Instant Pot
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
Description
If you think something sounds too good to be true, you haven’t tried Instant Pot Mac and Cheese yet. (Or rather, you haven’t tried this Instant Pot mac and cheese.)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked whole wheat elbow macaroni pasta or whole wheat shells
- 1 ¾ cups water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 2 to 3 pieces
- 1 (5.3-ounce) container full fat Greek yogurt do not use fat-free, about 1/2 cup
- ½ teaspoons dry mustard
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese* shredded (about 2 cups)
Directions
- Place the pasta, water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a 6-quart or larger Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. Stir well. Set to cook on high pressure (manual) for 4 minutes (for elbow macaroni noodles) or 5 minutes (for shells). As soon as the timer goes off, release the remaining pressure.
- Carefully open the lid to the Instant Pot. If it still looks very liquidy, drain off all but a thin layer of the pasta water, reserving any water you drain away. (I used an oven mitt to pick up the Instant Pot insert and drain a small amount of excess water into a liquid measuring cup with a spout.)
- Stir in the butter until it melts. Then, stir in the mustard, black pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Next, stir in the Greek yogurt.
- Add the cheese by small handfuls (a few tablespoons at a time), stirring to completely melt between each addition. Don't rush the process or your mac and cheese will be lumpy (your patience will be rewarded!). If at any point, the pasta cools too much, turn on the Saute function for a minute or two as needed. The mac and cheese should look very creamy and saucy, but if it is thicker than you would like, add a little of the reserved pasta water until your desired consistency is reached. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Enjoy!
