Name: Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 10 min
Ingredients: 10 Ritz crackers; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 medium onion (diced); 3 cloves garlic (crushed); 1 pound elbow noodles (or your favorite pasta); 1 1/2 teaspoons salt; 4 cups water; 4 ounces cream cheese; 1 1/2 cups half and half; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons Frank’s RedHot Sauce (or any hot sauce you like); 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 4 ounces sharp white Cheddar (shredded); 4 ounces Gruyere (shredded); 4 ounces Havarti (shredded); 2 ounces Monterey Jack (shredded (or mozzarella)); 2 ounces Parmesan (grated); 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (for garnish)

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Rich, creamy, flavor-packed cheese sauce and a crispy buttery topping make this easy-to-make Instant Pot Mac and Cheese recipe stand out from the rest! We use a special blend of cheeses and seasonings to make it something truly special. And no worries if you don’t have an Instant Pot; you can easily make this on the stovetop!

I originally made this mac and cheese a couple months ago. I made it on the fly, not bothering to measure any ingredients or write down any instructions. You know, the type of cooking where you just go into the kitchen and intuitively throw together whatever feels right. And of course, it ended up being the one.

The recipe that becomes the only recipe of its kind that that need because it’s that good.

Everyone who tried that mac and cheese told me it was the best mac and cheese of their life. I was shocked! As crazy as it is to say (because I’ve had some really mind-blowing mac and cheese in my day), I agree.

Because I didn’t write anything down when I first made it, I spent the next couple months trying to replicate that perfect macaroni and cheese.

After much testing (it's a good thing I like cheese, lol), I am sharing my recipe.

Get ready for the homemade mac and cheese recipe that you will now use as a baseline to judge every other mac and cheese that crosses your lips. I don’t mean to ruin other mac and cheeses for you, but you deserve this!

If you’ve been searching for the best mac and cheese recipe, cross that one off your list, friends.

But fair warning, don’t make this recipe unless you’re prepared to crave it and have your family ask you for it…often!

In This Article

Why You’ll Love This Easy Mac and Cheese

It’s easy! We make the entire thing in the Instant Pot, including the crispy, crunchy, buttery cracker topping. Normally you’d bake macaroni and cheese to get a crispy topping, but here we toast it in the Instant Pot before making the mac and cheese.
More about that crunchy buttery topping. The topping is easy to make and adds delicious crunch and buttery flavor on top! If you’re looking for a mac and cheese that tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen, this is it.
The 6-cheese blend. Six different cheeses might sound like a lot, but they add amazing depth of flavor here!

The Best Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe

This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese features a lusciously smooth and creamy, flavor-packed cheese sauce. And even though we use the Instant Pot to make it, it still has a crisp, buttery topping, which is also made in the Instant Pot!

And because it’s not baked, this mac and cheese isn’t dry at all. It’s rich and gooey with the most velvety cheese sauce.

But no worries if you don't have an Instant Pot. You can easily make this on the stovetop instead!

Of course this decadent side dish is perfect for the holidays, but don’t limit it to that. It’s perfect accompaniment for just about anything.

Ingredients in Mac and Cheese

Buttery Cracker Topping:

Ritz crackers
Unsalted butter
Garlic powder

Macaroni and Cheese:

Unsalted butter
Onion
Garlic
Elbow noodles
Salt
Water
Cream cheese
Half and half
All-purpose flour
Frank’s RedHot
Dijon mustard
Worcestershire sauce
Sweet paprika
Black pepper
Sharp white Cheddar
Gruyere
Havarti
Monterey Jack (or mozzarella)
Parmesan

Step by Step Tutorial for How to Make Mac and Cheese in the Instant Pot

How to Make Crunchy Topping in an Instant Pot

how to make crunchy topping in instant pot

Add the crackers to a zip-top plastic bag. Roll over them with a rolling pin to lightly crush.
Turn on the “Sauté” function on the Instant Pot and once hot, add the butter.
Once melted, add the cracker crumbs.
Stir to coat the crumbs in butter.
And garlic powder, and stir again.
Cook until the cracker crumbs are light brown, about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Press “Cancel” to stop the “Sauté” function. Transfer the cracker crumbs to a bowl and set aside.

Pro Tip: After you make the crunchy topping in the Instant Pot, carefully wipe out the inside of the pot with a paper towel, and let it cool for 10 minutes (this is to avoid getting a burn warning).

How to Make Instant Pot Mac and Cheese:

Press the “Sauté” function on the Instant Pot and wait for it to heat up. Once hot, add the butter.
Once melted, add the onion and garlic.
Cook until the onion is starting to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Press “Cancel” to stop the “Sauté” function. This is how it looks when it's ready.
Add the elbow noodles, salt, and water.
Give it a stir.
Cover the Instant Pot, making sure to set the lid to “Sealing”, and cook on “Manual, High Pressure” for 3 minutes.
Once it’s done cooking, carefully release the pressure. After I release the pressure, I like to place a cotton towel over the valve so the steam doesn't go everywhere.

How to Make Super Creamy Cheese Sauce for the Best Homemade Mac and Cheese:

how to make cheese sauce for instant pot mac and cheese

Open the pot. At first glance you'll think there's too much liquid; don't worry because there isn't!
Stir the noodles.
Add the cream cheese, and put the lid on the pot for 2 minutes (this will melt the cheese).
Uncover the pot, and stir to combine the cream cheese.
Add the half and half, flour, hot sauce, Dijon, Worcestershire, paprika, and black pepper.
Stir to combine.
Stir in the Cheddar, Gruyere, Havarti, Monterey Jack, and Parmesan a handful at a time.
Continue stirring until the cheese is fully incorporated, and then serve it up!

Storage

Store homemade macaroni and cheese covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Tips for Making Homemade Mac and Cheese

Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. I know it can be a big time-saver, but it’s not worth the trade-off. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents and/or preservatives added. They don’t have the same flavor or texture as freshly-shredded cheese.
Take the extra couple of minutes to use fresh onion and garlic. In a pinch garlic and onion powder will work, but fresh adds a whole different level of flavor.
If the mac and cheese looks watery when it’s done cooking, trust the process! Follow the recipe and it’ll come out right in the end.
For a more complex flavor profile similar to fondue, add white wine. To do so, reduce the water to 3 ⅔ cups and add ⅓ cup dry white wine.

Mac and Cheese FAQs

What is the Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese?

When you’re making macaroni and cheese, you want a perfect blend of gooey, creamy texture and rich, deep flavor. This is why I like to use a blend of cheeses so you get the best of both worlds!

Here are the types of cheeses we use in this mac and cheese recipe:

Sharp White Cheddar. This is classic. Sharp white cheddar cheese melts well and gives mac and cheese the traditional flavor that we all love.
Gruyere. Taking a note from fondue, Gruyere is wonderful in mac and cheese! It melts great, and adds a slightly nutty flavor.
Parmesan. Similar to Gruyere, but with a sharper bite, Parmesan also amps up the salty nutty factor in mac and cheese.
Havarti. I absolutely love adding Havarti to mac and cheese! Havarti is smooth and buttery, and melts down and adds unparalleled creaminess to this dish.
Monterey Jack. With a high fat content and a mild yet buttery flavor, Monterey Jack melts well and adds a lot of gooey richness. You can use mozzarella instead if that's what you have on hand.
Cream cheese. This lends a slight tanginess and body to our cheese sauce.

And here are few more different types of cheese that work well in mac and cheese:

Brie
Smoked gouda
Provolone
Fontina

How Do You Keep Mac and Cheese Creamy?

Don’t skimp out on the half and half. Not only does it lend richness and body to the cheese sauce, but its high fat content helps stabilize it.
The secret ingredient: cream cheese! You only need a little bit, but it goes a long way.
Don’t bake it. As far as I can tell, the only reason to bake macaroni and cheese is to get a crunchy topping. And we already took care of that by toasting up some crushed crackers in butter. An unfortunate side effect of baking mac and cheese is that it dries out; but we’ve solved that problem!

How Do You Reheat Mac and Cheese?

The quickest and easiest way to reheat mac and cheese is in the microwave! I like to microwave it in 45-second intervals until warm, stirring in between each interval. Once it’s warm, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk per 1 cup of mac and cheese to make it creamy again.

If you have a little more time (or a larger amount to reheat), you can reheat mac and cheese in the oven. Here is how to do it:

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Put as much mac and cheese as you will eat in an oven-safe dish. Cover the top with foil.
Bake until warm throughout, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Once it’s warm, give the mac and cheese a stir. If it’s a little dry, stir in a little milk (about 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk per 1 cup of mac and cheese) until it’s creamy again.

Pro Tip: Only reheat as much as you want to eat, so you’re not reheating it, and then refrigerating leftovers, and then later reheating it again.

More Cheesy Side Dishes to Try

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Decadent Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe with a Crunchy Topping

Why You’ll Love This Easy Mac and Cheese