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Home Recipe Index 6 Ingredients or Less

6-Ingredient Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

4.6 /5
Jump to Recipe Rate Recipe
By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 6/4/24Updated: 1/22/23

This post may contain affiliate or sponsored links. Please read our disclosure policy.

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. this …


 
Table of Contents
  • About This Recipe
  • Ingredients Needed
  • Cooking Tip
  • How to Make Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
  • What to Serve with Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
  • Recipe FAQs
  • We Know Instant Pot Recipes!
  • More Easy Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love
  • Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart
  • Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

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:

  1. Whole wheat elbow pasta – I prefer whole wheat because it’s healthier but the kids will never know.
  2. Shredded cheddar cheese
  3. Yellow mustard – Just a little bit for a background flavor that makes you go “hmm, what is that?” (in a good way).
  4. Butter
  5. Milk – I tested this with 2% milk.
  6. 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

  1. Add pasta, butter, mustard, salt, pepper, and water to the pot and stir.
  2. 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.)
  3. 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.
  4. 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

fried catfish nuggets on a platter with lemons and remoulade sauce

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…

  • Instant Pot Beef Stew
  • Instant Pot Tomato Soup
  • 4-Ingredient Instant Pot Spaghetti
  • Instant Pot Potato Soup

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.

Instant Pot cooking times chart printable laid out.
A Must Have for Instant Pot Users

Instant Pot Cooking Times Chart

After testing hundreds of Instant Pot recipes, we have honed in on the best timing and methods for cooking different types of meals in the Instant Pot.

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Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!

Mac and cheese in a bowl with steamed broccoli on the side.
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.6 from 14 reviews

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

This mac and cheese recipe takes just minutes to pull together, dirties only one pot, and tastes creamy and delicious!

Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Prep: 3 minutesCook: 5 minutesTotal: 8 minutes
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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.)

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions

  1. Add pasta, butter, mustard, salt, pepper, and water to the pot and stir.
  2. 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.)
  3. 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.
  4. 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!

Notes/Tips

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • I have not tested this with white or gluten-free pasta, so I’m not sure on the timing for those.
© Author: Rachel Tiemeyer
Cuisine: American Method: Instant Pot

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instant pot mac and cheese
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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!

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  1. Mary says

    Posted on 5/20/25 at 6:14 pm

    My 16 year old son made this for us on his night to cook. Yum!! He subbed 1 c of cream for the milk and half and half because that is what was in the fridge. So good. Bacon bits on top is also delightful.

    Reply
    • Carla from Thriving HomeCarla from Thriving Home says

      Posted on 5/21/25 at 8:25 am

      Love to hear this Mary! Thanks for leaving a review and detailing the substitution/addition. So fun when the kids cook for us!

      Reply
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whole wheat mac and cheese in bowls on white plates with steamed broccoli on the side