by Texas Homesteader ~
Macaroni & cheese isn’t hard to make on the stovetop, but it’s TWICE as easy to make in a pressure cooker. And it cooks in less than half the time too!
Instant Pot boxed macaroni & cheese cooks in only 4 minutes with 1 minute natural release.
Benefits of Making Boxed Mac & Cheese In A Pressure Cooker
Adults & kids alike love cheesy creamy macaroni & cheese! Benefits of making boxed macaroni & cheese in a pressure cooker are:
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Faster cook time – just 4 minutes!
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No risk of messy pasta boil over. (I swear, EVERY TIME for me!)
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Not wasting any of my homemade broth!
- One-Pot convenience – no strainer needed
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How Many Servings In A Box Of Mac & Cheese?
Each box makes three approximately one-cup servings. I always make two boxes at a time so there’s 6 cups of mac & cheese in this recipe!
If you’re only making one box, just cut the ingredients in half, the cook time is the same. But I say… Go ahead & make TWO!
How Many Cups Of Water For Instant Pot Mac & Cheese?
Since I always make two boxes of mac & cheese at a time, I use 2¼ cups of water or broth. The liquid is divided, some under the pasta, some on top.
NOTE: If you’re only making one box you’ll need 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water/broth.
Ingredients To Make Mac & Cheese In An Instant Pot
The ingredients to cook TWO boxes of Mac & Cheese in a pressure cooker are below. (If you’re only wanting a single box just cut the ingredients in half)
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2 boxes mac & cheese
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2¼ cups broth or water, divided
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3 tablespoons butter
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1 cup milk blended with contents of the dry cheese packets
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How To Make TWO Boxes Of Mac & Cheese In An Instant Pot
Making Instant Pot Macaroni & Cheese is easy!
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Pour 1¼ cup of broth or water in the bottom of the Instant Pot liner.
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Remove the dry cheese powder packets & set aside. Spread elbow macaroni evenly over the bottom. DON’T STIR.
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Add 3 tablespoons of butter and the other cup of water on top. DON’T STIR.
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Lock pressure cooker lid in place and place lever to ‘sealing’.
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Cook on high pressure 4 minutes. (then allow 1 minute natural release)
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Do quick release and stir to separate pasta.
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Stir together 1 cup of milk and the 2 dry cheese packets and pour over pasta. Stir to combine.
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Serve hot.
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NOTE: The pasta will continue to soak up moisture as it cools. So if it’s not as thick as you like, give it a few minutes to soak up more liquid.
Flavor Additions: How To Jazz Up Plain Mac & Cheese
If you’re wanting to jazz up the flavor of plain mac & cheese or make it more hearty so you can serve it as an entrée instead of just a side, there are lots of easy & fun add-in’s:
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¼ cup chopped seeded roasted hatch chile for a spicy twist. (our favorite)
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Add drained cans of tuna & peas/carrots.
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Stir in a can of chili for chili mac flavor.
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Add frozen or steamed broccoli and cooked cubed chicken.
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Stir in chopped kielbasa sausage.
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Add sliced cooked hotdogs – a favorite for the kids!
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Stir in browned Taco-Seasoned ground beef (or taco-Tuesday meat leftovers!)
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Mozzarella cheese & sliced pepperoni make a fun pizza flavor.
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Chunks of smoked ham & steamed broccoli are delicious.
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Stir in hot sauce or salsa (the hotter the better for me!)
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So go ahead & cook up a couple of boxes of mac & cheese in your pressure cooker. It’s EASY!
Did you make this Instant Pot Boxed Macaroni & Cheese? Please rate the recipe in your comment below!
Instant Pot Boxed Mac & Cheese
This recipe uses 2 boxes of macaroni & cheese. A one-pot meal that it cooks in only 4 minutes with no risk of pasta boil-over. And there are lots of fun add-in's too! #TexasHomesteader
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 7.25-oz boxes Macaroni & Cheese, remove & set aside cheese powder packets
- 2 ¼ cups Broth or Water divided
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 cup Milk
Instructions
Instructions
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In bottom of instant pot inner liner pour 1 ¼ cup of the broth or water.
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Remove & set aside dry cheese powder packets. Spread pasta from both boxes of Mac & Cheese evenly along the bottom, DON’T STIR.
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Top with 3 tablespoons of butter and the other cup of broth/water. DON’T STIR.
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Top pressure cooker with lid, lock into place, place lever on ‘sealing’ and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.
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Allow 1 minute natural release and then do a quick release of remaining pressure. Stir pasta to separate.
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In small bowl stir together 1 cup milk and the 2 dry cheese packets, blending thoroughly.
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Pour cheese sauce over pasta and stir to combine. Serve hot. (Note, pasta continues to soak up moisture as it cools)
Recipe Notes
Fun Add-In’s
If you want a different flavor than macaroni & cheese, or you want to make it more hearty to use as an entrée instead of a side, here are some fun add-in's to consider:
- ¼ cup chopped seeded roasted hatch chile for a spicy twist.
- Drained cans of tuna & peas/carrots.
- Stir in a can of chili for chili mac flavor.
- Frozen or steamed broccoli and cooked cubed chicken.
- Chopped kielbasa sausage.
- Sliced cooked hotdogs - a favorite for the kids.
- Browned Taco-Seasoned ground beef (or taco-Tuesday meat leftovers!)
- Mozzarella cheese & sliced pepperoni for a pizza flavor.
- Chunks of smoked ham & steamed broccoli.
- Hot sauce or salsa (the hotter the better for me!).
~TxH~
Tagged in 
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