Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Velveeta - Recipe Diaries (2024)

Mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food on a cold rainy day. I took my basic stovetop recipe (and favorite recipe) for Mac and Cheese and turned it into an Instant Pot recipe. It’s been a while since I’ve posted any Instant Pot recipes and this mac and cheese is super easy to make in the Instant Pot. I asked on my Instagram stories if you wanted to see more Instant Pot recipes and there were quite a few that wanted more, so here you go!

Summer is coming up and I’ll be using my grill a lot but I also like to utilize my Instant Pot and Air Fryer at the same time. These two cooking devices will keep your house from heating up in the Summer too. I love my Instant Pot for making tender cooked beef stew or roasts and mashed potatoes but there are other uses for it too.

This tastes exactly like my favorite boxed Velveeta shells and cheese that I sometimes get at the grocery store. I prefer that over the Kraft boxed macaroni and cheeses. Real cheese is better right?

If you like instant pot recipes please try Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup, Instant Pot Ham and Potato Soup, Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken, Instant Pot French Dip Sandwiches, or Instant Pot French Onion Soup.

Ingredients Needed

• Medium pasta shells
• Milk - Dairy does not like me at all so I go for a lactose free milk such as Fairlife. It also has more protein in it.
• Light butter - I like to use light but to help keep the calories low but Unsalted butter is the most commonly used type of butter in baking, as it allows for more control over the amount of salt in the recipe.
• Velveeta cheese slices - I used Velveeta Cheese Slices to make this recipe because one slice is 40 calories and 1 smart point. Roughly 8 to 10 slices is about 8 oz. It doesn’t take long to unwrap them either. After I get done unwrapping them I tear the slices up into smaller pieces so that they melt faster in the noodles and other cheeses when the Instant Pot is still warm.
• Reduced-Fat Cheese has a lower calorie count and less saturated fat than regular cheese, but it may also have a different taste and texture. It also helps with keeping the calorie count pretty low for this recipe.
• Black pepper to taste
• See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

How to make Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

1. Add the uncooked macaroni and water to your Instant Pot. 1 cup of liquid for every 4 ounces of pasta. Place the lid on the pot and set to sealing. Cook on manual function, high pressure for 5 minutes. Then, do a quick release.
2. While the noodles are boiling prepare your other ingredients. Unwrap the cheese slices and weigh out 8 oz on a food scale. After I weighed the cheese slices out I teared them up so that they would melt faster in the Instant Pot.

Drain the water from the pot and add the noodles back in. Stir in the milk, cheese, butter, and black pepper until smooth. Season as necessary to taste.

Mac and Cheese Add-Ins

Have you ever been to Noodles and Company and had their buffalo chicken mac and cheese? If I have any leftover cooked chicken I’ll add it to some buffalo wing sauce and let that sit in a bowl for 10 minutes and add it to the top of my mac and cheese. They also have a cheeseburger mac and cheese that is easy to copy. Leftover ground beef with tomatoes, cheese, pickles, and some scallions.

Taco mac and cheese is good too. I think I make beef taco meat at least once every 2 weeks and that is also really good stirred in the noodles and cheese. Get some smoked sausage from the deli or cut up some ham. Hot dogs are also good.

Recipe FAQs

Other Instant Pot Recipes

If you tried this Instant Pot Mac and Cheese any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries

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