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.
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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
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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.
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Click here for my other Instant Pot and Pressure Cooker recipes
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Heidi Weaver says
This is an incredible recipe: fast, incredible taste, creamy, minimal ingredients & cost effective. I'm not a mac and cheese fan and even I like this. I've started keeping all the ingredients on hand because my family asks me to make this all the time. Thanks for making the ideal mac and cheese recipe, we love it!
Michele Cohen says
Great recipe! I just got my Instant Pot a month or so ago, and this was my first mac&cheese. I used Meuller's Hudden Veggie twisted elbows pasta. Four cups of water was perfect for 12 ounces.
Matt says
I've made this recipe a few times now and it's delicious. Is there any way of avoiding the liquid from erupting out of the vent? I have to hold a glass above it to contain the mustardy steam.
Mike Vrobel says
If it starts erupting, close the vent and let it rest for a couple of minutes, then try again.
Jobeninst says
Just got my Instant Pot today, and made this for dinner. Hubby was skeptical, but it worked great!! I also had the issue with butter coming out with the steam, but I'll just put off adding most of the butter until after cooking next time. I also thought it was a bit too salty, so I think I'll cut back a bit. Thanks for a great recipe!
Christine says
We absolute LOVE this recipe! Thank you so much for posting. I make it exactly as stated and add cooked finely sliced bacon after the cheese has melted. We like it best after it sits in warm for a little while. The flavors really mix together and it is SO good. ????
Rita Korsen says
Can I use gluten free noodles and if so, would cooking time change?
Dawna says
Absolutely delicious and very easy to make! My family loved it. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Amy says
Tried this last night and used about 4 oz Velveeta and preshredded (Sarento) sharp cheddar. Got a little bit of grittiness from the Cheddar, which I think I would hand shred in the future. Don't they put some kind of anti-clumping agent in the pre-shredded stuff?
I thought it was going to be super runny, but it thickened up upon standing for just a bit.
Mac and cheese is like sex. It's all good, although some is more memorable than others.
Steve says
Hey Mike, your recipes have never let me down (IP owner for almost a year). Just made this in the IP 6-qt. Did have a lot of water left over, just drained it and kept going. Very good and likely to make it again.
Pamela says
So my new Instant Pot arrived. This is the first recipe I cooked in it. It was a HUGE success in my house. I truly appreciated your video. It was very helpful. Thank you so much for posting this recipe. Now I'm going to search your website for other great recipes.
LindieLee says
I made this yesterday and it was gritty. I used sharp and mild cheddar cheese that was pre grated, and parmigiana that I graded by hand. Can anyone tell me why this happened and if this recipe does produce a gritty mixture?
April says
I've made this recipe many times, and it always comes out smooth.
It's probably the pre-grated cheese. Those usually have some kind of anti-clumping agent (so the shreds don't clump up in the bag) added to the mix, which can cause grittiness and difficulty melting.
Emily says
Update: So I did make the Mac and cheese before work and kept it on warm until our lunch time potluck, about 3.5 hours. I brought some extra milk to mix in if it was looking dry and that worked really well, probably ended up adding about 16oz of milk. But it turned out great. I had toasted some breadcrumbs with butter beforehand and sprinkled them on top. Tasted great! Thanks for the recipe!
Emily says
A couple of questions bc I'm new to the instant pot:
1. Can I really double this recipe in the 6 qt instant pot as one commenter wrote?
2. Could I make this at home in the morning before work, keep it in the pot and transport it to work (45 minutes) and then set the pot to "keep warm" until the lunch time potluck?
Finally, thanks for all the helpful info on your website about the instant pot!
Mike V says
Yes, you can double the recipe - I've had multiple readers say they were able to fit it in the IP 6 quart. As for making it ahead of time - that's a long time in "keep warm" mode. I've never tried it, because I'm worried it would dry out over 4 hours of cooking. Can a reader help us out? Anyone try this?
Jordan McManus says
I do something similar when I make mac & cheese on the stove. But I wasn't sure how to convert it for my new instant pot. This looks perfect! Thank you so much!!
Drew Jackson says
Mike, thanks for the awesome recipe to break in my new cooker. Question for you though. When I did the quick release I got a starchy/buttery spew with the steam that was released. Should I have let it rest a bit?
Mike V says
I let the pressure go right away. Most times it is fine; only occasionally do I get the steam with water spitting. If it starts to spit, I close the valve and let it rest for a few minutes before trying again.