This Creamy Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese is fully loaded with a Crispy Bacon Garlic Breadcrumb Topping, is comfort food at its best.
Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese with Crispy Bacon Topping
Everybody loves Macaroni and Cheese. From young to old, from far and wide and from East and West. Okay, you get the drift, we all love Mac & Cheese.
Thanks to America’s Test Kitchen for the inspiration for this seems This Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese. Add a Crispy Bacon Garlic Breadcrumb Topping and take it up to the next level.
I like to use a combination of cheese, to add creaminess, as using just extra sharp cheddar, will give a grainy unpleasant texture, which I don’t want in my Macaroni & Cheese!
For a Mexican twist, try my Creamy Mexican Mac & Cheese or for an “adult” Mac & Cheese, you may enjoy my Buffalo Chicken Macaroni and Cheese, which is so creamy and delicious!
Cast of Ingredients for Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese
Oaxaca is a melting cheese and wonderful for snacking, cooking and baking. I make a mean Pan de Yucca with Oaxaca cheese (recipe coming soon). If you don’t have Oaxaca in your area, Monterey Jack, Gruyère or Smoked Gouda will work well.
Sharp or Extra Sharp Cheddar is more crumbly and tends to get a bit gritty, but mixing it with a melting cheese, balances out the texture.
If you want a really mild taste, use a Mild Cheddar. I prefer a sharper cheddar taste. The Mild cheddar yields the most creamy texture, the Extra Sharp gives a bit of a grainy texture and the Sharp is in the middle.
A melting cheese, Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, Gruyère or Gouda, evens out the cheese to make it creamy, without being gummy or stringy.
This Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese recipe has choices for the type of milk that gets added to the Macaroni. Choose whether you want to use Homemade Greek Yogurt, Heavy Cream or Evaporated Milk. We love it best with Homemade Greek Yogurt or the Heavy Cream, but days when there is no Heavy Cream in the fridge, the canned milk will suffice.
How cute is Cavatappi pasta? I love the curly whirly of this pasta and I love that the cheese gets stuck inside and when you take a bite, you get a little squirt of cheese sauce in your mouth.
I can’t always find it in my area, so I order in bulk from Amazon.
So simple, just add in everything but the milk and the cheese into your Pressure Cooker cooking pot.
Three minutes for Cavatappi pasta is perfect. If you use a heavier/thicker pasta (rule of thumb is Pressure Cook 1/2 the lesser time is says on the box of pasta and subtract 2 minutes), you might need an extra minute.
Perfection, perfectly cooked pasta in just three minutes! So cute! The Cavatappi are so inviting and make you feel like a kid again.
You will want to turn your Pressure Cooker to the Sauté or Browning setting and then add in the evaporated milk and mix to combine. Add the cheese in three stages. Make sure the cheese is completely melted before adding in another handful.
I like to buy blocks of cheese and grate them myself. The cheese is so much fresher tasting. I’ve heard that store bought shredded cheese has fillers to keep the cheese from sticking together, so not only is it cheaper to buy a block and shred yourself, but it tastes better.
The pasta will be soupy at first, but don’t fret. The pasta will continue to absorb the liquid, so don’t allow all the liquid to evaporate.
Tada!!!! You can eat the Cavatappi and Cheese as is, which is how I like it, or you can add a Crispy Bacon Garlic Breadcrumb Topping, which my husband absolutely loves.
He says, Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese is not complete with out a Crispy Breadcrumb Topping.
Crispy Bacon Garlic Breadcrumb Topping
The beauty of this Bacon Garlic Breadcrumb Topping is that you can prepare it while your Macaroni and Cheese is in the Pressure Cooker, cooking and then just put on the topping when you are ready to serve.
Some people like to transfer their macaroni and cheese to the oven (with or without topping) and allow it to brown.
For wonderful surge of flavor, see my Crispy Bacon Garlic Breadcrumb Topping and add another layer of flavor to this Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese
Pressure Cooker Macaroni & Cheese with a Crispy Bacon Garlic Breadcrumb Topping
Enjoy this Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese with a green vegetable and a salad.
This one’s for you, Poppy!
Equipment Used
- Instant Pot Smart DUO60
- J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Culina Stackable (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- Cilio Olivewood Spatula
- Alton Brown Salt Box
- OXO Good Grips Cutting Board
- Microplane Artisan Ribbon Grater
- De Cecco Cavatappi Pasta
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Here’s the handy printable recipe.
- 1 pound Cavatappi (or other Pasta)
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Mustard Seed
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
- 1/2 Tablespoon Kosher Salt (or 1 teaspoon Sea Salt)
- 4 cups Fresh Water
- 12 oz Evaporated Milk (Heavy Cream, Sour Cream or Homemade Greek Yogurt)
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups Cheddar Cheese (Sharp, Mild or Extra Sharp)
- 1 cup Oaxaca Cheese (Monterey Jack, Gruyère, Smoked Gouda, or combination of melting cheese)
Add pasta, butter, mustard, hot pepper sauce, salt and water to Pressure Cooker cooking pot.
Lock on lid and close Pressure Valve. Cook at High Pressure for 3 minutes.
When Beep is heard, allow a 5 minute Natural Pressure Release and then carefully do a Quick Release.
Open lid and stir in the the heavy cream or evaporated milk.
Turn off Pressure Cooker and then select Saute or Browning and mix in the cheese in three parts, mixing well before adding more. When desired thickness is achieved, turn off Pressure Cooker.
Top with Crispy Bacon Topping, if desired.
You won't taste the hot sauce; it adds a layer of depth, so don't leave it out!
Amount of cheese is a personal preference, so start with the lower amount and add more, until desired amount is achieved.
Use any of your favorite kinds of cheese and be creative.
Any pasta shells will work. Rule of thumb is to cook pasta for 1/2 the lesser cook time stated on package and then subtract 2 minutes
Don’t Forget to PIN IT
Pressure Cooker Macaroni and Cheese, Fully Loaded
Air Fryer Crispy Sweet Potato Fries
Cast Iron or Pressure Cooker Chicken Piccata {Italian Lemon Cream Sauce}
Greek Tzatziki Sauce Recipe {Garlic Cucumber Yogurt Dip}
Pressure Cooker Greek Lamb Beef Gyros
How does doubling this affect the recipe?
Hi Kim~
With this recipe, you can double everything, without a problem, no adjustments.
Jill
Thanks! Do you know if the 6quart will do ok with 8 cups water and all the other ingredients? I appreciate the recipes AND the help!!
Yes.
I put a whole chicken ???? 8 cups of water to make broth and it worked fine ????
I was just going to ask! Thank you!! 🙂
Terese, you are welcome!
Jill
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I LOVE that you can make it without processed cheese and that it is so creamy and not gritty in the slightest! I really appreciate that you explained WHY from-scratch cheese sauces and macaroni ‘n cheese often are gritty. I consider myself a very experienced cook, but I did not know that it has to do with the hardness of the cheese and how cheddar will cause more grit the sharper it is. That is really good to know! I used some sharp cheddar, and some mozarella and mild gauda and it was superb!! I was afraid to use so much mustard powder, so I used 1 tsp and that seemed perfect. My whole family loved it! Thanks so much, 5 STARS!!
Hi Terese~
Thank you so much for the lovely compliments. Glad you liked my ramblings. 🙂 I do tend to go on and on. Hehehehehe. I am very glad your family loved this recipe.
Jill
Oh not at all Jill, there was no “on and on” that I could detect, only very useful information! Well done! And I like your pictures, too!
Soooo good! I used 1.5 c mild white cheddar and 6 sliced of Trader Joe’s organic American Cheese. While tit was in the “thickening” phase I added in some chopped fresh spinach to add at least a little healthy aspect to it. Started it 30 minutes ago and am eating for lunch as we speak. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Jen~
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe. The spinach is a great addition.
Jill
This was really good! I halved the recipe and used whole milk. Adding the Siracha really did kick the flavor up a notch!
Hi Jennifer~
Thank you so much for visiting. I am glad you enjoyed the recipe. Whole milk works great!
Jill
I haven’t tried this yet. So many on the Facebook IP group are saying what a mess it makes doing the QR, and I am just not up for that.
Do you think if you reduced the cooking time to 2 minutrs, then did a 2 minute NPR before the QR, it would help with that?
PS. Your Pork Chops w/ Mushroom Gravy is to die for!
Hi Kathleen~
I’ve never had a problem with a mess. Just slowly, turn the pressure valve back and forth to let a little pressure out at a time. I often will throw a towel over the valve to collect the steam during a quick release. Just a light towel, not a heavy one as you don’t want to block anything, just catch the steam.
Thanks re the pork chops. 🙂
Jill
This is so yummy!!!! And I haven’t even finished making the topping yet to add. Just eating out of the pot! Thank you for a keeper recipe!!
Hi Enid~
Glad you are enjoying the Macaroni and Cheese. 🙂 You are most welcome.
Jill
Can I freeze? Then thaw and heat in oven?
Hi Lynette~
You can freeze the macaroni and cheese. I would suggest cooking it for one minute less, so that when you reheat, it will still be al dente.
Jill
Thanks!
Just made this for dinner. Very yummy. Thanks Jill.
So I doubled the recipe. I have never experienced that “mess” people have mentioned with QR and starches, but this time I did. But I was prepared since I knew it would be full to the top, so I held a paper towel over the vent and let it catch the starchy steam. When it was too saturated, I threw it away and got second one, but I only used two. Really, it wasn’t bad at all. Very quickly the steam became clear. Then I made the recipe exactly as is except that at the end I added a bag of frozen corn and 16 oz. of green chile. (It was for a potluck and I live in New Mexico…everything has green chile.) It was popular.
So the answer is that it can quite easily be doubled, but be prepared to “catch” the starchy steam the first couple of minutes of venting. I would post a picture but I don’t see a way to do that.
Hi Beth~
Thanks for sharing your story. I usually toss a kitchen towel over the vent when I do a quick release. You additions sound wonderful. 🙂
Jill
Wow, I made this recipe tonight with the crispy topping. It was fast and delicious and the directions were easy to follow. Thank you Jill, I want to try more of your recipes!!
Hi Suzanne. So glad you liked this recipe. Thanks for the compliments. Jill
If I don’t have evaporated milk, can I substitute more yogurt or milk instead? I can’t wait to try this out!
Jill- This recipe and a couple of others mention using Oaxaca cheese. I love Oaxaca cheese but the 2 of us can’t eat the whole thing in just a couple of days. I’ve tried every way I can think of to keep it from molding so fast but so far nothing works. Can you please share any tips you have found to keep it from molding? Looking forward to trying this recipe soon!
Side note… Just got my first IP and used your directions for easy hard boiled eggs. It was PERFECT and so easy. This alone justified the purchase price as I try to avoid recipes with hard boiled eggs as it always took so much time to peel the eggs. Never again!
Thanks
CC
Hi CC~
I know what you mean about the eggs. I do a dozen at a time without worry.
We cut up the Oaxaca cheese and freeze into portions. It freezes nicely.
Jill
When do I add yogurt or heavy cream?
Mary, after pressure is released.
Jill
Hello, I don;t have milk or evap, milk..I was going to use half and half mixed with water- Do you think that will be ok?
Allison, that is fine!
Jill
I’m not sure what I did wrong, I followed the recipe to a T and it’s soupy and the noodles are way overcooked ???? the flavor is great though!!
Gloria~
My guess is that you added too much water or did not figure the cooking time correctly. 100% of the time someone tells me they had a failure, but followed the recipe to a “T,” it turns out they didn’t. What kind of noodles did you use and how long did you set the time?
Jill
This recipe is SO yummy!! It is also easy and quick!! Thank you!
Hi Nancy~
Thanks so much. Glad you enjoyed your meal.
Jill
I have made homemade mac n cheese for years. Now have instant pot and got brave enough to try this recipe. I had low expectations. All I can say is Yum! I used lactaid 2% milk and cooked it down a bit on saute portion to make it evaporated. For us it was too salty but then again I used a stick of aged sharp cracker barrel cheddar and about 1/4 of a block of parmesan. Sooooo creamy and rich. Baked off with bread crumbs in oven after. Will definitely make again!
Hi Mary~
Your choice of cheese sound wonderful. Thank you for sharing your experience with me.
Jill
I’m known for having awesome Mac n cheese. Since I’ve been doing the whole30 I haven’t made it. Tonight was a perfect night to try this recipe in my ‘received for Christmas IP’. My son didn’t want to share with my husband and my husband just said he knew what he was having for breakfast! We add nutmeg to our Mac n cheese so we added that and my son used his special hot sauce. Thank you for sharing. Looks like this will be a keeper.
Hi Chris~
What a nice note, thank you. I am very happy that you enjoyed your meal!
Jill
Whencooked the noodles the majority were perfectly done, but I had quite a few noodles that didn’t cook thoroughly. Any advice. The flavor and texture of the rest of the dish were great and I will definitely be making it again.
I like the idea of adding spinach, but wonder, did it turn the mac n cheese green? I’m not sure the kids would go for that.
I made this for my family tonight with medium pasta shells (2 mins cook time, 5 min NPR) and the pasta was perfect and the taste was good. I used cheddar and chihuahua cheeses and the texture was a little grainy. Was this maybe because of the cheddar? Otherwise I was impressed how this came together.
Terri, did you use Extra Sharp Cheddar? That has a tendency to be grainy if not mixed with a melting cheese. Jill
I was so apprehensive about making Mac n Cheese in my pressure cooker. It would only be my 2nd time ever using one. I have a love affair/ slight addiction to this cheesy pasta dish!!! Any Hoo– it turned out amazing.. creamy cheesy perfectly cooked noodles !!! Yum yum !
Love your recipe .. it’s a keeper for me ! ❤️
Hi Deb~
I am so glad you enjoyed the Macaroni and Cheese. It is amazing how easy it is to make! Jill