Fresh jalapenos heat up this Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with Roasted Poblanos – but delicious, creamy layers of cheese cool it all down, making this side dish perfect for all ages & palates!
Happy September! Welcome to comfort food central.
Can you believe it’s Labor Day weekend?
The end of summer.
The end of lazy days by the pool.
It’s all about back to school, back to work – back to life. But that doesn’t mean it has to be back to boring meals.
This recipe not only makes for a delicious side dish, it could also easily be a main course with some added shredded chicken or diced sausage. Plussssss it’s amazing as leftovers the next day.
How do we all feel about mac and cheese?
I think it can be agreed that it’s pretty much a childhood staple. I have yet to meet a kid – or even an adult – that doesn’t love it.
This is a little bit more of a grown-up version. We roasted some poblanos and jalapenos and let our magical Instant Pot do almost all of the hard work.
JUST TAKE ME TO THE MAC AND CHEESE ALREADY!
If you’d rather skip my (pretty darn helpful) tips and tricks, essential cooking info, and similar recipe ideas – and get straight to this deliciously easy mac and cheese recipe, just scroll right on down to the bottom of the page where you can find the printable recipe card!
We are all aboard the Instant Pot train in this house, now.
Of course, pressure cooking is not a new concept.
I actually still have my Nana’s old pressure cooker pot – and that thing is a beast! It’s the heaviest pot I have, and it gets used for broth & stock boiling more often than anything else.
I actually bought my IP last year on Black Friday. I jumped on a great deal I saw on Amazon at the urging of a friend, and it’s been a welcome addition to our kitchen.
For the most part, anyway. I’ve used it here and there over the last year, but not nearly as much as my friends who have kids and big families.
Abe and I almost always only have to cook for the two of us, and a lot of times I feel like I don’t really need to bother with it. Waiting for it to pressurize, to me, is almost the same as waiting for a pot of water to boil.
So, maybe as a housewife, the idea is lost on me, but it has been a boon to me as a blogger.
Letting the pot do the menial tasks of boiling pasta and cooking stock while I’m doing a million other things on a photo shoot day has just been incredibly convenient.
Plus – perfectly boiled eggs? Sign me up.
The idea of making my own mac and cheese has always been a novel one, but it’s just so much easier to get a box and make it work.
This Instant Pot Mac and Cheese recipe is the only one you will ever need.
Since developing this recipe, though, I’m not sure I can go back to the cardboard kind. Turns out it’s just as easy to put together an instant pot macaroni and cheese recipe, and it tastes a hell of a lot better.
And roasted poblanos! Oh, my. So much flavor.
I was little conservative on my use of roasted jalapenos here. I didn’t wanna go too spicy on you since I left the seeds in and everything.
Feel free to adjust the heat levels to your liking, but after the cheeses are added, the balance will make it an afterthought. Even people who don’t really like spicy food (me) should enjoy this!
As far as the cheese goes – just use whatever is in your fridge. The sharper and meltier, the better.
LOOKING FOR MORE INSTANT POT RECIPES?
- Shrimp and Grits
- Instant Pot Spaghetti & Meatballs
- Ribs with Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- Cranberry Orange-Braised Brisket
HELPFUL KITCHEN TOOLS FOR MAKING MAC N CHEESE:
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Instant Pot Mac and Cheese with Roasted Poblanos
Ingredients
- 2 large poblano peppers
- 2 jalapeno peppers
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- Kosher salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons sriracha
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Chives for garnish
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat broiler to high heat. Move broiler pan about 6 inches away from heating element. Place poblano and jalapeno peppers on a baking sheet and broil, turning often, until tender and blackened, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam for 10 to 15 minutes.
- While peppers are steaming, add macaroni, water, and kosher salt (to taste) to your Instant Pot (or pressure cooker.) Close the lid and cook on Manual (Hi) for 5 minutes, using quick release at the end of the cook time.
- Finely chop the jalapenos and poblanos, then stir them into the pot with the macaroni.
- Place Instant Pot on saute and stir the butter into the pasta, allowing it to melt. Next, add the cream cheese, milk, sriracha, and dijon. Mix well, then switch the pot to 'keep warm'.
- Add the shredded cheese 1 cup at a time, stirring well between cups to fully melt & incorporate the cheese. Season with more kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh chives before serving.
Nutrition
PIN THIS INSTANT POT MAC AND CHEESE FOR LATER!
Hungry for more pasta? Try one of these not-so-spicy but equally cheesy recipes!
Five Cheese Butternut Squash Baked Ziti
Pumpkin & Sausage Alfredo