Pressure Cooker Mac & Cheese

Classic, cheesy, decadent, and the best part...easy!  Pressure Cooker Mac & Cheese is my go-to recipe for this dish.  No boiling pots of water, no standing over a hot stove, no draining, just homemade goodness in about 35 minutes.

A 16 oz. block of Velveeta is shown, but you will only use half of it.  Water not shown.

Pressure Cooker Mac & Cheese

Yield:  6-8 servings

Approximate Total Time:  35 minutes

Electric Pressure Cooker Size:  6 quarts

4 cups elbow macaroni
4 cups of water
4 tbsp. butter

2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 to 1/2 tsp. pepper (to taste)*
1 to 2 tsp. dry ground mustard*

1 cup evaporated milk*

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese**

8 oz. Velveeta, cubed

Add macaroni, water, butter, kosher salt, pepper and dry ground mustard to the pressure cooker pot. Stir.  Lock the pressure cooker lid in place and set steam vent to Sealing.  Select PRESSURE COOK (Manual) and cook for 5 minutes on High pressure.  

Once the 5-minute cooking cycle is complete, open the steam vent using the controlled release method (also known as intermittent release). This means you open and close the steam vent in short bursts to prevent the starchy steam/liquid from making a mess. For example:  release, seal...release, seal... release, seal, etc. Once the valve drops, open lid and stir. Then select CANCEL and KEEP WARM.

Stir in the evaporated milk, cheddar cheese, and Velveeta until cheese has melted. Serve.

*Start with 1/4 tsp. of pepper and 1 tsp. of dry ground mustard. Before serving, taste mixture and add additional pepper and/or mustard if desired. More evaporated milk can be added for extra creaminess.

**Don't use pre-shredded cheese as it will not melt smoothly.

Recipe can easily be halved. Cook time remains the same.

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