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When you make gluten free mac and cheese from scratch (if you're like me), you're hoping to end up with a rich sauce with stretchy strings of real cheese clinging to creamy macaroni. But you need the speed and convenience of the orange kind that comes from a box, so lots of times you just settle for that. But this made-from-scratch recipe can be made in an Instant Pot in only 20 minutes! That's not just the minutes of cooking - it factors in the time to build up pressure, release pressure, and mix the ingredients. The actual cooking time is just 4 minutes ( just four!).
The sauce is rich tasting and thick, with a tangy, sharp flavor coming from 2 kinds of cheese. The pasta is cooked to perfect creaminess. This is absolutely the best tasting gluten free mac and cheese I've ever had!
Watch and see just how easy this is to make:
The only other pasta I’ve found that cooks well enough for this recipe is rotini. And if you use that, add one extra minute to the cooking time (so 5 minutes). Other gluten free pasta shapes either have turned out mushy, or don't quite get cooked enough.
You should be able to use regular pasta made with wheat, but I haven't tried that myself, so you may have to add or subtract a minute of cooking time. Please let me know if you make it with regular pasta, and what you learned!
Barilla gluten free macaroni is my very favorite. It is a blend of corn and rice, and that seems to work well when pressure cooking in an Instant Pot. Jovial brand elbow macaroni is made from just brown rice, but it also holds up very well in the Instant Pot.
The canned milk is what gives the sauce its richness. If you use low fat milk, it won’t blend as well with the cheese and definitely won’t be as creamy. Don’t try to make a low calorie version of this recipe - save this one for an indulgence!
You can’t really taste mustard in the finished mac and cheese. The mustard just gives a nice tangy flavor that balances out the creamy mildness of the cheese and milk. Try it, I think you’ll like it!
As for the chicken broth, when I make this I use my homemade bone broth. But you can use chicken bouillon and water if you wish, just plan on reducing the salt by half if you do. Then you can add more salt at the end if you need to.
Gluten Free Pasta Dishes You'll Love
Gluten Free Mac and Cheese in an Instant Pot
This super easy recipe can be made in an Instant Pot in only 20 minutes. The sauce is rich tasting and smooth, with a tangy, sharp flavor coming from 2 kinds of cheese, and the pasta is cooked to perfect creaminess. This is absolutely the best tasting gluten free mac and cheese I've ever had!
- Total Time: about 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
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1 package gluten free elbow macaroni, 12 oz. (Barilla brand is my favorite)
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4 tablespoons butter
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3 ½ cups chicken broth, or water
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1 teaspoon mustard (prepared, not dry mustard powder)
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1 teaspoon salt
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½ teaspoon black pepper
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1 can evaporated milk, 12 oz.
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2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
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½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- In an Instant Pot, add chicken broth (or water), macaroni, butter, mustard, salt, and pepper. Stir together.
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Secure the lid. Choose Manual setting, and high pressure for 4 minutes. Make sure the pressure valve is flipped to “sealing” and not “venting”.
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Once the cooking time is complete and the Instant Pot beeps, flip the pressure valve to “venting” and do the quick release - which means to tip the valve with your finger until you see and hear the steam rushing out. When the steam stops and the pressure gauge drops, you can open the lid.
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Stir the macaroni. Add the evaporated milk, parmesan, and sharp cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese melts and the sauce is creamy. Add any extra salt and pepper if desired.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes before, 5 minutes after cooking
- Cook Time: 4 minutes
- Method: Instant Pot
