
Instant Pot Mac & Cheese
Mac & Cheese. Everyone loves it, right?
Well, everyone in my house does. Before my acknowledgement of my gluten sensitivity one of my favorite treats was Stouffer’s Macaroni & Cheese. It was basically childhood in a bowl: Creamy, delicious and, well, hearty. This recipe is as close as I have gotten to that classic.
In comes the Instant Pot (I know, I know… but it really is amazing. Read all about it here) and Melissa Clark’s genius cookbook, Dinner In An Instant. This recipe is adaptation of her Instant Pot Creamy Macaroni & Cheese. I highly recommend hers but I wanted to make it a little bit lighter and gluten free. And you know, throw a vegetable in there too… Another side note, mac & cheese is very hard to photograph!
Ingredients:
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 3 Cups Milk (I use 2%)
- 1 8 Oz Block Cream Cheese
- 1 16 Oz Bag of Frozen Butternut Squash defrosted completely
- 1 Clove of Garlic
- 1 Teaspoon Dry Mustard
- 3/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Pepper
- A Few Dashes of Smoked Paprika
- 12 oz Box of Gluten Free Pasta (I think Jovial is the best brand around- try these or these)
- 8 Oz of Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Instructions:
- Coat the bottom of your Instant Pot insert with 1 tablespoon butter to prevent sticking.
- In a blender add the other tablespoon of butter, milk, cream cheese, squash, garlic, dry mustard, salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Blend on high until really smooth.
- Add macaroni and sauce from blender into the Instant Pot and stir well. Cover with lid and set the vent to sealed. Set for 6 minutes on high pressure.
- When cooking time is complete manually release (carefully switch valve to release). I normally throw a dishtowel over the valve so that hot steam doesn’t go everywhere. Remove lid once all the steam has released and the toggle is down. Immediately stir in grated cheddar.
- Enjoy!
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7 Comments
Erin Lien
We made this tonight and loved it! Thanks for sharing! (And what a great way to hide butternut squash in a meal:)
A MODERN HOUSEWIFE
Oh, great! I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thanks for letting me know! And yes, the butternut squash is genius! 😉!
Mary
I have tried Melissa Clark Mac & Cheese and Shrimp Scampi recipes in IP. With Mac&chese “burn” came on..totally stuck to bottom of pot. Shrimp scampi – spaghetti not cooked and stuck to bottom (I did stir as directed). Could it be that this should be cooked on “low pressure”??? Anyone else having pasta problems in IP?
A MODERN HOUSEWIFE
Oh no! That sounds like not enough liquid. What size is your Instant Pot?
Mary
In both recipes I followed the directions…? Not sure why I had problems.
A MODERN HOUSEWIFE
Hmm. I have an 8qt. I’d increase your liquid next time and see if that helps!
Mary
6 qt and followed diredtions