Making decadent, cheesy macaroni and cheese in the Instant Pot is easy and convenient! Go classic or "gourmet" with four different sauce variations and find your family's favorites. Don't miss my Crunchy Topping Guide for recipes and ideas to finish the dish.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword instant pot mac and cheese, instant pot macaroni and cheese, pressure cooker macaroni and cheese
¾poundlump or jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for cartilage
your favorite hot sauce, to taste (optional)
Instructions
Ultimate Classic Cheddar
Melt butter in your Instant Pot on the SAUTÉ - NORMAL setting until foaming subsides. (Note: I highly recommend using the ceramic, non-stick insert for this recipe.) Add onions and cook for 3-4 minutes, until translucent.
Hit the Cancel button to turn off the Instant Pot. Add pasta and 2 cups each of broth and water, OR 4 cups of water, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt. Stir to combine. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, turn the valve to seal, and set it on High Pressure for 4 minutes. When finished cooking, quick release the pressure.
Stir the pasta to break up any clumps. (See important recipe note below about extra water in the pot before proceeding.) Add onion powder, mustard powder, pepper, paprika, cream cheese, and heavy cream and stir until smooth.
Turn the Instant Pot to SAUTÉ - LOW. Add the cheeses about a cup at a time, stirring to combine until a creamy, cheesy sauce forms. If the sauce is too thick, add a little extra cream or half and half, a tablespoon at a time, until your desired consistency is reached. If it's too thin, just let it stand for a few minutes on the KEEP WARM setting, stirring occasionally, and the sauce will thicken on its own.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot sauce or cayenne, if using. Serve immediately.Recommended Crunchy Topping: Crushed Cheese Crisps
Bacon-Gouda
Cook the bacon in your Instant Pot insert on the SAUTÉ - NORMAL function until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pot and set aside. You should have 2 tablespoons of fat left in the pot (carefully pour out any extra).
Add 2 tablespoons unsalted butter to the insert and heat until foaming subsides. Proceed with the Classic recipe, sautéing onions and cooking the pasta. Use 4 cups of water instead of the 2 cups chicken broth/2 cups water mixture.
When the pasta is cooked, release the pressure and turn the Instant Pot to SAUTÉ - LOW. Stir the pasta to break up any clumps. Add onion powder, mustard powder, pepper, paprika, cream cheese, and heavy cream and stir until smooth.
Add the cheeses about a cup at a time, stirring to combine until a creamy, cheesy sauce forms. Stir the reserved bacon into the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.Recommended Crunchy Topping: Toasted Buttery Panko
Truffled Mushroom
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the Instant Pot insert on the SAUTÉ - NORMAL function until foaming subsides. Add mushrooms and a pinch each of salt and pepper, and cook until soft and lightly-browned, about 8-10 minutes. Remove mushrooms from the insert and set aside.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the insert and proceed with the Classic recipe, sautéing onions and cooking the pasta. Use 4 cups of water instead of the 2 cups chicken broth/2 cups water mixture.
When the pasta is cooked, release the pressure and turn the Instant Pot to SAUTÉ - LOW. Stir the pasta to break up any clumps. Add garlic powder, mustard powder, pepper, thyme, cream cheese, and heavy cream and stir until smooth.
Add the cheeses about a cup at a time, stirring to combine until a creamy, cheesy sauce forms. Stir the truffle oil and reserved mushrooms into the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.Recommended Crunchy Topping: Toasted Garlic-Parmesan Panko
Creamy Crab
Follow the instructions to sauté the onions and cook the pasta in the Classic recipe. Use 4 cups of water instead of the 2 cups chicken broth/2 cups water mixture.
When the pasta is cooked, release the pressure and turn the Instant Pot to SAUTÉ - LOW. Stir the pasta to break up any clumps. Add garlic powder, mustard powder, paprika, seafood seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, cream cheese, and heavy cream and stir until smooth.
Add the cheeses about a cup at a time, stirring to combine until a creamy, cheesy sauce forms. Stir in the lemon juice, chives, and hot sauce (if using). Gently fold in the crabmeat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.Recommended crunchy topping: Toasted Spicy Butter Cracker Crumbs
While total time at high pressure is 4 minutes for this recipe (with elbow macaroni), the listed cooking time includes sautéing the onions, bringing the pot up to pressure, depressurizing, and making the cheese sauce.
Pasta Cooking Times:
In general, you should plan to cook your pasta on high pressure in the Instant Pot for half of the time listed on the box instructions, rounded down. So, if the pasta box says the shape cooks to al dente in 9 minutes on the stove, cook it for 4 minutes on high pressure with a quick release.Cooking times observed in testing this post were as follows:
Elbow Macaroni: 4 minutes
Medium Shells: 4 minutes
Pipette: 4 minutes
Penne: 5-6 minutes
Cellentani/Cavatappi: 6 minutes
Gemelli: 6-7 minutes
Important: If there are more than about 2 tablespoons of water left in the insert after the pasta has finished cooking and the pressure has been released, drain this out before proceeding with the recipe. Otherwise, the sauce will be watery.