The Best Instant Pot Mac and Cheese! This is the EASIEST recipe for Macaroni and Cheese and the perfect comfort food recipe! Creamy, cheesy, and ready in minutes!

Quick homemade macaroni and cheese is here! Move over Kraft Mac and Cheese because the best Instant Pot mac and cheese has arrived. This insanely delicious, cheesy, creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese recipe comes together in five minutes and only needs to be cooked in the Instant Pot for 4 minutes.

You will adore the simplicity of this recipe while your kiddos will love it – hot dogs and macaroni and cheese anyone? My kiddo loves that combination. Instant Pot mac and cheese with chicken is another favorite and sometimes we will add bacon too. This recipe will quickly become a staple for weeknights as a side dish or main course (as will my Instant Pot Chicken and Rice recipe!)

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Ingredients

One of the best parts about this recipe is that you do not need a long list of ingredients to make it. This Mac and Cheese requires basically only five ingredients depending on how many different cheeses you decide to use. Five ingredients! That’s it. And it’s amazing. Some homemade macaroni and cheese recipes require making a roux with flour, but this simple recipe comes together all in your instant pot with minimal hands-on time. For the full list of ingredients and measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Dry pasta: This recipe calls for one pound elbow macaroni. Feel free to substitute any pasta that you’d like, just note that it may take a bit longer to cook if you use something different. If you are looking for the quickest option available, go with elbow macaroni. It’ll only take 3-4 minutes in the Instant Pot for elbow macaroni to cook perfectly. For gluten free mac and cheese, you can try making this with gluten free noodles.
• Butter: Salted or unsalted, whatever you have on hand is fine. If you are using salted butter, you may want to slightly reduce the amount of salt that you add.
• Dry Ground Mustard: If you do not have dry ground mustard, it’s ok. You can still proceed with making this recipe. Dry ground mustard adds just a hint of tanginess to the recipe. It also acts as an emulsifier which helps make the texture nice and creamy.
• Salt: This recipe for Mac and Cheese calls for two teaspoons of salt. You can use table salt, kosher salt, or even sea salt. Whatever you have on hand. Feel free to reduce the salt slightly if using salted butter.
• Black Pepper: Just a half teaspoon of black pepper is all you need to season this Mac and Cheese.
• Evaporated Milk: One cup of evaporated milk is used in this recipe. You can find evaporated milk in the baking aisle at most grocery stores. It is more concentrated and has a slightly heavier taste which works well in a macaroni and cheese recipe. It is less watery than regular milk because of the concentrated milk proteins. If you don’t have any evaporated milk on hand, regular milk will work too. Be sure to double-check your label to make sure you have evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed milk.
• Cheese: See the best cheeses for mac and cheese below.

How to Make Easy Mac and Cheese!

Homemade macaroni and cheese has never been easier to make with the Instant Pot. While Kraft Mac & Cheese is a staple in many households, this Instant Pot recipe is made just as quickly as the blue box. Here is a brief overview of how the recipe comes together. For the full recipe including all ingredients and measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

1. Add ingredients to your Instant Pot. Add dry macaroni, butter, water, mustard, salt, and pepper to your Instant Pot. Secure the lid, select manual, and high pressure for 4 minutes. 
2. Cook the pasta. Once complete, use a quick release. Open the lid and check that the pasta is cooked completely. If not, select sauté and cook for another 2 minutes until the pasta is fully cooked.
3. Add the cheese. Add in the evaporated milk and each of the cheeses. Continue to mix and stir until creamy. Add any extra salt to taste. Enjoy!

What Cheese to Use in Mac and Cheese

You can definitely play around with which cheeses you put in your mac and cheese, but here is my favorite combination. I recommend shredding the cheese from a block rather than buying pre-shredded. It will melt and taste so much better because it isn’t covered with preservatives that keep it from clumping together in the bag in pre-shredded cheese.

• Sharp Cheddar Cheese: When you are cooking with cheddar cheese, always go with a sharp or extra sharp variety. It melts well and tastes the best.
• Monterey Jack Cheese: If you don’t have Monterey Jack cheese on hand, feel free to substitute with whatever cheese you have and enjoy – other great options include gruyere, smoked gouda, or even fontina.
• Parmesan Cheese: I like to use a microplane grater to finely grate parmesan cheese. It melts the best when it is finely grated. If you don’t have parmesan cheese on hand, use extra cheddar or any other cheese of your choice.
• Cream Cheese: for a little extra creaminess, you can add in 2 ounces of cream cheese. This is totally optional but makes for an extra creamy and delicious Mac and cheese.

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Additions

This basic mac and cheese recipe is amazing as is, but is also delicious with additions. I recommend cooking your mac and cheese according to the recipe card, and then mixing in your additions just before serving. Here are a few ways to mix up your mac and cheese:

• Add cooked vegetables: Broccoli, mushrooms, chopped spinach, onions, or peas would be delicious. Make sure to cook your veggies separately and then add them to the finished mac and cheese.
• Add protein: Cooked chicken (breaded chicken tenders, Air Fryer Chicken Bites, or meat from a rotisserie chicken would be perfect and easy), tuna, ham, cooked bacon, or hot diced dogs.
• Add chicken broth: For a little extra flavor, swap out half of the cooking water for chicken broth when cooking the pasta in your instant pot.

What to Serve with Macaroni and Cheese

Often times I will get a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store to go along with this. Add a side of fruit, veggies, or a side salad and you have a super simple dinner. My little guy will often request hot dogs and macaroni and cheese so that’s always an option too. It works great as a side dish for so many recipes and is truly comfort food at its finest.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Store any leftover macaroni and cheese in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat the leftovers in the microwave, stirring halfway through. You may need to add a splash of milk when reheating it. Always use your best judgment when storing and eating leftovers.

More Instant Pot Recipes

Looking for more Instant Pot Recipes? I’ve got you covered! Here are some of our favorites:

• Instant Pot Cheddar Broccoli and Potato Soup
• Instant Pot Apple Crisp
• Instant Pot Cheeseburger Chowder
• Easy Instant Pot Taco Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken and Rice
• Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
• How to make Spaghetti in the Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Maple Banana Bread Oatmeal
• Instant Pot Pulled Pork Sandwiches

This recipe for Easy Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese is everything you love about Mac N’ Cheese – creamy, cheesy, simple, and delicious. It is simply the best and I hope you love it as much as we do. If you try it, please leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Enjoy!