macaroni and cheese with bacon instant pot

#MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH BACON INSTANT POT MAC#

Note: Adding the pasta before the water will prevent the bacon grease from splattering when you add the water.Carefully add the pasta followed by the water and 1 teaspoon of salt.Remove the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon, place it on a paper towel to drain, and set it aside.Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is crispy. Heat your Instant Pot using the Saute-Normal function.

#MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH BACON INSTANT POT MAC#

If I am feeling really “fancy” I might crush some garlic & herb croutons and use it as a bread crumb topping! Some other fun things you can add into your mac & cheese: Sometimes we have just straight mac & cheese, other times I throw in some bacon to switch things up, either way, it is fantastic. It is not only fast and delicious in the Instant Pot, but it is also a very frugal meal when feeding growing kids who seem to have bottomless stomachs. Mac & cheese is a staple in our meal plan and we have it a couple of times each month. Steve appreciates the less mess since he is the one who does the dishes! It allows me to cook meals my family loves in a fraction of the time and with less mess. Hands down, the Instant Pot has been one of my best investments for my kitchen and my sanity. If I had to pick one kitchen appliance I use the most and could never give up it would be my Instant Pot.

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.The Best Instant Pot Mac & Cheese is the perfect quick weeknight meal the whole family will enjoy!.

If the mac and cheese begins to dry out, add an additional 1/4 cup of milk and stir.

This mac and cheese will be creamiest if served immediately, although it can be kept warm using the Keep Warm setting for up to 30 minutes.

Serve garnished with bacon and green onion, if desired.

Stir until the cheese has fully melted.

Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, cheese, butter, milk, garlic powder, and nutmeg.

Once the Instant Pot has depressurized, remove the lid and turn it to the Keep Warm setting.

Make sure to use a long spoon or pair of tongs- not your bare hands- as the vent will release steam and may splatter.

After 4 minutes, release the pressure manually by moving the valve to the “venting” position.

When at pressure, it will begin counting down from 4.

The Instant Pot will display “on” while it is pressurizing.

Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook-High Pressure-Normal for 4 minutes.

Secure the lid and ensure the valve is in the “sealing” position.

Surprisingly, Canadians consume more Kraft Mac and Cheese than Americans. We never really ate it at our house when I was a kid, because my Mom always made it homemade, but everyone else I knew ate it regularly. Kraft released their boxed mac and cheese during the Great Depression. The origin of macaroni and cheese is unknown, but is thought to have originated in Northern Europe in the 1700's. It's not for everyone, but I use it and love it! My baked mac and cheese uses a combo of shredded cheese and Velveeta for the perfect creamy texture and consistency. In my opinion, the best shredded cheese for macaroni and cheese are: sharp cheddar, swiss, pepper jack and not shredded, but one of my guilty pleasure favorites, Velveeta. I'm a huge fan of pepper jack cheese, so I'm going to use a combo of that and shredded cheddar along with the bacon the next time I make this for my family.

If you prefer meatless, just make as directed without the bacon. This tasty mac and cheese combines bacon and cheddar cheese with the pasta, but would be just as delicious with ham, pancetta, or a different type of shredded cheese. Now with an Instant Pot, it's on the table even faster! Mac and cheese is always a favorite and quick weeknight meal at our house. If you're an Instant Pot lover, today's recipe is for you!

Macaroni and cheese with bacon instant pot