6-Ingredient Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Name: Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 8 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound whole wheat elbow pasta; 3 tablespoons salted butter; 1 teaspoon yellow mustard; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; 4 cups water; 3/4 cup whole milk; 1/3 cup half and half; 3-4 cups shredded Colby Jack or Cheddar cheese (or Gruyere for something fancier!) (Here’s how to shred your own cheese.)

4.6 /5

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By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 6/4/24Updated: 1/22/23

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This easy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese recipe takes just 6 main ingredients and 18 minutes from start to finish, dirties only one pot, and tastes creamy and delicious! Plus, it’s made with all real food ingredients (see ya, Kraft).

P.S. If you like this recipe, you’ll love our Instant Pot Spaghetti too!

Instant pot mac and cheese in bowls on white plates with steamed broccoli on the side.

Table of Contents

About This Recipe

It was 5:30 p.m. and my kids were starving. I was finishing up a work project and hadn’t even given dinner a thought when I began hearing the low-grade whines from the next room. “I’m hunnngrrrreeee!”

The Instant Pot to the rescue. I happened to have some whole wheat pasta in the pantry, along with the other few ingredients in this recipe. Dinner was done in 18 minutes flat and everyone was happy about it.

I love that Instant Pot dump-and-go dinners like this! Plus, this is a great recipe for 1 year olds or little eaters. It’s easy for little gums and much healthier than the boxed version.

Spoon of mac and cheese being lifted out of the Instant Pot.

Ingredients Needed

Woohoo, this recipe only requires 6 main ingredients! That means this dinner is cheap, easy, and fast. Here’s what you’ll need:

Whole wheat elbow pasta – I prefer whole wheat because it’s healthier but the kids will never know.
Shredded cheddar cheese
Yellow mustard – Just a little bit for a background flavor that makes you go “hmm, what is that?” (in a good way).
Butter
Milk – I tested this with 2% milk.
Half and half

You’ll also need some salt and pepper out of the pantry and water from the tap.

Glass bowl of freshly shredded cheddar cheese.

Cooking Tip

If you shred your own block of cheese, it will melt more evenly than the pre-shredded kind from the store. Here’s how to shred your own cheese

How to Make Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Add pasta, butter, mustard, salt, pepper, and water to the pot and stir.
Lock and seal the lid. Cook at high pressure for half the pasta cooking time on the package, minus 1 minute. (So, if the directions say 6 minutes: Half is 3 minutes, minus 1 minute, means you’ll cook it for 2 minutes total.)
Use a quick release of the pressure when cooking time is through. Be sure to cover the spout with a dish towel to minimize splatters.
Stir in the milk and half and half. Then, slowly stir in the cheese 1 handful at a time. Taste and adjust salt and pepper amounts, if needed. Enjoy!

Macaroni, water, and butter in the instant pot ready to be cooked.

Whole wheat mac and cheese in the instant pot.

What to Serve with Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Serve up some of these simple, healthy, and kid-friendly dishes with your mac for a well-rounded dinner.

You might also like a simple green salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette, veggie sticks with hummus, or Maple Glazed Carrots.

Chicken nuggets dipped in honey mustard dipping sauce.

The BEST Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Roasted broccoli on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Slow cooker applesauce in a small blue bowl with a spoon next to it and apples in the background.

Crockpot Cinnamon Applesauce

Catfish Nuggets

Recipe FAQs

Can this be made with gluten-free pasta?

Our readers who have tried this recipe with gluten-free pasta have not had good results. It’s turned out mushy. If you try a specific brand and have good luck, please let us know!

What kind of cheese works best?

The traditional cheese (I’m talking about real cheese, not Velveeta) for mac and cheese is cheddar. However, feel free to try other shredded cheeses that melt easily, such as Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, Pepper Jack, and Gruyere cheese (so decadent!).

How long will leftovers last?

This mac n cheese is best eaten fresh, but leftovers aren’t too bad! Just store leftovers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Warm in the microwave. Add a splash of milk if it gets dry when rewarming.

Can I freeze mac and cheese?

I’ve tried freezing this in small batches for lunches. While it technically works, the pasta is noticeably more mushy. To warm, thaw completely in the refrigerator first and then warm it up.

Thriving Home's cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker, lying on a counter.

We Know Instant Pot Recipes!

Did you know that our second cookbook, From Freezer to Cooker, is filled entirely with Instant Pot and slow cooker recipes?! We tested 100s of recipes over the years and can confidently say that you can trust this mac and cheese recipe, along with all our other Instant Pot recipes on Thriving Home.

From Freezer to Cooker

More Easy Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love

If you like this simple recipe, we think you’ll love these other recipes…

P.S. If you’re wondering the best way to clean your pot after making this dish, follow these instructions from Clean Mama.

Mac n cheese in a bowl sitting on a gray plate with steamed broccoli on the side.

If mac and cheese is a staple in your household, like it is in ours, be sure to try our Healthy Baked Mac and Cheese (with Sneaky Sweet Potato), and our Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese.

Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!