Faster to prepare than the blue box, but still homemade? Yes, please. Instant Pot Three Cheese Macaroni is the quick and easy weeknight meal or weekday lunch that your busy schedule needs. Easily adaptable to suit whichever cheeses you have on hand, you're sure to be able to whip this mac and cheese up on a moment's notice.
Which cheeses are best for macaroni?
I generally use a combination of sharp white cheddar, Monterey jack, and parmesan. That combo is a hit with my kids but also satisfies the adults too. I'm very partial to fontina and gruyere though too, although they are a bit more pricey.
Feel free to substitute any cheese that you prefer, but be sure to include at least one good melting one. Some good melting cheeses are: Cheddar, Gruyere (not the Applewood smoked one!), Monterey Jack, Fontina, Gouda, Muenster, Parmesan, Mozzarella, and Havarti. For ultra-creamy macaroni, you can even add in a couple of tablespoons of cream cheese. For best results, buy blocks of cheese and grate it yourself.
Please note- too much of a harder or more crumbly aged cheese (ex. blue cheese) will not yield a smooth and creamy macaroni without making a roux first, so I don’t recommend those types of cheese for this particular preparation.
How to make Instant Pot Three Cheese Macaroni
- Pressure cook the noodles in salted water, followed by a quick release. (This typically takes me 16 minutes from when I press 'start' until I release the pressure valve.)
- While the noodles are cooking, grate the cheese.
- Stir in the butter, sriracha, and cheeses. (Why the Sriracha? It just adds a tiny depth of flavor that isn’t distinguishable as being spicy, it’s just for flavor. My toddlers don’t notice, so don’t worry about offending anyone with it. They’ll never know.)
- Add milk to reach desired consistency.
- Serve and enjoy!
Instant Pot Three Cheese Macaroni
Faster to prepare than the blue box, but still homemade and easily adaptable to suit whichever cheeses you have on hand. Instant Pot Three Cheese Macaroni is the quick and easy weeknight meal or weekday lunch that your busy schedule needs.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 16 minutes
- Total Time: 21 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Main Course
Ingredients
16 ounces dry elbow or small shell pasta
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
4-5 drops Sriracha, plus more for serving if desired
1 ½ cups shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
¼ cup shredded Parmesan
½ cup milk, or more as needed
Salt and pepper
Instructions
In the inner pot of an Instant Pot, combine pasta, water, and salt. Cook on HIGH pressure for 3 minutes followed by an immediate quick release. (This process takes about 16 minutes total time.)
Remove lid and stir to loosen up the noodles. Stir in the butter and Sriracha until completely melted. Add cheese in 2-3 additions, stirring to combine before adding more. (This helps prevent the cheese from lumping.)
Slowly add in milk to reach desired consistency.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with additional Sriracha, if desired.
Notes
To halve this recipe, use half the quantity of each ingredient, but do not change the cook time.
Keywords: instant pot macaroni, three cheese macaroni, instant pot mac and cheese
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