Instant Pot Bacon Mac and Cheese is a quick & easy pressure cooker dinner recipe that is ready in just 10 minutes of cook time. This is a family favorite!
There are few things I love more in this world than a good mac & cheese recipe. We typically make ours on the stovetop, which is quite easy & only takes about 30 minutes or less. But my friends, I made this Instant Pot Bacon Mac and Cheese that is done even faster than that & it is absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS!
Have you jumped on the instant pot craze yet? I picked up mine years ago & it sat in the box for nearly a year before I finally decided to see what it was all about. I’m so sorry it took me that long to get on board because I love it so much. It makes dinner time so much easier.
When I first started out I never realized just how easy it would be to make pasta in a pressure cooker. It seemed scary at first and, of course, I never thought I could really make dinner with just 10 minutes of cooking time. It just doesn’t seem possible, but I’m here to tell you that you CAN!
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with Bacon
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This bacon mac and cheese is one of my favorite meals – ever. It is so creamy and cheesy and that bacon adds the perfect saltiness that keeps the whole family coming back for more.
I really love the versatility of the Instant Pot too. I mean, it really takes one-pot dinners to a whole new level. You really can sautee the bacon & then cook the remainder of the meal all in the same pot, making clean up so quick.
Here are some commonly asked questions
What is Instant Pot Bacon Mac and Cheese?
Instant Pot Bacon Mac and Cheese is a super quick pasta recipe loaded with cheese & salty bacon that is made in just a few minutes using your pressure cooker!
Can I make this with another type of pressure cooker?
Yes, you can. Absolutely! You can make this recipe with the Ninja Foodie, Crockpot Express or any other pressure cooker that allows you to manually set the cooking time. I would imagine that most of them do have this option, however I have not tried the other cookers that have come on the market since I picked up my Instant Pot.
What pressure cooker do you recommend for this recipe?
We have this Instant Pot here. It is offers so many different functions – it is amazing.
How do you store this Instant Pot Bacon Mac and Cheese?
Once you are done enjoying this recipe, if there is any pasta remaining, just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Make sure to label it with the date & enjoy the rest within 2-3 days.
HOW DO YOU MAKE Instant Pot Bacon Mac and Cheese?
- Chop the bacon into small 1″ pieces.
- Using the sautee function, cook the bacon in the pot until crispy.
- Once cooked, remove the bacon & place on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Carefully drain the bacon grease out of the pot into a glass container & set aside to cool.
- Wipe out the pot & then add the uncooked macaroni noodles, chicken broth, butter, chili powder, garlic powder, miced garlic, minced onions, salt & pepper to the pot.
- Place the lid on & set to sealing.
- Cook on manual, high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Once finished, do a quick release.
- Stir in cheese, bacon & milk until smooth.
- Season to taste if necessary.
Instant Pot Bacon Mac and Cheese
Do you recommend a certain type of pressure cooker?
I have an older pressure cooker that still works great. But since it had fewer functions, I recently upgraded to this Instant Pot here. I am still trying to decide if I will use the old one in our camper or send it with my son when he moves out soon.
Do you recommend this as a gift for the neighbors?
This Instant Pot Bacon Mac and Cheese makes a fabulous gifts for all your friends & neighbors. We like to pick up these disposable containers for gift giving. This makes an excellent gift the day before a holiday – so your neighbors don’t have to cook. It is is also really great as a gift for new parents, a grieving family or even for a potluck. You could also gift it in a reuseable, dish & make that part of the gift.
More Great Mac and Cheese Recipes
Can I make this Mac and Cheese without bacon?
Yes, you absolutely can & it will certainly shorten the overall cooking time for this meal. There are many other things you can mix into this Mac and Cheese instead, such as browned ground beef, browned ground sausage, pulled pork, rotisserie chicken & so much more.
Can I make this with a different type of noodle?
Sure you can. While it won’t actually be macaroni anymore, it is still just as delicious when using a spiral or penne noodle. I do believe that because of the sturdiness of the penne noodles you may have to cook them for 1 minute longer, or else they may be too al dente for most.
Can I use water instead of chicken broth for this recipe?
Yes, you can substitute the chicken broth with water. The broth just adds to the flavor and you can substitute with vegetable broth as well if you like. But using water instead won’t change the overall outcome of this recipe too much.
Can I use bacon bits instead?
Yes, absolutely, that would certainly make the cooking time faster. I would recommend using real bacon bits as opposed to some of the artificial ones available on the market.
How can I make this recipe even faster?
One of my favorite ways to make this recipe SUPER FAST is to make a double batch of bacon for breakfast over the weekend. Then we just separate out some of it, chop it up & it is ready to toss into this mac and cheese recipe when we make it. It really makes this dinner almost effortless. You can’t beat that.
To make this recipe you will need…
- bacon
- uncooked elbow macaroni
- chicken broth
- butter
- chili powder
- garlic powder
- minced onions
- minced garlic
- table salt
- pepper
- shredded cheddar cheese
- shredded mozzarella cheese
- grated parmesan cheese
- milk
Products I love when making Instant Pot Bacon Mac and Cheese…
This bacon mac and cheese recipe is so easy and delicious – and you probably already have many of these items on hand like I do! OR If you’ve never made homemade Mac and Cheese before, you might be a bit nervous – but you’re going to love the how easy this makes dinner time. I have made a list below of the things I absolutely can’t live without when it comes to making this savory meal.
- instant pot
- disposable storage containers
- elbow macaroni
- bowls
- wooden spoon
- cutting board
- spatulas
- minced onions
- chili powder
It’s so rich & creamy & packed full of salty bacon flavor.
PRESSURE COOKER MACARONI AND CHEESE
Bacon Mac and Cheese recipe, you’re going to love these other pressure cooker recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!
Pressure Cooker Brown Sugar Ham
Pressure Cooker Italian Beef Sliders
3-Minute Instant Pot Corn on the Cob
Other Drool-worthy Bacon Recipes
Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
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Instant Pot Bacon Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 package bacon
- 16 ounces uncooked elbow macaroni
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp minced onions
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1-1/2 cups milk
Instructions
- Chop the bacon into small 1″ pieces.
- Using the sautee function, cook the bacon in the pot until crispy.
- Once cooked, remove the bacon & place on a plate lined with paper towels.
- Carefully drain the bacon grease out of the pot into a glass container & set aside to cool.
- Wipe out the pot & then add the uncooked macaroni noodles, chicken broth, butter, chili powder, garlic powder, minced garlic, minced onions, salt & pepper to the pot.
- Place the lid on & set to sealing.
- Cook on manual, high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Once finished, do a quick release.
- Stir in cheese, bacon & milk until smooth.
- Season to taste if necessary.
Notes
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate. Please double-check with your own dietary calculator for the best accuracy. We at Yummi Haus cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.
Lucas Sessions says
Tastes Amazing. My family gets exited every time I make this.
Ashley says
I followed this recipe to a T and it came out like soup and not very good.
Gina Kleinworth says
I’m sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, that can happen for a multitude of reasons – elevation, climate, size of the cooker, how the ingredients are measured, and even the brand of pasta. I would recommend reducing the water to 3 cups. But do keep in mind that this will thicken as it cools.
Brenda says
Since the recipe already has garlic powder, is minced garlic really necessary? Couldn’t I just had more garlic powder? Also, if I leave out the minced onions, does it changed the overall yumminess of the recipe (or use onion powder instead)?
Gina Kleinworth says
The garlic powder gives a subtle flavor, we add the minced garlic for a more flavorful experience as well as for texture – since pasta can be bland. The same goes for minced onions. You can leave them out, but the final result won’t be nearly as tasty. However, if you prefer less flavor or aren’t used to having garlic and onions, leaving them out is an easy way to do that.