Mac and cheese instant pot evaporated milk

Q: Can you make cheese in an Instant Pot?

The Instant Pot, a programmable multicooker” famously makes everything from yogurt to rice to sauces and stews. One of the more surprising uses of the Instant Pot is cheesemaking, and author Claudia Lucero has mastered this art for Instant Pot Cheese: Discover How Easy It Is to Make Mozzarella, Feta, Chevre, and More.

Easy and fast instant pot creamy mac and cheese made with evaporated milk and Velveeta.

Table of Contents Show

Slow Cooker Baked Beans
Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese
Reader Interactions
Can I use evaporated milk instead of milk in mac and cheese?
Do you put evaporated milk in baked mac and cheese?
Can I use evaporated milk instead of heavy cream in mac and cheese?
Can you make cheese in an Instant Pot?

I finally took our instant pot out of the box and made instant pot mac and cheese! It’s cheesy (obviously), it’s creamy and it’s a quick recipe that’s done in 10 minutes because of the instant pot! Using Velveeta and sharp cheddar cheese it’s made with less ingredients than the very popular slow cooker version. It’s also made in less time. 🙌

Confession time. The instant pot has been in my basement in a box for months now. I bought it on sale in November and there it sat. I don’t know why it’s taken me this long to try it out and see what it can do for dinner in our home. Honestly, I was just plugging along enjoying life as usual, trying to stay sane with all the cold weather and snow days around here.

And then, one afternoon I had had enough. I was CRAVING the macaroni and cheese recipe. But two hours in the slower cooker was not going to cut it. No, I needed it NOW. Enter the instant pot. Sure, it’s a straight forward recipe but not having to wait for the water to boil for noodles was enough of a reason to get this baby out and give it a test run.

And it did not disappoint!

First things first. You can cook noodles in the instant pot. There’s nothing like watching a pot boil – and with the instant pot you don’t have to! Put 16 oz of pasta (in this case elbow noodles), the butter and water in the instant pot. Select “pressure cooker” on high pressure and then five minutes. Make sure your instant pot is sealed. Once the cycle is complete, quick release the steam. (Be careful and make sure to follow your manual.)

Open the lid and add the Velveeta, salt, evaporated milk and cheddar cheese. Stir until completely melted. I did turn on the saute for about one minute to help heat through the Velveeta while stirring the entire time.

So creeeeaaamy, guys! Just how I like it. If you like it creamier, add more evaporated milk. If you like it thicker, add less. It’s completely adaptable.

Serve immediately. It makes great leftovers, but like all mac and cheese, leftovers don’t have the same straight out of the instant pot creaminess. Still, just as good in flavor, though. I mean, I may be eating this instant pot mac and cheese for lunch today.

Enjoy!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Easy and fast instant pot creamy mac and cheese made with evaporated milk and Velveeta.

▢ 16 oz elbow pasta
▢ 4 TB melted butter
▢ 4 Cups water
▢ 1 1/4 cup evaporated milk
▢ 1 1/2 tsp salt
▢ 2 Cups Cheddar Cheese
▢ 8 oz Cup Velveeta Cheese cut into 1 inch squares

Combine pasta, water and butter in instant pot. Secure the lid, set to "pressure cooker" and high pressure for five minutes.
Once complete, quick release the steam. Open the lid and stir.
Add cheddar cheese, salt, evaporated milk and Velveeta cheese. Stir until the cheeses are completely melted. If you need to, turn on sauté to give it a little more heat. Make sure to stir constantly while on sauté.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

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Slow Cooker Baked Beans

Slow Cooker Macaroni and Cheese

Created by Lynette

Lynette is the home cook, recipe tester and photographer for Cleverly Simple which she created in 2010. Most of her recipes come from the treasured recipe box passed down from her great-grandma, grandmother, and mother.

Lynette’s recipes and projects have been featured in Country Living, Good Housekeeping, House Beautiful and others.

Reader Interactions

Can I use evaporated milk instead of milk in mac and cheese?

Evaporated milk works great in mac and cheese and makes the sauce rich and creamy.

Do you put evaporated milk in baked mac and cheese?

Evaporated milk has more protein than regular milk, but less fat than heavy cream, which gives this easy baked macaroni and cheese a thick, creamy filling without too much greasiness. Evaporated milk is also not refrigerated in most places, so you can get it in the baking aisle or on Amazon!

Can I use evaporated milk instead of heavy cream in mac and cheese?

Adding evaporated milk to your Kraft macaroni and cheese will make the dish thick, smooth, creamy, and not greasy which happens when too much fat is added.

Can you make cheese in an Instant Pot?

The Instant Pot, a programmable “multicooker” famously makes everything from yogurt to rice to sauces and stews. One of the more surprising uses of the Instant Pot is cheesemaking, and author Claudia Lucero has mastered this art for Instant Pot Cheese: Discover How Easy It Is to Make Mozzarella, Feta, Chevre, and More.