Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make instant mac and cheese taste better? ›

How to Make Boxed Mac and Cheese Taste Better. To improve the tang and overall cheesiness of your boxed mac, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt to the cooked and drained pasta while it's still warm. Toss to combine, then stir in the cheese powder until it's uniformly blended.

To make Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, bring 5 cups of water to boil in a large saucepan. Once the water is bubbling rapidly, carefully pour in the macaroni noodles. Allow them to boil for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Cut back on cream

A lot of heavy cream can create too thick of a sauce that doesn't contain enough water content to keep everything saucy. Make sure to use primarily whole milk for your cheese sauce, and if you do use cream, use it sparingly.

Unsalted Butter + All-Purpose Flour: The combination of these creates a roux, which thickens the cheese sauce. Milk: The base of the cheese sauce! I recommend using whole milk for a richer, thicker sauce, but 2% will also work.

Black Pepper: Always a must! Nutmeg: This is also optional but trust me, a dash of it goes a long way to balance the tangy cheese flavor and all the fats. Cayenne Powder: A little sprinkle makes all the difference. It does not make this spicy – it just balances the flavors.

1. It takes two cheeses to tango with mac. For really great macaroni and cheese, you need a cheese that melts well and a cheese that packs a punch. A few cheeses do both (that's a shout out to you, cheddar, emmentaler, and your other alpine-style, fondue favorites).

Water actually works perfectly well as a milk substitute in mac and cheese. It adds all the liquid you need, though it doesn't have the creaminess or flavor that other substitutes add. However, if you add a little pasta water, instead of plain tap water, to your cheese sauce, you might get better results.

You most definitely can use water in place of milk in any pasta recipe including mac and cheese. It is how I make mine, in fact, and it is just as healthy and delicious. The thing is that it will make it not as creamy and perhaps less thick.

Add more milk if you haven't already. More milk leads to less dry mac and cheese. If that doesn't work and you've already tried, use a different type of cheese. Velveeta works well.

Why does my homemade mac and cheese taste bland? ›

Try adding a little more salt first, because that might fix it. If the problem was the cheese you use doesn't have much flavor, then try adding some other flavors, such has mustard or hot sauce. The next time you make it, try to find some more strongly flavor cheese, or adding more cheese.

Sauce too thick? Stir in a splash of milk and mix until the sauce has loosened up. (This is also a great trick for reheating mac and cheese - if you're microwaving leftovers and the sauce seems to have dried up, stir a splash of milk or half-and-half into the pasta to bring the sauce back to life!)

The #1 secret to creamy reheated mac and cheese

"Stir in about 2 Tbs. of milk per 1 cup of mac and cheese and reheat," he says. The milk loosens up the pasta and helps create the creamy sauce as it's reheating. Heavy cream works well in this case too and adds an extra touch of richness to the mac and cheese.

(You can thank whole milk, a pound of cheese, and an egg for that texture.) But the secret to baked mac and cheese is this crispy top, which hides a creamy, soft bottom. That extra layer of cheese helps hold in the moisture when it bakes in the oven. Just be sure not to bake it too long so the macaroni doesn't dry out!

Once your noodles have cooked, you can add your cheese, butter and milk to your mug. Give your noodles a quick stir with all of the dairy products to evenly incorporate them. This will allow for a uniform melting and mixing of your mac and cheese. Place your mug in the microwave and heat for 30 seconds.

How To Make Instant Pot Mac and Cheese. Step 1: Put noodles, water, and salt into the Instant Pot, plop the lid on to seal it, and push a few buttons. Let the whole thing pressure cook in the Instant Pot under high pressure. Step 2: Stir in butter, cheese, and milk until it all melts to make your cheese sauce.

Yes, Kraft Macaroni & Cheese can be made without milk or butter. Instead, you can use water as a substitute. Simply follow the package instructions for cooking the macaroni, then drain it and mix in the cheese powder and a small amount of water to create the sauce.

To make boxed mac and cheese with water, reserve at least ½ a cup of the pasta water that the pasta is cooked in when you drain it. Add the pasta back to the pot, add the butter, cheese powder, and any seasonings. Then, stir in the starchy pasta water until the result is creamy.