Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

We LOVE this crock pot mac and cheese recipe, but I wanted to see if I could find something equally as yummy for the Instant Pot for those days when you don't have hours to wait on a Crock Pot. The original recipe for this came from here: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/pressure-cooker-mac-and-cheese/

However, we only had good, not great, results (Scott said, "Not as good as the Crock Pot stuff, but still better than Kraft!") but I think there is great potential so I want to document this recipe with my tweaks for next time. I think it all comes down to the type of noodles you use and how long you cook them. By the end of the recommended cooking process with a package of American Beauty elbow macaroni, the noodles were bloated and over cooked with almost all of the liquid in the pot absorbed. I think if I reduced the cook time (pressure-release time) or tried a different noodle brand/shape, we could really come up with something amazing.

Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

3 ¾ cups water (see note)

2 tablespoons salted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 pound (454 g) elbow macaroni, about 3 cups

1 cup milk, not skim or evaporated milk

½ cup milk, not skim or evaporated milk

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Pinch dry mustard

½ to 1 teaspoon hot sauce, optional but delicious for flavor boost

1 ½ cups (171 g) freshly shredded cheddar cheese (see note)

1 ½ cups (171 g) freshly shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• Add the water to the insert of a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Add the butter, salt and macaroni. Stir to even out the noodles.
• Pour in the milk. DO NOT STIR.
• Set the cook time for 3 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 5 minutes and then quick release the remaining pressure. If liquid spurts out of the valve, close it and wait 1-2 minutes and try again. Keep the pressure cooker on the warm/hold setting (don’t hit cancel). Marsha's Note: I just threw a rag over the valve and let the pressure release. It did spurt, but with the rag, it wasn't a huge problem.
• Whisk together the sauce ingredients: 1/2 cup milk, cornstarch, dry mustard, and hot sauce. Add the mixture to the cooked noodles, breaking up clumps of noodles as you stir to combine well.
• Add the cheese, one handful at a time, and stir until each addition is melted before adding more.
• Once all the cheese is melted, season to taste with additional salt, if needed. At this point, you can also drizzle in warm milk, a tablespoon at a time, for extra creamy mac and cheese. Serve immediately.

NOTES FROM MEL'S KITCHEN CAFE

• Cheese: I like to use medium or sharp cheddar cheese. Note: the sharper the cheddar, the less creamy it will be as it melts. You can sub in other types of cheese, too. White cheddar, havarti, Swiss. This recipe works best if half the cheese is a variety of cheddar and half the cheese is a creamy, good-melting cheese.
• Adaptation: I adapted this recipe from a skillet recipe using 12 ounces of noodles and 3 cups of cheese. I use 16 ounces for this recipe, but I kept the amount of cheese the same from that original recipe. It’s plenty cheesy for us, but if you want to amp up the cheesiness, increase both types of cheese to 2 cups/8 ounces each.
• Liquid: The amount of liquid left over in the pot after the noodles have cooked will be variable depending on brand/type of pasta, brand of pressure cooker, how quickly pressure was released, etc. There should be liquid in the bottom of the pot after cooking, but not so much that the noodles are still swimming in it. If there seems to be a ton of extra liquid, drain off all but about 1/2 cup or so.
• Hot Sauce: the hot sauce may seem unusual; it doesn’t add spiciness. It adds a flavor boost that is super yummy. Just a small drizzle helps, but you can leave it out.