An Instant Pot Classic! Jayson's Pressure Cooked Mac and Cheese includes Instant Pot instructions and is perfect for beginners in fact!
The eponymous Jayson of Jayson's Instant Pot Pressure Cooked Mac and Cheese is a lovely member of the Feisty Tapas community.
A member of both my Facebook groups (Pressure Cooking UK with Feisty Tapas and Thermo Cooking UK with Feisty Tapas), he is is known as the Master of all Gadgets.
He is in fact one of the peeps who first introduced us to the Instant Pot by regularly mentioning it in the Thermo Cooking group.
I make Jayson's Macaroni Cheese in the Instant Pot DUO 7 in 1 as that is the pressure cooker I have but you can adapt it to any pressure cooker really.
This Mac and Cheese is really really good and so so easy to make, you won't believe just how easy in fact. He is American so he clearly knows his Mac and Cheese!
I have made it twice and I have added my tips and UK measurements as his recipe was in cups.
Jayson says: It works every time. You don't need to use stock, you can just use water as long as it's 3 cups! The paprika can be left out or replaced with wasabi! Which is also good!!
If you think it makes too much: first wait until you taste it, then think that you can freeze it in portions and reheat on the stove if you add a little milk.
By the way, you can find all my Instant Pot / pressure cooker recipes right here.
I couldn't find macaroni but I have fusilli, pasta twists, penne, etc, can I still make Jayson's Mac and Cheese?
Yes you can, I've seen people use all sorts of pasta shapes for this recipe.
If the shape you use is not quite cooked at the end, rest the lid on the Instant Pot again and leave it be while you get things sorted (or a break).
Pasta keeps cooking in the residual heat, just keep an eye so that it doesn't go too soft (unless you like it soft, of course!).
Jayson's Mac and Cheese is perfect for Instant Pot beginners
Because all you have to do is put all the ingredients in the Instant Pot, this recipe is perfect for beginners.
What other recipes are good for Instant Pot Beginners?
You have some other tried-and-tested recipes in the Beginners' Guide I wrote for Instant Pot UK, download it here.
And here is a list of my own recipes that are perfect for Instant Pot beginners:
Ready?
Jayson’s Pressure Cooked Mac and Cheese (includes Instant Pot instructions)
Fancy schmanzy printable recipe card further down
Ingredients
- 3 cups / 390 g macaroni
- 2 cups / 500 ml chicken stock
- 1 cup / 250 ml milk
- 2 tablespoons / 35 g unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon mustard of choice (optional)
- Half teaspoon smoked paprika
- Half teaspoon garlic minced/crushed
- One quarter teaspoon sea salt (optional, I personally don’t add it as it becomes too salty for the Tapas’ family taste)
- 3 tablespoons / 30 g grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups / 195 g grated cheese (I used mature cheddar)
- Half cup / 115 g cream cheese
Instructions
1.
Place macaroni, chicken stock, milk, butter, mustard, paprika, garlic and salt (if using) in the inner pot and mix well.
2.
Cook in Instant Pot on Manual (your Instant Pot button might say Pressure Cook instead of Manual) for 5 minutes, high pressure, wait a few seconds for things to settle down inside and do a quick release (in conventional pressure cooker: 5 minutes on high pressure once it starts whistling followed by a quick release).
The wait is because pasta foams up and it can splatter when you quick release, believe it or not cheaper supermarket-own brands are better for pressure cooking so save your pennies.
Some people place a tea towel over the lid just in case it splatters when quick releasing pasta just in case it splatters but this is NOT a recommended practice, I tend to let it settle down inside first, 30 seconds-one minute.
The other thing you can do is a gradual quick release, start letting the steam out after the resting time, if it splatters then close the vent again, then try again after a little while.
Another trick is to cook it for 4 minutes and let it have about 3-4 minutes natural release, way less splatter that way too. This applies to any pasta dishes you cook in your Instant Pot.
3.
When finished: mix in grated cheese, grated Parmesan, and cream cheese until all combined! Let it sit for a couple of minutes. Serve immediately.
Tip:
if you use a different pasta shape just remember that the key is in halving the cooking time and not waiting too long to do a quick release, otherwise it may be overcooked, if it’s undercooked, pop the lid back on and let it rest for a little while
Terminology
– Quick release means venting the steam as soon as the pressure cooking process finishes, i.e. moving the steam release handle from Sealing to Venting. This video shows you how to do it.
– Natural release means letting the float valve pop back down of its own accord, so basically you don’t need to do anything at the end and can keep your feet up. No need to cancel the automatic Keep Warm function. If it takes over 15 minutes, you’re ok to release the rest of the steam (by turning the steam release handle to Venting) that may be left in order to unlock and open the lid.
Jayson’s Pressure Cooked Mac and Cheese (includes Instant Pot instructions)
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 3 cups macaroni 390 g
- 2 cups chicken stock 500 ml
- 1 cup milk 250 ml
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 35 g
- 1 teaspoon mustard of choice optional
- Half teaspoon smoked paprika
- Half teaspoon garlic minced/crushed
- One quarter teaspoon sea salt optional, I personally don’t add it as it becomes too salty for the Tapas’ family taste
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 30 g
- 2 cups grated cheese 195 g (I used mature cheddar)
- Half cup cream cheese 115 g
Instructions
- Place macaroni, chicken stock, milk, butter, mustard, paprika, garlic and salt (if using) in the inner pot and mix well.
- Cook in Instant Pot on Manual (your Instant Pot button might say Pressure Cook instead of Manual) for 5 minutes, high pressure, wait a few seconds for things to settle down inside and do a quick release (in conventional pressure cooker: 5 minutes on high pressure once it starts whistling followed by a quick release). The wait is because pasta foams up and it can splatter when you quick release, believe it or not cheaper supermarket-own brands are better for pressure cooking so save your pennies. Some people place a tea towel over the lid just in case it splatters when quick releasing pasta just in case it splatters but this is NOT a recommended practice, I tend to let it settle down inside first, 30 seconds-one minute. The other thing you can do is a gradual quick release, start letting the steam out after the resting time, if it splatters then close the vent again, then try again after a little while. Another trick is to cook it for 4 minutes and let it have about 3-4 minutes natural release, way less splatter that way too. This applies to any pasta dishes you cook in your Instant Pot.
- When finished: mix in grated cheese, grated Parmesan, and cream cheese until all combined! Let it sit for a couple of minutes. Serve immediately.
Lucy Mars says
This recipe is requested in our house at least once a fortnight. It’s so easy and tasty. I often use up odds and ends of cheese from the cheeseboard after a dinner party in this recipe.
It’s also a good one to get ready we’ll ahead of time, then just add the pasta to everything else and cook it. So tasty!
Quick and easy!
Jan Richards says
This is so easy and so tasty!
Lesley Walton says
Deliciously naughty! First time making mac and cheese ever!! Will definitely make it again. Couldn’t find macaroni so used Agnesi Pasta instead ( I had never heard of that pasta but it was delicious ). Relative newby to Insta pot so this was a great confidence boost for me
Kirrin says
Can’t believe it has taken me so long to try this! I did a half batch PIP, it was in Pyrex so I cooked it a bit longer but it worked perfectly.
megan Maxwell says
Tried and tested favourite. I do the 4 mins then leave for about 2 before releasing. I actually only use the cheddar, cream cheese and chicken stock with occasional garlic and paprika as it tastes great like that too - I used to use the milk but I don't feel it changes the taste much compared to stock only and milk tends to make the lid harder to clean in my opinion. Make this often and it's easy quick and pretty cheap