Are you looking for more easy, one-pot dinner ideas for the busy back-to-school and holiday seasons? I know I am! Today I’m sharing another sneak peek recipe from my new cookbook, 30-Minute Instant Pot Cookbook, that will become a new go-to easy weeknight recipe for you. It’s an Instant Pot cheeseburger macaroni! This Instant Pot homemade Hamburger Helper cheeseburger mac is just as easy as the boxed stuff, but twice as good. This Instant Pot cheeseburger pasta could technically serve up to eight people, but if your family is anything like mine, they will want seconds! Just like all the other easy and delicious recipes in my new cookbook, this cheeseburger macaroni Instant Pot recipe is prepped and cooked completely in half an hour from start to finish. I’ve got the full Instant Pot hamburger mac and cheese recipe at the bottom of this post, but first I’ll share some step-by-step instructions, pictures, and tips to help you make this cheeseburger mac and cheese Instant Pot recipe perfectly and easily every time. If you’re searching for an easy Instant Pot cheeseburger mac, trust me when I say this is it!
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30-Minute Instant Pot Cookbook
The Instant Pot can be a game changer for busy folks who still want to enjoy delicious home-cooked meals. Armed with the 30-Minute Instant Pot Cookbook, you can whip up tasty dishes in a half hour or less. This book is your guide for everything you need to know to use your device with confidence, from how pressure cookers work, to how you can make quick and easy recipes for every meal and occasion. The best part? Every single recipe in the book, just like today’s hamburger mac Instant Pot recipe, can be made in under 30 minutes (including prep and time for the Instant Pot to reach pressure). I know you’re going to love it and find so many new go-to recipes. Learn more and order 30-Minute Instant Pot Cookbook on Amazon here!
More recipes like this Instant Pot cheeseburger pasta:
- Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken Spaghetti
- Instant Pot Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Instant Pot Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Instant Pot Mushroom Prosciutto Pasta
- Instant Pot Bacon, Chicken, and Ranch Pasta
- Instant Pot Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Spaghetti
- Instant Pot Penne al Pomodoro
- Instant Pot Taco Pasta (easy taco mac and cheese)
- Creamy Instant Pot Chicken Primavera Pasta
- Instant Pot Sausage Rigatoni
- Instant Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta with Sausage
- Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Pasta
- Creamy Instant Pot Bacon Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot Hearty Beef and Bean Pasta
- Creamy Instant Pot Chicken and Mushroom Pasta
- Instant Pot Tuscan-Inspired Sausage Fettuccine
- Creamy Instant Pot Chicken and Mushroom Florentine
What you need to make this cheeseburger macaroni Instant Pot recipe
To make this Instant Pot cheeseburger mac, you’ll need an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker (I own the Instant Pot DUO Plus 6-Quart 9-in-1 pot, which works great for my family of four) and the following ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4 cups beef stock
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 16 ounces dry elbow macaroni
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese*
*Variation Tip: This meal has a great cheddar flavor, but if you’d like to experiment with other cheeses, I recommend substituting one cup of the cheddar for one cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
How to Make Instant Pot cheeseburger macaroni (Instant Pot hamburger mac and cheese)
To prepare this cheeseburger macaroni Instant Pot meal, start by selecting the Sauté function on your Instant Pot. Place the ground beef in the pot and sauté for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Prep the remaining ingredients while the beef sautés (multi-tasking like this is a great way to save time while keeping this Instant Pot cheeseburger pasta preparation under 30 minutes). After sautéing for 6 minutes, press Cancel to end the Sauté function and transfer the beef to a plate.
Pour the beef stock, paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper into the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the macaroni to the pot, making sure the noodles are mostly submerged in the liquid, but do not stir. Why? Macaroni and other pastas release starch while cooking under pressure, and stirring before pressure cooking causes it to release even more starch. You don’t want to end up with a macaroni glob after you open the lid, and the best way to ensure this is to leave your pasta alone after adding it to the pot. Lay the reserved beef on top of the pasta, again, without stirring.
Close the lid and set the cooking time to 6 minutes at high/normal pressure. It will take about 12 minutes for the pot to reach pressure before the 6 minutes of cooking time begins. After the cooking time ends, quick release the pressure using the manufacturer’s quick release method. Open the lid and gradually stir in the milk and cheese, alternating between a little of the milk and a handful of cheese at a time, and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce has thickened.
Store leftovers of your Instant Pot cheeseburger pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
This cheeseburger macaroni Instant Pot recipe is SO easy, yet the results are SO good!
Who’d have guessed how easy it is to make Instant Pot homemade Hamburger Helper recipes like this?
Here’s the Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni recipe! If you love this easy Instant Pot cheeseburger mac and cheese as much as we do, please leave a rating. Enjoy!
Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
This Instant Pot homemade Hamburger Helper cheeseburger mac is just as easy as the boxed stuff, but twice as good. This cheeseburger macaroni Instant Pot recipe could technically serve up to eight people, but if your family is anything like mine, they will want seconds!
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4 cups beef stock
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 16 ounces dry elbow macaroni
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Select the Sauté function. Place the ground beef in the pot and sauté for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Prep the remaining ingredients while the beef sautés. Press Cancel and transfer the beef to a plate.
- Pour the beef stock, paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper into the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits.
- Add the macaroni to the pot, making sure the noodles are mostly submerged in the liquid, but do not stir. Lay the reserved beef on top of the pasta.
- Close the lid and set the cooking time to 6 minutes at high/normal pressure. It will take 12 minutes to reach pressure.
- Quick release the pressure. Open the lid and gradually stir in the milk and cheese, alternating between a little of the milk and a handful of cheese at a time, and stir until the cheese is melted and the sauce has thickened.
Notes
Variation Tip: This meal has a great cheddar flavor, but if you’d like to experiment with other cheeses, I recommend substituting one cup of the cheddar for one cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
This recipe is a sneak peek recipe from my new cookbook, 30-Minute Instant Pot Cookbook. For more delicious, easy recipes like this that can be prepared in under 30 minutes, order my book on Amazon.
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M says
Absolutely delicious. I found at the end I didn’t actually need to add any milk, the remaining moisture in the noodles was enough to make a cheesy sauce. I used 2 cups of Mexican preshredded cheese blend, and 1 cup of freshly grated parm as I had nothing else. I added diced onion to the beef and MSG to the spices and it tasted fantastic. Better than genuine hamburger helper. I served it with a side of corn and it was delicious.
Ramona Cruz-Peters says
Your modifications sound delicious! Thanks so much for taking the time to share. We love this one!
Neffy says
Would this recipe work to be doubled and prepared in an 8 quart pressure cooker?
Ramona Cruz-Peters says
Yes, as long as the ingredients sit safely below the fill line (since pasta expands). Keep in mind that the larger quantity may mean the pot will take a different amount of time to reach pressure, but otherwise the recipe should work the same as written, just with the ingredients doubled!