Combine the water, milk, cubed butter, salt, and just the macaroni from the macaroni and cheese package in the bowl of the Instant Pot. Stir until combined.
Lock on the Instant Pot lid. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook for 0 (zero) minutes on high pressure and hit start. Once the pot has come to pressure and the Instant Pot beeps, natural-release pressure for 6 minutes then quick-release the rest of the way.
Stir the cheese powder into the pasta until creamy. Serve hot!
Notes
This recipe can also be made with 1% or whole milk. Though skim milk does technically work, the mac and cheese won’t be as creamy.
To make the cheese sauce extra creamy and saucy, add an extra 2 tablespoons of water before pressure cooking.
To double or triple the recipe, multiply the ingredients by the desired amount and follow the directions as listed. The cooking times do not need to be adjusted, as the Instant Pot will naturally adjust the time needed to bring the increased volume of food to pressure.
Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. They also can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Water and milk ratios for different size boxes of mac and cheese (butter and salt stays constant):
For 6.25 box: ¾ cup water, ¾ cup milk
For 7.25 oz box: ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons water, 1 cup milk
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