Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese

4.86 from 28 votes

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese

Soup meets mac and cheese in this Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Mac and Cheese recipe! Incredibly flavorful cheddar cheese and paprika sauce is made right in the Instant Pot with elbow macaroni and hidden carrots and broccoli. A true 1 pot, 25 minute kid-friendly dinner for soup and mac and cheese lovers everywhere!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegetarian

Keyword: instant pot recipe, kid-friendly

Servings:

Calories: 812kcal

Author: Kristina Tipps

Equipment

6, 8 or 10 quart pressure cooker

Ingredients

4 tablespoon butter
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
1 carrot
2 cups broccoli
2 cups chicken broth or 2 bouillon cubes + 2 cups water
3 cups water
16 oz elbow macaroni uncooked
2 ½ teaspoon paprika
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 cups milk
1 ½ cups evaporated milk one 12 oz can
2 cups extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese shredded
2 cups white cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

Grate and chop the carrot into small pieces. Chop the broccoli into ½ inch pieces, and dice the onion and garlic cloves.
Add butter, onion, garlic, carrot, and broccoli to the Instant Pot. Saute for 4 minutes on high. When done sauteing, add 1 cup of the water and deglaze the pot to remove any stuck pieces.
Add the broth, 2 cups of remaining water, macaroni, paprika, salt and pepper. Do not stir. Set to pressure cook on high for 3 minutes. Complete a controlled quick release of the pressure when finished.
Set to saute again for 2 minutes and add the milk and evaporated milk, stirring often. When done turn off the Instant Pot and transfer the inner pot to a heat-proof surface.
Wait 2 minutes, then add the cheeses 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly until melted. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired. Allow to sit for 10 minutes for the sauce to thicken before serving.

Notes

*All of my recipes are tested in a 6 and 8 quart Instant Pot. But because of the amount of water used, this recipe should also work in a 10 quart pot.

This meal is best served the same day, as the longer it sits, the more the sauce is absorbed. To create more sauce, add 1 cup milk, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon paprika to the pasta as needed.

Always turn off the IP, remove the inner pot from the outer pot and wait a few minutes before adding the cheese. If you add the cheese to the pot when it's too hot, it will turn stringy instead of melt.

Milk: I use evaporated milk and whole milk for extra creaminess. You can use reduced fat or low fat milk too, without compromising the taste. But don't skip the evaporated milk.

This recipe has not been tested with a milk-alternative, such as almond or oat milk

Nutrition