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There are two types of people in the world: those who like their mac and cheese creamy, and crazy people.  Seriously, whenever I hear someone tell me that they like it when they have to cut their mac and cheese out of the pan with a knife, I’m just like “What’s wrong with you?”  The tendency to dry out mac and cheese is the entire reason that I normally avoid baked mac and cheeses.  I know that it’s not impossible to get a creamy mac and cheese out of the oven, but let’s be realistic here.  How many people do YOU know that can accomplish this?

In case it wasn’t already apparent, I have always preferred the stovetop style of mac and cheese.  There is just something so comforting about a bowl of this creamy pasta goodness.  The problem, though, is what a pain it is to get the right consistency of your cheese sauce on the stove.  I thought that I would just have to resign myself to a lifetime of lumpy mac and cheese.  That is, until I discovered a way to make it in my electric pressure cooker. Not only is it basically foolproof, but it is also a fraction of the effort.  No draining your pasta.  No cooking a roux.  Just you, a pot, and MAGIC!

Add the pasta, water, butter, and seasonings in the liner of your pressure cooker.  Cover, seal, and cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes.  When the time is up, manually release the pressure, but keep the cooker on the Keep Warm setting.  Stir in your cream cheese, letting it melt and coat the pasta.  After that, add the milk, then the cheeses.  Make sure you add the cheese a little at a time so that it melts evenly.

In the end, you’ve got yourself a creamy and delicious mac and cheese that took very little effort to make.

When making this mac and cheese, it is best to shred your own cheese.  Pre-shredded cheeses are usually coated with starch or contain other ingredients that may affect the texture of your finished product.

Pressure Cooker Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 lb dry elbow macaroni (I use corkscrew pasta)
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 quart water
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp hot sauce
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1 cup whole milk
• 8 oz cream cheese, cut into cubes (you can also use Mascarpone cheese)
• 8 oz white cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions

Add the dry elbow pasta followed by the butter, water, ground mustard, kosher salt, granulated onion or onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to the bowl of the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and set the vent to “sealing”.

Cook on “Manual” (High Pressure) for 4 minutes. When the 4 minutes is up, leave the pot on Keep Warm and manually release the pressure.

Open the lid and add the cubed cream cheese. Stir gently but thoroughly until the cream cheese is melted.

Add the milk and stir until combined. Add the shredded cheeses, a little bit at a time, until all of the cheese is melted and smooth. Serve immediately.