Let’s just say it’s good. Reeeeallly good.
I’m relatively new to instant pot cooking, but if I can make a mac and cheese this delicious in just one pot with very little effort, well, I’m sold. And with vegetables added in too – even better!
This all came about because I set out to recreate my favorite butternut mac and cheese recipe for the instant pot – time is precious these days, so I figured an instant pot version would allow me more time to run around the house after our son. He’s almost 2 – he moves fast. Only the store where I usually get canned butternut didn’t seem to have any, but they had plenty of pumpkin. So, here we are. I still plan to recreate the butternut mac and cheese for instant pot, but until then, this pumpkin mac and cheese has my heart.
It’s very easy to set up – basically a set it and forget it kind of deal until you add the pumpkin and cheese. And even then, it’s just stirring ingredients in.
Whole wheat past makes this a hearty bowl and filling enough to stand alone as a meal if you choose. I always cook with whole wheat pasta because 1) I’m a dietitian, and…fiber! whole grains! and, 2) it’s just tasty, so that’s what you’ll find here. Then vegetable broth and a little butter goes in, and cooks for a few minutes.
I used a cooking time that divides the package instructions in half, then subtracts one minute. So for example my pasta said to boil for 10-12 minutes, so I went on the upper end (12), divided it in half (6) then subtracted one to get to 5 minutes cooking time in the instant pot.
After that, you add in a can of canned pumpkin, milk, and the cheeses. I used a mix of cheddar and swiss/gruyere that we are able to get at the grocery store, but swiss would work if you can’t find gruyere. Stir it up and that’s it – easy as can be!
This will be so good as we’re moving into fall for a quick weeknight dinner, or just when we need comfort food for a rainy, chilly day.
Enjoy!
Instant Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb whole wheat pasta
- 4c vegetable broth
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup cheddar cheese
- 1c gruyere or swiss cheese, or a mix of the two (I used a mix of these two, but either would be good mixed with the cheddar)
Instructions
- Add pasta to instant pot. Pour in vegetable broth, and add butter.
- Close instant pot lid, and set valve to sealing.
- Set to manual high pressure for 5 minutes (or halve the cooking time that the box of pasta says and subtract one – for example if the pasta box says to cook for 12 minutes, halve this and subtract one which is 5 minutes).
- Once the time is complete, do a quick release of the pressure. Be sure to cover the valve with a towel to protect yourself from the steam. (Also the steam will have a lot of starch from the pasta.)
- Open the lid, and stir. Then stir in the can of pureed pumpkin, and milk.
- Next stir in the cheeses. Stir until the cheese is melted.
- Serve.
Notes
If you can’t find gruyere cheese, or a mix of swiss and gruyere, swiss will work just fine.
Prep and cooking time: The instant pot takes about 10-12 minutes to come to pressure before cooking at high pressure for 5 minutes, then a minute or two to stir in the pumpkin, milk and cheeses, so your total time from putting in the pasta to sitting down at the table is about 20 minutes.
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