Instant Pot Macaroni & Cheese

I have a confession to make, this was my first time making Instant Pot Macaroni & Cheese.  Truth be told, I never like Macaroni & Cheese when it is homemade. I prefer the box of Kraft Mac -n- Cheese over any homemade that I ever had. The number one reason being, that it gets grainy and thick and it is never creamy. I have had a few great experiences making pasta in the Instant Pot, so I came up with a plan for this Instant Pot Macaroni & Cheese and decided to give it a whirl. I was shocked at the outcome. It was perfect and it only needed about 20 minutes of cook time.  I will be very honest and say that you will need to use Velveeta to make this recipe and that overall, it is not the healthiest of recipes, but it’s delicious, so it’s healthy for the soul.  Here is what you need to make this Instant Pot Macaroni & Cheese:

Ingredients

• 3 C of Uncooked Macaroni Noodles
• 1/2 Can of Evaporated Milk
• 3 C of Chicken or Beef Broth
• 1/2 a Brick of Velveeta Cheese, Cut into cubes, or about 2 Cups total
• 3 C of Sharp Cheddar Cheese + 1/2 C for the top.
• 1 C of French Fried Onions
• 2 Green Onions, Sliced Thin
• 3 T of Butter
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 2 t of Dry Mustard
• 2 t of Garlic Powder
• Non stick spray

The steps for the Instant Pot Macaroni & Cheese are INSANELY simple.  Here is what you do:

Steps

1. Add your noodles, broth, salt, pepper, garlic powder, dry mustard, and butter to the Instant Pot.
2. Use the manual setting, high, for 5 minutes.
3. When the timer goes off, do a quick release. Set the instant pot to the saute setting, low, and add the evaporated milk, the Velveeta, the 3 cups of the cheddar cheese and simmer until the cheese is melted. Stir constantly so the cheese doesn’t burn on the bottom.
4. When the cheese is all melted, turn off the instant pot. Now your mixture will look a little watery, do not worry, it needs to sit for ten minutes and the pasta will absorb the extra liquid.
5. Now you can eat your macaroni as it, but I like to have a crispy crust on it. If you like this as well, preheat your oven to 425 degrees, spray a cast iron skillet or casserole dish with non stick spray, add the macaroni, top with the french fried onions, the rest of the cheese and bake for ten minutes. Top with Green Onions.

I have to admit that this was one of the best darn macaroni and cheeses I have ever eaten. It remained creamy and did not get grainy.  I left a pan out for Mister Tipsy to take some when he got home late from work for dinner and when I woke up,  he had eaten most of the pan!! That was for sure, a sign that it was good, even after sitting out.  I hope you make it and love it as much as we did!

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Try my recipe for Chicken Swiss Extraordinaire