.g. for cheese) by weight or by volume?
Mike V says
By weight.
Wouter says
Is there a specific reason for the mustard and/or hot sauce? How noticeable are they in the final result? Our son has sensory issues and tends to pick up on things that people generally would not notice, both by taste and smell. If these were left out, would it change the taste dramatically, or make it too bland? Or are these components used in general in commercial settings like restaurants?
I typically make my mac and cheese with a bechamel base as a start, and with a variety of cheeses, but he won't eat it unless it looks like the blue box kind. I could use cheddar to address some of that here, but just curious about those two elements.
Wouter says
I actually did try it tonight, with the hot sauce and mustard powder. Came out well. He ate the entire bowl, although it was not entirely smooth. Thinking though it may have been the sharp cheddar versus a more mild cheddar. Baby steps I guess.
Leslie says
I have made this many times and LOVE it. Planned on it today and alas! No Evaporated milk. Does it work with regular milk? I also have heavy cream. Help
Lisa says
I know this is too late, but I made this yesterday with 9 oz of whole milk and 3 of whipping cream. It was delicious.
Paige says
Hello- I'm making this in my instant pot for children at an adult/children party. I have so much to do that I'm planning to make this the night before as we will be at the pool the next day. Do you think that it will be dry if I make night before, then warm it up on the stove the following day? Should I make any modifications? Also, is the hot sauce too much for kiddos? Thanks and glad I found your page! Love my pressure cooker!
Mike V says
It will be fine made the day before - just keep an eye on it and stir fairly often while you reheat it on the stove. My kids - even the one who is very sensitive to heat - don't notice the hot sauce.
Dezgirl says
This recipe makes great cauliflower Mac and cheese! I steamed a smallish head of cauliflower in a steamer basket in my IP with 1 cup water ( steam setting 2 mins) then made recipe as written but added crumbled cauliflower florets to the pot with first ingredients. I also added real bacon crumbles at the end after the cheese and plenty of black pepper ( my personal taste preference). This is a fantastic comfort food dish made a little less guilty because of the addition of the cauliflower. My kids know it is in there and don't care in the least because it is so yummy.
Scotland says
I just made this exactly as the recipe is written. I did have the problem when venting my Instant Pot that the butter came out with the venting steam. No worries, next time I will just add the butter after cooking the noodles. But let me tell you, this is the best macaroni and cheese. So good that I'm writing this review while eating my second bowl. Seriously, will never again use boxed mac and cheese. And it does not get any easier. The sauce is perfectly creamy and cheesy - so yummy. Thank you for this recipe.
Mike V says
You're welcome!
Barbara says
I've made this and it's awesome - thank you! One day I was planning it but only had egg noodles on so I tried this recipe with a little less chees, added tuna and peas - it turned out great!
Anna says
Hi there,
Is there a hot pepper sauce that you recommend? And does it affect the spicyness level at all?
Mike V says
I use Franks Red Hot (seen in the pictures) because it has a relatively low level of heat. When I want to add a little more zing, I go with El Yucateco green habaerno sauce.
Kim says
Has anyone doubled the recipe in a 6q InstantPot? I've got a crowd coming on Saturday. I could make 1 batch, throw it in a crockpot and then make a 2nd batch if really necessary.
I did make this as written once before and it is awesome.
Kate says
If anyone's wondering if this technique works with gluten free pasta, I'm happy to report it works just fine. The only changes I made (other than substituting GF pasta for regular) is I sauted a finely diced onion (as per my mother's recipe) and used dijon mustard instead of yellow (again, it's a Momma thing).
Mike V says
Thanks for the GF pasta feedback!
Jenna says
I loved it as is. I used sricha for the pepper sauce and Dijon mustard for the mustard (I didn't have yellow).
However, I had some roasted poblano pepper and some sautéed onions. They were a delicious addition too.
Jan says
In a word - awesome. Had the Instant Pot for a month, this recipe is a keeper, pasta cooked to perfection, great zing with the mustard...thanks 🙂
Bonnie says
My cheese came out clumpy... did I do something wrong?
Mike V says
Was the pot over low heat, and did you Stir in the cheese one handful at a time, stirring constantly and waiting for the current handful to melt before adding the next handful? I get into trouble when I try to rush that step.
Courtney says
Such a great recipe, thank you!! I'm brand new to pressure cooking and besides hard boiled eggs and mashed potatoes, this mac and cheese is my first actual dinner using the IP. Like a pp mentioned, my IP erupted like a volcano after releasing the pressure and it made a huge mess all over my counters and floors; spewing liquid all over the place. Can I throw a towel over the top next time? Does that work to contain any mess but not interfere with the pressure releasing?
Mike V says
When this happens to me, I close the pressure valve and let it sit for a few minutes to cool - up to 5 minutes - before opening the pressure valve and releasing the pressure again. And, when this happens, I make sure to rinse out the pressure valve and the lid to clean them out.
That said, I've never seen it with this recipe - it usually happens when I'm pushing the "max fill" line on my cooker, like making chicken stock.
Devin says
Thanks for the recipe and clear instructions! This was the first thing I attempted in my Instant Pot, and I'm in love! Not just with the ooey-gooey awesomeness of this mac & cheese but with how easy it was with the pressure cooker. The family loved it and I'm so glad we had leftovers for additional meals.