Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

  • Home
    • About
    • FAQs
  • Recipes
    • Bread and Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Dairy
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes and Snacks
    • Desserts
    • Gluten Free
    • Instant Pot
    • Heavenly Homemaker’s Weekly Menus
  • Homemaking
    • Real Food Sources
  • Shop
  • Contact
    • Affiliates
    • Advertise
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy
  • Simple Meals
  • Amazon Deals

Simple 10-Minute Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

January 1, 2019 by Laura 9 Comments

I have a major confession, and I think you will all be a tiny bit shocked. (No I didn’t start eating margarine. Who do you even think I am?) For years, I deemed this Creamy Mac and Cheese recipe the best in the world. I held to this opinion for years. And now. NOW, I have discovered a recipe that is even better than the best. Allow me to introduce you to the marvelous, wonderful, fabulous 10-Minute Instant Pot Mac and Cheese!

If you don’t yet have an Instant Pot, I feel you, I get you, and I was on your Non-Instant-Pot-Team for many years. Then I finally gave in and allowed this jewel to change my life forever. I truly do love my precious Instant Pot because it saves me so much time and energy in the kitchen. It’s like God knew we all needed Simple Meals and Simple Recipes so on the eighth day He created the Instant Pot. And God said it was good.

What are my favorite foods to make in my Instant Pot? I’m so glad you asked.

  • This fabulous new 10-Minute Mac and Cheese (true story)
  • These incredible Mashed Potatoes (sorry Grandma; they’re even better than yours)
  • 5 Pounds of FROZEN Hamburger Meat (which is completely cooked in 30 minutes and ready to save my life all week long)

If you don’t yet have an Instant Pot, might I recommend that you save up and invest in one? I do think you will love it as much as I do!

For all the Instant Pot owners out there, you’ll be delighted to know that this 10-Minute Instant Pot Mac and Cheese can actually be ready to serve – from start to finish – in just 10-minutes. This has become a great go-to lunch for my boys at home or a wonderful side dish at dinner after a busy day.

Simple 10-Minute Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

Simple 10-Minute Instant Pot Mac and Cheese
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 16-ounces whole grain pasta (any shape)
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 Tablespoons butter (always butter, never margarine, amen, hallelujah)
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 3 cups shredded cheese (we love Colby jack)
Instructions
  1. Stir uncooked pasta, water, butter, and salt in your instant pot.
  2. Seal and cook on manual, high pressure for 4 minutes.
  3. Quick release the pressure.
  4. Open the pot and stir in the cream and cheese until melted and creamy.
3.5.3229

Want More Simple Real Food Recipes?

  • Simple Baked Salmon and Asparagus
  • Simple Crock Pot Chicken Soup with a Kick
  • Simple Skillet Taco Pasta
  • Last-Minute Lentil Chili
  • Simple Sweet and Sour Baked Chicken Legs
  • 20-Minute Taco Soup
  • Simple Cheesy Baked Chicken
  • Simple Creamy Chicken Stew in the Crock Pot
  • Simple Italian Beef and Broccoli Skillet
  • Simple Bacon Ranch Chicken
  • Simple Hawaiian Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple Taco Rice Dinner
  • Simple Last Minute Nacho Plate
  • Simple Chicken Cheeseballs with a Kick
  • Simple Beanie Weanies
  • Simple Crock Pot BBQ Spareribs
  • Simple Pizza Chicken Bake
  • Simple Italian Chicken and Green Bean Bake
  • Last Minute Creamy Bacon Spaghetti
  • Simple Hamburger Soup
  • Simple Parmesan Broiled Fish
  • Simple Overnight Saucy Crock Pot Chicken
  • Simple 15-Minute Meal
  • Simple Overnight Melt-in-Your-Mouth Beef Roast
  • Simple 3-Cheese Crock Pot Pasta
  • Simple Oven Fried Chicken
  • Simple Honey Mustard Chicken Legs
  • The Easiest Mashed Potatoes in the World
  • Simple Garlic Butter Shrimp
  • Simple Crunchy Ranch Chicken Strips
  • Simple Crock Pot Shredded Ranch Chicken (for salad or tacos)
  • Simple Crock Pot Pizza Casserole
  • Simple Barbecue Beef Roast
  • Simple Spanish Rice Bowls
  • Simple Roasted Rotiserie Chicken
  • Simple Green Chile Chicken
  • Simple Tex-Mex Creamy Chicken
  • Simple Waffle Omelets
  • Simple Crock Pot Taco Pasta
  • Simple Grilled Chicken
  • Simple Hawaiian Beef Roast
  • Simple Crock Pot Creamy Stew Meat
  • Simple Cheese Stuffed Burgers
  • Simple Hashbrown Casserole (For Instant Pot, Crock Pot or Oven!)
  • Simple Lasagna Casserole (For Instant Pot or Crock Pot)
  • Simple Chili Mac
  • Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole
  • From Burrito Bar to Casserole (a 5-Minute Meal!)
  • Simple Bacon Cheeseburger Roll
  • Simple Garlic Parmesan Chicken Legs
  • Super Simple Lasagna
  • The Simplest White Chicken Chili
  • Simple Lentil Nachos
  • Simple Tuna Patties
  • Simple Banana Pancakes
  • Simple Crock Pot Applesauce BBQ Chicken
  • Simple Hashbrown and Egg Nests
  • Simple Cornbread Waffles with Chili
  • Simple Veggie Fritters
  • Simple Lemon Garlic Chicken Legs
  • Simple Noodle Soup
  • Simple Three Cheese Spaghetti
  • Simple Crock Pot Salsa Shredded Beef
  • Cheeseburger Hashbrown Cups or Casserole
  • Easiest Beef Roast in the Instant Pot
  • Simple One-Dish Chicken Florentine
  • Simple Creamy Layered Enchiladas
  • Simple Ham and Hashbrown Casserole
  • 5-Minute Cheesy Hamburger and Potatoes

Want these recipes in your hands?

We’ve got most of these recipes already in eBook format so you can download, print, and hold them in your hands!

Simple Recipes, Volume 1 eBook
Simple Recipes, Volume 1 eBook
Simple Recipes, Volume 1 is filled with over 24 recipes - all of which utilize real, whole food ingredients, take only a few minutes to prepare, are absolutely family friendly, and take the stress away from meal prep!!
Price: $7.95
Simple Recipes for Simple Meals Volume 2
Simple Recipes for Simple Meals Volume 2
Simple Recipes, Volume 2 is filled with 40 recipes - all of which utilize real, whole food ingredients, take only a few minutes to prepare, are absolutely family friendly, and take the stress away from meal prep!!
Price: $8.95

Join Simple Meals!

728x90

We love how Simple Meals has been saving family time for so many, and helping people put great food on the table each night! Join us for just $1/week!

Simple Meals Yearly Subscription
Simple Meals Yearly Subscription
Your yearly subscription equips you with a 52 week's worth of meal plans, grocery guide, recipes, and bonus tips! Your Simple Meals plan will arrive in your inbox each Thursday morning.
Price: $52.00

Some of the links in this post are my affiliate links.

Make-Ahead Mac-n-Cheese For a Crowd

June 26, 2018 by Laura 5 Comments

I’d never tried Make-Ahead Mac-n-Cheese before, but figured it was worth a shot! I wondered: Could I make my easy Mac-n-Cheese for a crowd, then put it in the crock pot to stay warm? After all, I didn’t want to be a slave to the stove just as my guests were arriving.

Obviously it worked marvelously, otherwise I wouldn’t be here telling you about it. I definitely feel that this dish is best fresh, right off the stove. But the day I was feeding 25 teens, I needed a side I could make ahead and keep warm. As it turns out, we can make Creamy Mac and Cheese en mass, then put it in a crock pot to stay warm until serving time.

A few small details about making Mac-n-Cheese for a Crowd: Plan to use lots of sea salt. It can be rather bland otherwise. I even go the extra mile and stir in some garlic powder for a little extra pazazz.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: When making this Creamy Mac and Cheese, always remove it from the heat BEFORE you add the cheese. It’s not difficult, but breaking this creamy mac-n-cheese rule will give you weirdly textured pasta. So cook your pasta in the milk, slide it off the heat, then add cheese. See how simple?

Make-Ahead Mac-n-Cheese for a Crowd

Make-Ahead Mac-n-Cheese For a Crowd
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Serves: 25-30
Ingredients
  • 32 ounces dry pasta (I use whole wheat noodles)
  • 6½ cups whole milk
  • Sea salt to taste (1-2 teaspoons)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 3-4 cups shredded cheese (I use Colby jack; cheddar is also great)
Instructions
  1. Mix pasta, milk, sea salt, and garlic powder in a large sauce pan. (I've found it best to divide ingredients into two large pots for faster and more even cooking.)
  2. Cook over medium-high heat stirring almost constantly until the pasta is tender (10-15 minutes).
  3. Remove from heat. (IMPORTANT!)
  4. Add cheese and stir until melted.
  5. Transfer Mac-n-Cheese to a large (6-8 quart) crock pot.
  6. Keep warm at "lo" setting for up to three hours.
  7. Stir in a bit more milk at serving time as needed.
3.5.3229

 

When making a large amount of Mac-n-Cheese like this, I usually use this variety of whole wheat elbow noodles.

Need more ideas for cooking for a crowd? Check out this link:

44 Meals to Feed a Large Crowd

Did you download a free Simple Ingredients list yet? Keep all the basic ingredients on hand that you need to put together delicious, Simple Meals!

Homemade Mac and Cheese vs. Annie’s Mac and Cheese – Which Takes More Time?

May 2, 2012 by Laura 67 Comments

The Macaroni and Cheese Experiment has been conducted.

In an effort to prove that “real food” often doesn’t take more time or more energy to prepare than “processed food”, I made both Annie’s Mac and Cheese, and my homemade Creamy Mac and Cheese – timing myself from start to finish on each – not doing any of the steps ahead of time.

I began last week by making three boxes of Annie’s Mac and Cheese.

I do purchase this sometimes for the very occasional treat. I appreciate that Annie’s brand is at least made with better ingredients. But did it save me time to make this boxed, convenience food?

From start to finish, making a big pot of three boxes of Annie’s Mac and Cheese took me 18.5 minutes. Not bad, plus I was able to wash a few dishes while the noodles were boiling.

And how long did my homemade Creamy Mac and Cheese take???

Many of you suggested that I needed to be sure and count the time it took to grate the cheese for this recipe! I do try to keep some cheese in the fridge that we’ve already grated and put into a baggie to save time while I’m cooking. I didn’t do that this time though, so that I could give you a more accurate time calculation for this recipe. However, as I usually do when I haven’t grated my cheese ahead of time – I simply got the noodles and milk cooking on the stove, then grated a big block of cheese while I waited for the pot to get hot. Multi-tasking is so wonderful! (Plus I even grated extra cheese so that I will be ahead of the game next time I need it!)

I do have to watch the pot and stir more often while I’m making homemade mac and cheese, compared to the boxed variety. However, I have found that I don’t have to stir the pot constantly, and can stir, then do another little job, then stir again, and do something else. As long as I keep going back to it, I am able to get several other little jobs accomplished while I make this dish. This time, I was going back and forth between boys and May Day projects, keeping up without any troubles with stirring the mac and cheese.

Total time it took for my Creamy Mac and Cheese to be finished? 19 minutes. Exactly 30 seconds longer than Annie’s. Woe is me. I am simply exhausted from the additional effort. ;)

From experience, I know that whole wheat elbow noodles cook more quickly than the whole wheat fusilli pasta, so that may have cut my time even more. (Also, if you’re interested, you can use Tinkyada Brown Rice noodles in this recipe, which I’ve found works great and takes only a couple of extra minutes to cook.)

My conclusion:  Homemade Creamy Mac and Cheese is just as convenient and easy as making boxed mac and cheese. I dirtied the same number of dishes for each, and I was able to multi-task while making each of them. (Large pot, spoon, and cheese grater for the homemade; large pot, spoon, and strainer for the boxed. Yes, I did grate the cheese onto a plate, but then I served my food on that very plate, so as not to dirty another dish!)

And the taste? There is no comparison. Boxed mac and cheese is kinda fun, but I ultimately find it to be empty and flavorless. I also have a hard time getting past the unnatural color. Cheese isn’t orange, people! I love that the homemade mac and cheese has more sustenance and more natural flavor. Bring on the nutrients!

While I was having this mac and cheese throw down, I decided to be nerdy and calculate the price difference. It costs around $3.85 to fill my family with Annie’s Mac and Cheese, because yes, it does take all three boxes to fill us.  It costs about $4.50 to make a pot of Creamy Mac and Cheese, since I’m using organic, raw white cheddar. That breaks down to be $0.11 extra cents per person to feed my family this healthy, easy meal. I’m pretty sure I can afford that.

So there you have it. Am I completely knocking boxed mac and cheese? Nope. Just stating the facts based on my research and experiment conclusion. Might we still eat the occasional boxes of mac and cheese? Maybe, and we’ll probably even enjoy it a little bit. But do I ever get to say that making a box of mac and cheese saves me time and money compared to making homemade mac and cheese?

Not unless I really feel like I can justify whining about 30 seconds of extra time, $0.65 extra for my entire family of six, and no extra dirty dishes. I think we all know the answer to that. :)

I’m thinking that it might be fun to do other experiments like this one. Any suggestions or ideas for what I should test next?

High Five Recipe: Creamy Mac and Cheese

April 27, 2009 by Laura 250 Comments

High Five Recipes 2

I’ve been searching my whole life (give or take) for a good homemade mac and cheese recipe. The recipes I’ve come up with in the past are decent….but not great.

A couple of months ago, a friend told me how she makes it. I adapted it a bit and now we can’t seem to get enough! It is THE creamiest mac and cheese ever.

Here’s the secret:  Cook your pasta in MILK instead of water. The milk makes it super creamy. The starch from the pasta thickens the milk into a sauce. Add your cheese after the pasta is finished cooking.

macandcheese3sm.JPG

Uh-huh…comfort food at it’s best.

Creamy Mac and CheeseYum

High Five Recipe: Creamy Mac and Cheese
 
Save Print
Author: Laura
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups whole wheat pasta
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • ½ t. sea salt
  • 1 cup shredded cheese (I use white cheddar)
Instructions
  1. Mix pasta, milk and salt in a large sauce pan.
  2. Cook over medium-high heat STIRRING ALMOST CONSTANTLY until the pasta is tender (10-15 minutes).
  3. Remove from heat. (IMPORTANT!)
  4. Add cheese and stir until melted.
  5. Serve immediately.
3.4.3177

Be very sure to remove this from the heat before you stir in the cheese. Otherwise you’ll have a gritty mess. :)

macandcheesesm.JPG

You can use any shape of pasta you want. I have found that elbow noodles cook quite a bit faster so I use those when I need a quick lunch.

Every time I make this, we can not believe how creamy and delicious it is. My lifelong search for awesome homemade macaroni and cheese has come to an end. We should have some sort of mac and cheese ceremony.

The Creamiest Mac and Cheese

 

If you haven’t ever tried cooking your pasta in your milk, you must do this! You can enjoy it for an easy meal as is. Or you can use this base recipe to make:

  • Easy Tuna Casserole
  • Cheeseburger Macaroni
  • Three Cheese Garlic Chicken Pasta
  • Baked Three Cheese Chicken Pasta

Life as you know it just got better. Serve any of these with a salad and some steamed veggies. It’s amazing!


Join Our Community!

 Facebook Twitter RSS E-mail Instagram Pinterest

Popular Posts

Will All of the Real Moms Please Stand Up?

Easy! Stir-and-Pour Whole Wheat Bread

How to Make Gatorade

31 Real Food Breakfast Ideas

Dear Teenage Girls...

When Mom Takes a Step Back

The Inexpensive Health Insurance We Love!

Let's Talk Real Food Grocery Budgets

Copyright © 2019 · Beautiful Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in