An easy, cheesy mac and cheese that all the kiddos (and adults) will love! Bonus that it’s much healthier than the box kind and tastes better too! Kid-Friendly Instant Pot Mac and Cheese for the win!

Turn this meal into a freezer meal! Find this recipe in our new Freezer Meal cookbook. CLICK HERE

Didn’t know you needed a “kid-friendly” mac and cheese recipe in your life, did you?

It’s pasta and it’s cheese . . . what could be not “kid-friendly” about that?

It was these comments from my kiddos that educated me that I could do my mom job better:

“Your mac and cheese doesn’t taste like Kraft. Maybe you can buy the orange powder at the store.”

“It’s good, but it’s not as good as Kraft.”

“Why do you put all that ‘stuff’ in mac and cheese? The Kraft professionals don’t put broccoli in it.”

I never thought I’d want to take down Kraft in a boxing match, but here we are.

This Whole-Grain Mac and Cheese with Roasted Broccoli will forever be my favorite. It’s flavorful, gluten-free, and loaded with as much broccoli as I can stack on top. But I swallowed my pride and created what I consider to be the best Kraft knockoff mac with this new recipe.

Plain ol’ white elbow noodles (no whole grains here, kids), with less spice, more cheese, and extra creamy.

The verdict?

“You did it, mom! This is so good! You should give Kraft your recipe.”

Take that, Kraft.

And guess what? I thought it was pretty tasty, too. I started with a small bowl of mac and a side of roasted veggies and ended with a big bowl of mac and zero veggies.

It’s tasty, it’s cheesy, and it’s also super easy. Like, my kids can whip this together on their own, easy.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT MAC AND CHEESE

BETTER FOR YOU: It’s not whole grains, but it’s still better than the boxed version!
CHEESY CREAMY: Max cheese flavor here and you can adjust the creaminess with how much milk you add.
EASY: As I mentioned, I wanted this so easy that my kids could make their own “kid-friendly” mac and cheese. Nailed it.

HOW TO MAKE MAC AND CHEESE IN THE PRESSURE COOKER

Add noodles, seasonings, and liquids to the pot
Once cooked, add the cheese
Add extra milk for more creaminess if you like

SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

CHEESE MATTERS: If you want flavorful, creamy mac and cheese, you gotta use the right cheese. I love a mix of EXTRA sharp cheddar and quesadilla cheese (the ultimate melty cheese). If you can’t find quesadilla cheese (also called chihuahua cheese), go with Monterey Jack.
MILK MATTERS: Fat-free milk looks curdled after pressure cooked. While this won’t affect the taste, it doesn’t look the best. I use 2% milk and it works great.
PASTA TYPE: I use elbow macaroni 95% of the time because it’s my kids’ favorite, but any type will work! Just make sure to adjust the cook time (more details on that in the recipe below).
SAVE YOUR LEFTOVERS: Have you ever tried air frying your leftover mac and cheese? Glorious! I intentionally save some mac and cheese so I can air-fry it another day. Those crispy/burnt bits are everything.

HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE

STORE: Cool, then store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
REHEAT: Add a splash of milk and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. It’s also great air-fried at 400° until warm and crispy (as mentioned above).
FREEZE: Put leftover mac and cheese into a freezer-safe container or ziptop bag and freeze for up to three months. When ready to eat, let it thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat as directed above.

MAKE AHEAD TIPS

Grate the cheese in advance and store in the fridge. You just took care of the hardest part of the recipe!

WHAT TO SERVE WITH KID-FRIENDLY MAC AND CHEESE

ROASTED VEGETABLES: Broccoli is my all-time favorite, but anything goes! Peppers, tomatoes, Brussel sprouts, asparagus, etc.
MEAT: Grilled steak or chicken, sliced sausage, or meatballs are all an amazing addition. These Meatballs are my favorite!
SAUCE: Sauce queen called and said this Yum Yum Sauce or this Basil Sauce takes mac and cheese to restaurant level.

VARIATIONS

MAKE IT SPICY: Add cayenne pepper directly to the mac and cheese or serve hot sauce on the side. Our favorite is Franks Buffalo Sauce or Momofuku Chili Crisp.
MAKE IT WHOLE GRAIN: You can use any whole-grain pasta here. Just adjust the cook time as directed in the recipe card.
MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE: Brown rice pasta cooks well in the pressure cooker!

Try this one soon! You likely have all the ingredients on hand already.

Then check back and let me know if I indeed replaced your kids’ chants for “Kraft, Kraft, Kraft!”

Everything is better homemade. I said it and I’m stickin’ to it!

Enjoy!

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TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED