Instant Pot 3 Cheese Spinach Mac & Cheese

5 from 9 votes

Instant Pot 3 Cheese Spinach Mac & Cheese

Instant Pot 3 Cheese Spinach Mac & Cheese is a creamy and delicious dish with spinach’s added flavor and nutrition. Furthermore, the fare is terrific as an after-school meal since it is a kid-friendly healthy recipe that comes together in less than 20 minutes and is loved by all ages!

Prep: 5

Cook: 10

Total: 15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: SERVINGS

Calories: 463kcal

Author: Ruchi

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
16 oz Uncooked Macaroni Pasta
1.25 teaspoon Salt
1.5 teaspoon Sriracha sauce - adjust according to taste
3/4 teaspoon Coarsely crushed Black Pepper
3.5 cups Vegetable stock
3/4 cup Heavy cream
1/4 cup Sour Cream
1/4 cup Milk
2.5 cups Part-skim 3-cheese Blend (mozzarella, sharp cheddar and smoked provolone blend)
2 cups Finely chopped Spinach leaves

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Turn the Instant Pot to ‘Saute mode.’ Once it displays ‘hot,’ add butter to the insert.
Add macaroni.
Add salt, pepper, and sriracha sauce.
Pour in water /vegetable stock. Please do not add more than 3.5 cups.
Give it a good mix. Close the lid and seal the Instant Pot. Turn 'OFF' the saute mode and pressure cook the macaroni on 'Manual/pressure cook mode' for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes when the Instant Pot beeps do the QPR ( Quick Release pressure) and turn the Instant Pot 'Off' completely. When the pin drops, carefully open the lid. There will very little stock left at the bottom.
Turn on the Instant Pot in Saute mode - 'Low-pressure setting'. Pour in the cream, milk, and sour cream. Mac and Cheese will be a little soupy at this point. No worries, keep stirring.
Add cheese and give it a good mix. Keep stirring continuously after the cream, sour cream, and cheese are added to the macaroni. Add cheese in batches and mix. Initially, it will look like a clump of cheese. Just hang on and keep stirring until the cheese starts to melt (appx. 2-3 minutes). Soon it will become thick and coat the macaroni well. Turn the Instant Pot OFF.
Add chopped spinach and mix.
Do the taste test and adjust the seasonings. Remove the pot from the base to prevent the mac & cheese from overcooking.
Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

Frequently asked Questions

What kind of cheese should I choose?

Packed with cheesy goodness, the key to great mac and cheese is good quality cheese. The ideal flavor combination would be to select a cheese you want to highlight and then complement it with a mild flavor cheese while adding depth and creaminess.

Instead of provolone, you can use Gruyere or Fontina or any cheese which blends well. Or you can double the amount of mozzarella cheese. Or else, you can try pepper jack and white cheddar when you make the fare next time.

How to store leftovers?

You can transfer them to airtight containers with the leftovers and then place them in the refrigerator. When ready to reheat, pour milk into a saucepan, and once it is warm, add the pasta.

Reheat until it starts bubbling and becomes thick. For example, you would require three tablespoons of milk for one cup of pasta.

Can mac and cheese be frozen?

I would not recommend that. I have personally experienced how unappetizing it becomes after that. The freshness and creamy consistency is missing in the frozen version.

On top, you would only require 20 minutes maximum to make the fresh steaming one. So why freeze it?

Nutrition