Easy & Creamy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why didn't my mac and cheese creamy? ›

Pro Tip: Don't use pre-shredded cheese. Many store-bought shredded cheese brands coat their cheese with an anti-caking agent than can make sauces grainy and less creamy. While it requires a bit of an arm workout, grating your own yields the best texture.

What Is the Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese? Sharp cheddar is the overwhelming popular choice, but for extra-creamy results, we think medium cheddar is even better. Other delicious options include Gruyère, smoked Gouda, and Monterey Jack.

How to Make Boxed Mac and Cheese Taste Better. To improve the tang and overall cheesiness of your boxed mac, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt to the cooked and drained pasta while it's still warm. Toss to combine, then stir in the cheese powder until it's uniformly blended.

Add Cream Cheese

Most boxes will instruct you to boil the pasta, then drain and add butter, milk, and cheese powder to the pot, mixing well to form a sauce. To make your mac extra creamy and rich, stir in a tablespoon or two of cream cheese into your cheese sauce.

Add more milk if you haven't already. More milk leads to less dry mac and cheese. If that doesn't work and you've already tried, use a different type of cheese. Velveeta works well.

The #1 secret to creamy reheated mac and cheese

"Stir in about 2 Tbs. of milk per 1 cup of mac and cheese and reheat," he says. The milk loosens up the pasta and helps create the creamy sauce as it's reheating. Heavy cream works well in this case too and adds an extra touch of richness to the mac and cheese.

Milk: Keeps our cheese sauce super creamy. I use whole milk or reduced-fat milk. Mustard and spices: A combination of Dijon mustard, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt makes this macaroni and cheese extra delicious. Cheese: I use white cheddar and parmesan or pecorino cheese.

I would avoid Swiss (greasy when melted), mozzarella (melts great but noticeably bland here), parm (doesn't blend well with this technique), pecorino (same problem), and all low-fat or part-skim cheeses, which will not turn into a sauce at all but a bunch of stringy sludge. Avoid at all costs.

Cheddar and Monterey Jack are a match made in gooey heaven, especially when they're blanketed in tons of crisp topping. At last, a recipe that's as easy as the boxed stuff, but so much tastier. It relies on Monterey Jack, Parmesan and two smooth melters: American cheese and cream cheese.

Can I use yogurt instead of milk for mac and cheese? ›

Finally, using a plain yogurt is one of the best options for replacing milk in kraft mac and cheese! A plain whole milk yogurt or a greek yogurt would work well. Mix it in the same way you'd mix in sour cream, until it is well incorporated. This may have a slightly tangier flavor, but that is a personal preference.

Cayenne pepper is a classic seasoning that adds warmth and enhances the flavour of the cheese.

This is due to the pasta absorbing more liquid over time, and the sauce itself becoming more “solid” as it cools. So, to ensure a creamy mac and cheese, make the sauce just a little looser than you think it needs to be. (Add more milk, a tablespoon at a time to adjust the consistency).

Cook macaroni according to package directions. In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; stir in flour, and cook for 3-5 minutes stirring constantly to form a roux; add salt and pepper; slowly add milk, stirring well after each addition. Cook and stir until bubbly.

Melt butter in large saucepan. Add flour and whisk until it forms a thick paste. Add milk a little at a time while whisking continuously to form a sauce. Add salt, pepper, mustard, paprika and cheddar cheese and whisk until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth.

Ratio of ingredients: The ratio of ingredients, particularly in the roux, can affect the texture of the sauce. If the sauce becomes grainy as it cools, it may be due to the ratios of the roux and the fat content in the cheeses being a little off. Overcooking the sauce can also contribute to the grainy texture.

The Huffington Post reached out to the Kraft Foods Consumer Center, where a representative identified the stuff simply as "modified food starch." According to the representative, the starch is added to prevent the product from boiling over in the microwave.

Overcooking the pasta

We all know what happens when pasta boils for just a few minutes too long. The noodles become soft and fall apart easily. Soggy pasta is exactly what you want to avoid, especially in mac and cheese — too soft, and you'll be eating cheese sludge with a spoon.