Instant Pot Chili Mac and Cheese

This Instant Pot Chili Mac and Cheese makes the perfect hearty comfort food meal for any day of the week. It is a one pot dish that is easily made in under 30 minutes. The delicious combination of pasta, chili, beans, and cheese will have you going back for seconds. You will want to cook this recipe again and again.

Chili Mac and Cheese- A Childhood favorite

I never get tired of cooking in my Instant Pot. It keeps cleaning the dishes down to a minimum and cooks everything so fast. As a child, chili mac and cheese was a staple meal in my mother’s home. It is easy and inexpensive to make, fed a crowd, and tasty. Recreating my mother’s version in the Instant Pot brings back so many memories of my mother making it over the stove in her little kitchen. I absolutely loved it and I hope you will too.

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How to Make Instant Pot Chili Mac and Cheese

Making Chili Mac and Cheese in the Instant Pot is so easy!!!!

• Brown your meat with garlic on the saute setting.
• Add in the spices, onions, bell pepper, and celery.
• Once cooked, add the remaining ingredients and cook on the High Manual setting for 4 minutes.
• Quick release, you stir in the cheese… That is it. How easy is that?

*Note: When cooking the ground beef, I use this ChopStir Original Ground Meat Chopper, Frozen Juice Concentrate Stirrer, Heat-Resistant Nylon, Made in the USA, Black. It grinds the meat into tiny pieces while cooking.

Can you freeze chili Mac and cheese?

Chili mac and cheese is easy to freeze. Seal chili mac and cheese in freezer safe containers, date, and label. You can freeze it up to 3 months.  Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator or quickly in the microwave. You can reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or in the microwave. I like to make a big batch and freeze half for a meal to eat on a busy night that I don’t have time to cook.

If you like this recipe, check out some of my other Instant Pot Recipes. Some favorites are Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup, Instant Pot Country Style Steak, and Instant Pot Mac and Cheese.

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Instant Pot Chili Mac and Cheese

This Instant Pot Chili Mac and Cheese makes the perfect hearty comfort food meal for any day of the week. It is a one pot dish that is easily made in under 30 minutes. The delicious combination of pasta, chili, beans, and cheese will have you going back for seconds. You will want to cook this recipe again and again.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chili mac and cheese, Instant pot chili mac and cheese

Servings: 10

Calories: 383kcal

Ingredients

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 2 garlic cloves chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 chopped bell pepper
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 tbs chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp seasoned salt
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 30 oz kidney beans (2 cans)
• 20 oz rotel with green chili (2 cans)
• 15 oz tomato sauce
• 8 oz elbow macaroni
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Turn on Saute setting. Brown ground beef and garlic until fully cooked. 
• Add in bell pepper, celery, onion, chili powder, cumin, and seasoned salt. Cook until all vegetables are softened.
• Add broth, kidney beans, rotel, tomato sauce, and macaroni. Stir. Close and lock lid. Cook on Manual High Pressure for 4 minutes.
• Quick release. Stir the pasta and chili.
• Add in cheese and stir. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 838mg | Potassium: 950mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 27% | Vitamin C: 35% | Calcium: 23.6% | Iron: 31.8%