This Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese recipe is a copycat for Chick-fil-A’s macaroni and cheese that is made with Parmesan and Romano cheeses.

This delicious copycat recipe can be eaten right out of the Instant Pot or can be transferred to a casserole dish to give a nice crunch to the top of your macaroni and cheese.

Instant Pot Pasta

Making pasta in a pressure cooker is simple and easy. To make elbow macaroni, it only takes 4 cups of water or broth with 16 oz of elbow pasta. Making Instant Pot macaroni and cheese is not only quick but super easy!

How to use quick release on an Instant Pot

When it comes to the quick release of pressure, it’s important to slowly and intermittently release the pressure. This prevents the vent to spew and foam, however, if it does begin to spew liquid, stop releasing pressure and wait a few seconds. Once a few seconds have passed, go ahead and continue releasing pressure.

For this Instant Pot macaroni and cheese recipe, there is a small amount of water left in the pot after pressure cooking, no worries and no need to drain. Stir the pasta in the pot and add in the macaroni and cheese ingredients.

RELATED: Instant Pot Irish Mac and Cheese

Macaroni and Cheese

The key to creating creamy and smooth macaroni and cheese is to avoid using the shredded variety. Shredded cheeses have starches in them to prevent the cheese from sticking together in the packages.

Stick to block or sliced cheese when making homemade macaroni and cheese if you want your mac and cheese to be creamy.

How to Reheat Macaroni and Cheese

To produce the same cheesy and creamy results that freshly made macaroni and cheese provides, adding a little cream or milk before reheating will help recreate the freshly made texture and flavor.

Ingredients in Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese

• Dry elbow pasta
• Salt
• Sliced American cheese
• Parmesan and Romano cheese blend
• Colby Jack cheese, cubed
• Heavy cream
• Water

How to Make Instant Pot Macacroni and Cheese

Making mac and cheese in the Instant Pot is so incredibly easy.

Add the pasta and water- Add the dry elbow pasta to the inner liner and pour the water over the top of the pasta. Make sure that the pasta is fully submerged.

Pressure cook the pasta- Close the lid and vent and pressure cook for 4 minutes.

Release the pressure- Carefully and intermittently release the pressure from the pot. *Refer to your pressure cooker’s manual for how to safely perform its functions.

Stir in the remaining ingredients- There may be a little bit of water left in the pot. This is okay! The extra water will help the cheese melt and become smooth thanks to the starch left over in the water.

Stir in the sliced and cubed cheeses as well as the heavy cream and salt. Stir until the cheeses are all melted and the mixture is smooth.

Broil the pasta- If desired, place the mac and cheese in an oven-safe dish and broil for about 3 minutes to give the mac and cheese a nice crust.

Copycat Instant Pot Recipes

It’s possible to make restaurant favorites at home using a pressure cooker. This copycat Chick-fil-A Instant Pot macaroni and cheese has all the wonderful flavors that you find in the famous chain’s recipe. With flavors of Parmesan, Romano, and American cheeses, this recipe is a great comparison.

The only differences are between the restaurant and this recipe are that you can make enough to feed the entire family and it’s quick and easy to make from home!

Soups are perfect to make using a pressure cooker and this Olive Garden copycat for Minestrone Soup comes together in a matter of minutes!

A personal favorite of mine from Olive Garden is Chicken and Gnocchi Soup. This instant pot version is not only quick to make but it tastes just like the original version – maybe even better!

Another tasty copycat recipe you can make in the Instant Pot is this Panda Express Orange Chicken.

Outback Steakhouse’s Potato Soup is a restaurant favorite and it’s possible to make that same delicious soup at home using this recipe.

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