I’m now fully immersed in the world of Instant Pot cooking. I wonder how I ever survived making weeknight dinners without the speed and ease of the pressure cooker. I’ve been slowly adjusting my dinner and side dish recipes from their stove and crock pot versions to whip up in the Instant Pot. And so enters the Instant Pot Panera mac and cheese recipe.
After discovering what is now my favorite and new go-to way to make macaroni and cheese, I realized how easily Panera’s take on the classic side dish can be made in the pressure cooker to mimic the taste almost exactly.
With a blend of American and white cheddar cheeses, and a touch of Dijon, this mac and cheese is creamy, delicious, and perfect in every way, especially since it’s ready in less than twenty minutes.
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Clearly I love mac and cheese.I also have recipes forslow cooker beer mac and cheese,microwave mac and cheese in a mug, homemadeKraft Easy Mac, and evenmac and cheese in a muffin tin. You might also like this roundup of20 crock pot mac and cheese recipes.
Drain the water.After you make the pasta in the pressure cooker and before you add the milk and cheese, if there is any remaining water in the pot, drain the pasta. I was able to pour most of the liquid from the Instant Pot slowly by tipping over the sink (with a colander beneath, just in case). If you do drain the pasta, you may want to add a pinch more salt and even a bit more butter to the final mac and cheese.
The valve!To keep the pasta from over-cooking, I use the quick release valve to let the steam escape as soon as the 4 minutes of pressure cooking is complete, rather than let the steam release slowly and naturally. However, when cooking pasta, the pasta water can spurt up through the quick release valve. Wearing a potholder or silicone gloves, turn the quick release in short spurts, closing the valve if the pasta water begins to spurt through the valve.
how to make Instant Pot Panera mac and cheese
Place a 16 ounce box of large shell pasta, 4 cups of water, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, and 4 tablespoons butter in the Instant Pot. Give it a quick stir. Secure the top and seal the valve. Use the pressure setting and set the clock to 4 minutes. The Pot will take about ten minutes to pressurize before the clock starts counting down.
When the 4 minutes is up, use the quick release valve to release the steam.Protect your hands with a potholder or silicone glovesand turn the valve. If the pasta water starts to spurt, close the valve, wait about 15 seconds, and continue to turn the valve in brief intervals until the spurting stops. Let all of the steam release until the float valve descends and it is safe to remove the lid.
If there is a significant amount of water in the pot, drain the water by gently pouring the water off into the sink. You needn’t drain every last drop. Keep a colander in the sink just in case the pasta falls from the pot.
Stir in 1 cup of milk, 8 ounces of freshly shredded white cheddar cheese (about 2 rounded cups) and 4 ounces white American cheese (4 to 6 slices). If you had to drain the pasta, you might also want to add a bit of butter and a pinch of salt, to taste. Stir in a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. If desired, stir in some black pepper and a dash of hot sauce.
You may put the Instant Pot in warming mode to help melt the cheese. For less creamy cheese, start with only 1/2 cup of milk and add more as desired.
Finally, using a plain yogurt is one of the best options for replacing milk in kraft mac and cheese! A plain whole milk yogurt or a greek yogurt would work well. Mix it in the same way you'd mix in sour cream, until it is well incorporated. This may have a slightly tangier flavor, but that is a personal preference.
How to Make Boxed Mac and Cheese Taste Better. To improve the tang and overall cheesiness of your boxed mac, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt to the cooked and drained pasta while it's still warm. Toss to combine, then stir in the cheese powder until it's uniformly blended.
What Is the Best Cheese for Mac and Cheese? Sharp cheddar is the overwhelming popular choice, but for extra-creamy results, we think medium cheddar is even better. Other delicious options include Gruyère, smoked Gouda, and Monterey Jack.
Make Panera's famous Mac & Cheese right at home with this spot-on copycat recipe. Serve it hot off the stove or enjoy it baked with a crunchy Ritz topping. You can't beat the creamy Vermont White Cheddar sauce!
Milk: Keeps our cheese sauce super creamy. I use whole milk or reduced-fat milk. Mustard and spices: A combination of Dijon mustard, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt makes this macaroni and cheese extra delicious. Cheese: I use white cheddar and parmesan or pecorino cheese.
Evaporated milk is a highly concentrated source of milk protein micelles—bundles of proteins that can act as powerful emulsifying agents—which help to keep the sauce creamy and smooth.
Water actually works perfectly well as a milk substitute in mac and cheese. It adds all the liquid you need, though it doesn't have the creaminess or flavor that other substitutes add. However, if you add a little pasta water, instead of plain tap water, to your cheese sauce, you might get better results.
While some folks use mayonnaise as a substitute for the milk and butter boxed mac and cheese calls for, the condiment also works as a supplement in addition to the traditional recipe. When mixed into macaroni and cheese, mayonnaise creates a rich and velvety texture that complements its rich flavor.
Vasant Lad notes that yogurt shouldn't be paired with milk. In addition to this, he also lists down a couple of everyday foods, that you may have been combining all your life with yogurt but shouldn't be! These include sour fruits, melons, fish, mango, starches, cheese and bananas.
Return the drained pasta to the pot, and add a 12-ounce can of evaporated milk and all your cheese (you'll want 12 ounces of cheese for this amount of pasta) and seasonings. Stir it constantly over low heat until the sauce thickens. Just make sure you're working with evaporated milk and not condensed milk.
Out of those calories, 580 calories come from fat, making it a high-fat option. The mac and cheese contain 64 grams of fat, including 35 grams of saturated fat and 2 grams of trans fats, which can negatively impact cardiovascular health.
Like at many chain restaurants, Panera's mac and cheese arrive at their stores pre-made and frozen. Workers then set the bag of mac and cheese in a simmering vat of water for 20 minutes, a process called "re-thermalizing," which basically just means they're thawing it and heating it through so it's ready to serve.
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