Instant Pot Creamy Broccoli Mac and Cheese
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Making mac and cheese in the Instant Pot is definitely the way to go! It’s unbelievably easy, it’s made in one single pot (hello, easiest clean up ever), and the mac and cheese comes out amazingly creamy! You can’t beat that!
Guys.
We’re going on a cruise to Italy in two months.
Which means I should be getting “bikini-ready”.
But I don’t see that happening any time soon.
Because this broccoli mac and cheese is E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G.
It’s the mac and cheese we all dream of.
The one that’s creamy but not too heavy.
The one that just melts in your mouth.
And basically the one that you can’t stop eating.
I mean, it’s such a shame you can make this in the Instant Pot so easily.
That just means you’ll be making it every day this week.
Hey, at least we have broccoli in it, right?
Instant Pot Creamy Broccoli Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 pound fusilli pasta
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1 cup half and half*
- 12 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- Add pasta, butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to a 6-qt Instant Pot®. Stir in 4 1/2 cups water.
- Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 5 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Select high sauté setting. Stir in broccoli and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and liquid has reduced, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in Dijon and garlic powder.
- Select warm setting. Stir in milk and half and half until warmed, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in cheese until melted, about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
I have an Instant Pot. That’s why I’m looking up Instant Pot Recipes. What the heck, folks?
I’m interested in trying this dish. If I want to double the recipe I suspect I need to double the water for the pasta, right? Also, you didn’t mention draining the water at any point, so I’m thinking that you shouldn’t.
thanks,
Karen
Can You add Chicken? If so, best suggestions?
We added chicken but, not to the InstaPot. We sautéed cubed chicken breast on the stove and served the recipe on top of the chicken. Really good!
Do you use fresh, frozen or thawed broccoli?
Do you have nutrition info?
Nutritional information is provided only for select and some new recipes at this time. However, if it is not available for a specific recipe, we recommend using free online resources at your discretion (you can Google “nutritional calculator”) to obtain such information. Hope that helps!
This simple recipe turned out great! I used almost 2lbs of pasta but followed everything else and it still turned out perfect. This is a crowd pleaser. Thank you! Will be adding it to
my rotation.
Can you use frozen broccoli?
Thanks
Any adjustments in liquids needed for making this in an 8 quart IP?
How would you cook this in a stove top and/or electric pressure cooker.
Hi Becky! You can try this stovetop recipe instead: https://damndelicious.net/2017/12/28/creamy-broccoli-mac-and-cheese/.
loved it!
Can you sub wheat fusilli or another type of wheat pasta.
Yes, absolutely, but please be mindful of cooking time as it can vary when using different types of pasta.
My family would LOVE this! I love instant pot recipes, keep ’em coming! So excited to try this.
Thanks for a great recipe! I used both broccoli and cauliflower and roasted it beforehand, which gave it great flavor. I also realized I only had 8 oz of cheddar cheese, so I supplemented with Parmesan and it turned out really yummy. I’ve made another mac and cheese in my pressure cooker (Crock Pot Multi-Cooker) before that turned out really badly, so I was nervous, but this was amazing!
Hi! Do you use fresh or frozen broccoli? Does it matter? Thanks!
The ingredients call for grated cheese….can I use shredded packaged cheese or is it better when it is fresh? Thanks!
Yes, you can absolutely use pre-shredded cheese, although I do think the freshly grated cheese works/melts best! 🙂
This is so easy! My kids will love it!
What size instant pot do you use for your recipes? I plan on getting one and your recipes are the only ones I use so I want to make sure I don’t get one thats too small!
I use a 6-qt.
I just picked up a 8qt ultra yesterday and was wondering with all the recipes in general, do the measurements need to be adjusted depending on the size of the instant pot?
The measurements can stay the same as your Instant Pot is larger than the standard 6-qt Instant Pot that is used in these recipes. Hope that helps, Joel!
Question: can you make this in the 8 quart insta pot or would I need to adjust the quantities? (Sorry… instapot newbie)
No need to be sorry, Cassi! 🙂
When using an 8qt Instant Pot, the timing should stay relatively the same. It would just take a little longer for it to come to pressure. But as always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications.
This recipe looks fantastic! I’m planning on using only 1/2 lb of pasta, do I need to adjust the time in the instant pot?
The cooking time should stay relatively the same. Hope that helps!
I have tried so many recipes of yours and they have always been yummy. My boyfriend loves them too. I am gonna try this one tomorrow.
Have tried a few of your Instant Pot recipes and have loved every one! I’m sure this will be no different… And by the way, as a side note, I also love good food but try to practice moderation. I can’t give up enjoying delicious food! I’ve adopted the “if you have a bikini and a body, then you’re ready” philopsophy…