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instant pot cheeseburger macaroni from our best bites

Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni

5 from 13 votes
This quick and easy Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni comes together in minutes and has been a HUGE hit with our family! One of their favorite, most-requested meals!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings12 servings
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Equipment

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 pound ground beef, lean I used 93% lean
  • 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 pound short dry pasta like cellentani
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 heaping teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 cups cheddar cheese, medium freshly shredded
  • ½ cup half and half

Instructions

  • Heat an electric pressure cooker to the sauté setting. When hot, add the butter, stirring until it melts.
  • Add the ground beef and cook, stirring frequently, until it's cooked down and broken into pieces. Turn off heat and add the onion and garlic powder, ketchup, mustard, and red wine vinegar. Stir to combine.
  • Add dry pasta and combine. Add water and salt. Stir, trying to keep as much pasta as possible under the water. Use the manual setting to cook for 5 minutes. When done, use the quick release on the pressure cooker. Remove the lid and turn off the power.
  • Add the shredded cheese and half and half. Stir until smooth. Lightly cover and let sit for 3 minutes. Season to taste and serve.

Notes

Untested Stovetop Directions:

This is one of the only Instant Pot recipes we have where I've never tried making it another way. Usually we like to offer an alternative cooking method because I know not everyone has an Instant Pot, but I haven't ever made it another way, so I feel uncomfortable giving you very specific directions. However. If I were to make this on the stovetop, I would cook the pasta in salted water while the beef is browning. Before you drain the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set it aside. Add the ketchup and seasonings to the beef, combine, add the cheese and half and half, and then if you need to thin things out, add the pasta water, a little at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.

Nutrition

Calories: 371kcal, Carbohydrates: 2g, Protein: 0.5g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Monounsaturated Fat: 16g, Trans Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 9mg, Sodium: 86mg, Potassium: 34mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 121IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 0.1mg
Course: Main Courses
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
Calories: 371kcal
Author: Kate Jones
Cost: $7
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