• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Simply Happy Foodie
  • Home
  • Recent Posts
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosures / Disclaimers / Copyright
    • Contact Me
    • Meet Gizmo, Our Foodie Pug
  • Cook's Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recent Posts
  • Recipes
  • My Cookbook
  • About
  • Cook’s Shop
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recent Posts
  • Recipes
  • My Cookbook
  • About
  • Cook’s Shop
×
Home » Blog Recipe Posts » Dinner

Instant Pot Mini - Mac and Cheese in 3 qt

November 16, 2017 by Sandy 64 Comments

Jump to Recipe

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese for the 3 qt! In the continuing "Mini Series" for the 3 quart Mini electric pressure cooker, I'm sharing this creamy and delicious Instant Pot Mini - Mac and Cheese.

Mac and Cheese in a white bowl

 

Instant Pot Mini Mac and Cheese

It's a side dish. It's a main dish. It's a midnight snack or an after school snack. It's comfort food. It's Instant Pot 3 qt Mac and Cheese! A simple recipe that makes a modest 3 ½ cups of creamy-cheesy goodness.

Since I'm not a fan of reheated mac and cheese, this recipe for 3 qt Instant Pot Mac and Cheese is perfect! Paul and I can each have a nice sized portion, and there really aren't any leftovers to worry about. That works well for us!

This recipe works well doubled in the larger 6 qt and 8 qt electric pressure cookers, in case you need more servings. Same cook time. Enjoy!

Mac and Cheese on a fork

Cooking pasta in the pressure cooker is easy, has a quick cook time, and there is no water to drain when it is finished cooking!

How do I know how long to cook pasta for in the Instant Pot?

When you cook pasta in the Instant Pot®, the time to cook it is usually half the time the package instructions say. So if it says 10 minutes, you will pressure cook it for 5 minutes with a Quick Release of the pressure.

How do I know how much water to use when cooking pasta in the Instant Pot?

I like to use 8 oz of water per 4 oz of pasta. I think it's important to weigh your pasta, that way you will get the best results as pasta shapes vary widely.

Pin This 3 Quart Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe

3 qt Instant Pot Mac and Cheese title with simply happy foodie logo

You Might Also Like

Instant Pot Mini Sweet Potato Chili


3 quart Instant pot recipes
Instant Pot Mini Jerk Thighs and Rice
Instant Pot Mini - Tortellini Soup
Instant Pot Mini Sweet Potato Chili
Instant Pot Mini – Tasty Black Beans
Instant Pot Mini - Spaghetti


4.81 from 21 votes
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Print
Instant Pot Mini Mac and Cheese
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
4 mins
Total Time
14 mins
 

Instant Pot Mini Mac and Cheese is a creamy delicious mac and cheese made in your 3 quart Mini electric pressure cooker. Makes 3.5 cups.

Course: Dinner, pasta
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 3 quart pressure cooker mac and cheese recipe
Servings: 3 cups
Calories: 497 kcal
Author: Sandy Clifton
Ingredients
  • 2 cups Water or Chicken Broth
  • 2 Tbsp Butter
  • ¼ tsp Salt
  • Pinch of Pepper
  • ¼ tsp Seasoned Salt
  • 8 oz Small Elbow Macaroni (about 2 cups)
  • 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
  • ⅔ cup Heavy Cream (or milk or evaporated milk, though sauce will be a little thinner)
Optional (for added flavor)
  • 2-3 dashes Hot Sauce (add to pot before cooking)
  • ½ tsp Ground Mustard (add to pot before cooking)
Instructions
  1. Turn on the Sauté function and pour the water/broth into the inner liner of the Mini.

  2. Add the butter, salt, pepper, and seasoned salt (and any optional ingredients). Stir and bring to a simmer

  3. Stir in macaroni and close the lid. Set the steam release knob to Sealing.

  4. Cancel the Sauté function.

  5. Press the Pressure Cook button and then the + or - to choose 4 minutes (check the package directions of the type of pasta you are using and use half the time it calls for).

  6. When cook cycle ends, do a controlled Quick Release of the pressure. Go a little slow at first, in small bursts, to make sure only steam comes out. Make sure no sauce is going to spew out with the steam, then open it all the way.

  7. When the pin in the lid drops, open it up and stir the pasta.

    Some pastas don't absorb as much liquid as others, so if it looks like there is too much liquid, take some out and reserve it.

  8. Add the cheese and stir well, letting it melt.

  9. Stir in the heavy cream/milk. Taste and adjust salt, if needed.

  10. Let it sit and cool for a few minutes, and it will thicken up. If it looks too thick, stir back in some of the reserved cooking liquid, or a little more cream/milk.

Recipe Notes

Updated 1/17/18


pink button with the words follow my Simply Happy Foodie pinterest board

Resources to make This Recipe and More

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

More Dinner

  • Slow Cooker French Onion Pork Chops and mashed potatoes on white plate.
    Slow Cooker French Onion Pork Chops
  • Slow Cooker Tamale Pie on a white plate with garnish.
    Slow Cooker Tamale Pie
  • Meatballs in a black crock
    Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Meatballs
  • Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken in a white bowl.
    Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken

Sharing is caring!

5119 shares
  • Tweet
  • Share

My Instant Pot Cookbook is Here!

Instant Pot Cookbook Cover

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Litjourn

    July 24, 2023 at 12:20 pm

    This is absolutely the most delicious, pillowy mac and cheese. It is one of the ultimate comfort foods, with no dried ingredients or preservatives. I've made it eight to ten times. My picky little granddaughters eat it up and the adults are always picking at it. Now I double the recipe! Big thumbs up!

    Reply
  2. Kim

    January 28, 2023 at 9:54 am

    Last year, I was looking for a mac n cheese recipe for just the two of us. I came across this and tried it and haven't looked any further. This is absolutely perfect and delicious! thank you

    Reply
  3. Darlene Bellamy

    November 26, 2021 at 7:25 am

    This was one of the first IP mini recipes I made and it is great. So easy and yummy. I used penne pasta bc that’s what I had so had to cook it a bit longer. It turned out perfect!

    Reply
  4. Pati

    April 01, 2021 at 12:36 pm

    This mac & cheese is so good, and very easy to make in the IP Mini. I loved it. Thanks, Sandy for making cooking more fun these days!

    Reply
  5. Kaye M.

    June 13, 2020 at 1:32 am

    Can I use this recipe to make your Cheeseburger Mac? Can I use the full pound of ground beef or should I half it. Is that all I would add?

    Reply
    • Sandy

      June 17, 2020 at 10:39 am

      Yes, that should work great!

      Reply
  6. Addie

    May 08, 2020 at 9:09 am

    I posted a comment yesterday but I'm not finding it today so I'll ask again.

    I have a box of Quick Cook elbow macaroni. The box says to cook for 3 minutes; can I use this in your recipe?

    Reply
    • Sandy

      May 10, 2020 at 3:45 pm

      Try a 1 minute cook time. I have not tried quick cook.

      Reply
« Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi there! I’m Sandy - foodie with a passion for cooking and sharing my tasty recipes. My hubby Paul, our Pug Gizmo, and I live in Washington.

Sandy wearing a black shirt and a red apron

More about me →

Reader Favorite Recipes

  • Easy Slow Cooker Meatloaf on a white plate garnished with parsley
    Easy Slow Cooker Meatloaf
  • Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak
    Air Fryer Rib Eye Steak
  • Slow Cooker Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
    Slow Cooker Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
  • Short Ribs over mashed potatoes on a black plate next to a bunch of fresh parsley
    Instant Pot Short Ribs

More favorites

Footer

↑ back to top

Copyrighted Content
This website and its contents are the copyright of Simply Happy Foodie LLC – © 2016-2025.  All rights reserved.

Disclaimers

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

About

  • About
  • Contact
  • Meet Gizmo, Our Foodie Pug

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT