Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

We make this Mac and Cheese a lot! It's easy to just throw in the instant pot and have gooey cheesey noodles a short time later. My son HATES "regular" mac and cheese, you know, the kind from the 'blue' box?!? ;) But he LOVES this stuff! We even make a varied version with some chicken sausage that I'll also share below. We love using this as a side dish to steak or chicken. 
But.... if you want to make the 'blue box' kind of Mac and Cheese in the Instant Pot YOU CAN! I'll share how to do it below. I feel like it makes it a little softer than doing it over the stove BUT it has saved me some time on busy lunch afternoons. I have started it before I left for kindergarten pickup and when I get back all I need to do is add the cheese and milk and we have a kid favorite lunch ready to go with only ONE dirty dish! 

I can't even remember where I found the original "recipe"/idea for this but have found what works for us and that is what I share below.

Mac and Cheese- "homemade" version

16-21 oz Elbow macaroni: my favorite brand is the Pagasa brand that are .50 for 7 oz so I use 3 packages

2 Tbsp butter

5 cups water (or 4 cups if using 16 oz.... Basically it’s 1 cup per 4 oz of noodles)

1/4-1/2 cup milk (or heavy cream if you want it extra creamy)

2 cups Shredded Cheese: Sharp cheddar is our favorite! But you can use anything you love. We sometimes throw in a handful of mozzarella and a handful of Parmesan too.

Directions:

In instant pot, combine water, noodles and butter. Put lid on and seal valve.

Set timer for 4 minutes. Do a quick release. Then stir in milk. Add in cheese(s) in handfuls and stir until melted. Add more milk if needed. Enjoy!

**Fun Variation** One of my kids’ favorite meals is a little variation of this recipe. It’s not MY personal favorite but the kids ALL love it and devour it and often have seconds. So we usually make this on date night because it’s simple and I don’t have to eat it. Win-Win for me LOL! But you may love it, so I’ll share it.

Follow the directions above for the noodles but once you release all the pressure add a jar of alfredo sauce instead of milk and butter. Then add in your cheeses. We then add in diced chicken sausage. The kids love it!

Kraft Mac and Cheese in the Instant Pot

Yes, this is silly but also pretty handy. This makes the mac and cheese a little more soft than if you do it over the stove, so take that into consideration. I need to try cooking it for 1 minute less and see if that makes a difference. But nonetheless, my kids love it this way and it makes for a quick lunch that I don’t have to sit and watch boil over the stove. So “Win” for me!

1 1⁄2 cups water

1 box Kraft macaroni and cheese

4 Tbsp butter

1⁄4 cup milk

Combine noodles and water. Place lid on and set valve to seal. Cook on high for 3 minutes. Let naturally release for about 3 minutes then do a quick release for remaining pressure. Stir the noodles to let it absorb the water, then add the butter, cheese packet and milk. Stir and serve!