Cheeseburger Mac - Instant Pot Cheeseburger Mac and Cheese Recipe (2024)

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Published: March 7, 2019, Updated: August 11, 2022

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After you’ve tried this easy Instant Pot Cheeseburger Mac, you’ll never want to buy the boxed stuff again! It’s cheesy, creamy, and perfect for busy weeknights!

This Instant Pot Cheeseburger Mac is the best easy recipe for busy weeknights. Hamburger Helper doesn’t compare to this homemade cheeseburger mac!

Did you ever eat Hamburger Helper growing up? It wasn’t often that my mom made boxed dinners like that, but I did have it a few times. My mom is a wonderful cook, but sometimes even she needed a quick and easy meal to serve for dinner. The few times that we did have it, I really loved it. I mean, with pasta, cheese and beef, what’s not to love right?

Hamburger Helper seems to be one of those dinners that every mom defaults to on busy weeknights. Besides the hamburger, everything comes in the box and it’s ready in like 15 minutes. Easy peasy.

There have been a few times that I’ve made a homemade version of this family favorite, and it always gets devoured with rarely any leftovers. So in keeping with my Instant Pot theme lately, I set out to experiment with an Instant Pot version.

The best part about this Instant Pot Cheeseburger Mac is that it is practically dump and go – and SO quick! It’s everything you want in an easy weeknight meal, plus it’s kid-approved. An amped up version of mac and cheese with beef in it? Yes, please!

How to Make Cheeseburger Macaroni

You are going to love how easy this recipe is! Other than browning the meat, it’s pretty effortless. Just throw all of the ingredients (including the browned meat) into the Instant Pot and you’re done!

I used a mixture of Velveeta, mild cheddar and sharp cheddar. That, along with the half and half ensures that this Instant Pot Cheeseburger Mac is super creamy and delicious.

Please NOTE: This recipe calls for 4 teaspoons of coarse kosher salt. Do NOT use 4 teaspoons of regular salt- it will be too salty. If you are using regular iodized table salt, start with 1 teaspoon and then do a final seasoning at the end to suit your taste.

Tools needed to make the best Cheeseburger Macaroni recipe:

All you need for this recipe is an [easyazon_link identifier=”B00FLYWNYQ” locale=”US” tag=”gogogogo03-20″]Instant Pot[/easyazon_link]! It has easily become one of my favorite kitchen tools, and I’m sure you’ll love it too.

If you liked this Cheeseburger Mac N Cheese, check out these other easy weeknight meals:

Instant Pot Tender Brisket and Gravy
Easy Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken
Easy Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

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4.54 from 15 votes

Instant Pot Cheeseburger Mac

This Instant Pot Cheeseburger Mac is the best easy recipe for busy weeknights. Hamburger Helper doesn't compare to this homemade cheeseburger mac!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Author: Jacqueline

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb ground beef 90% lean
1 lb elbow macaroni
4 tsp coarse kosher salt- if using regular salt use 1 teaspoon and then add more as necessary at end
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp ground mustard
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
4 cups beef stock
8 oz Velveeta cubed
3 cups shredded sharp/mild cheddar
2 1/2 cups half and half or milk warmed

Instructions

Heat the inner pot using the SAUTE function.
When display reads HOT, add the ground beef to the pot along with 2 tsp of the salt, pepper, mustard, garlic powder and onion powder. Use a wooden spoon to break up into fine pieces.
Add the macaroni to the pot and then pour over the beef stock. Make sure as much of the noodles are covered as possible, but do not stir.
Cover the pressure cooker and lock lid in place. Ensure sealing valve is set to SEAL, and set the pot for HIGH pressure for 5 minutes.
When timer beeps, quick release the pressure. Pour in the milk and add the cheeses to the pot. Stir pasta together gently until cheeses are melted and creamy. Taste test and season with up to 2 tsp of remaining coarse kosher salt (or needed amount of regular salt). Sauce will thicken as it stands.

Tried this recipe?Mention @gogogogourmet or tag #gogogogourmet!

ABOUT JACQUELINE

Welcome to Go Go Go Gourmet! Here you'll find recipes that are created from everyday, easy-to-find basic ingredients and put together with minimal time and energy. My motto? Less effort. More taste. Read more...

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Heather says
March 8, 2019 at 10:04 am

Hi there. Do I cook the ground beef first?
Reply
Rebecca Welle says
See Also
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March 17, 2019 at 8:14 pm

I think this would be really good, it was easy to make. But..4 tsps of salt was way too much ! If I had made it, I never would have put all that salt in, but my son was making one of his first instant pot meals, and I didn’t catch it in time! It must be a typo!
Reply
- Jacqueline says
  March 19, 2019 at 12:45 pm
  
  So, its not a misprint, but I DO know where the discrepancy is coming from- I use coarse kosher salt, which I will need to go back and specify. Without getting into a really long winded discussion about it, kosher salt is less “salty” than typical table salt. With the grains of salt also being much larger, it ends up being less salt by weight. When I made this the first time I used two teaspoons of salt (I have found that I need to really season the hell out of things in the Instant Pot because they turn out bland otherwise) and thought it was really lacking in taste. To me, it only tasted right after I added the additional two teaspoons of salt during a “final seasoning.” I’ll make a note in the recipe that I used coarse kosher salt, and if using regular iodized table salt, to start with 1 teaspoon and season to taste.
  Reply
Nicole says
March 18, 2019 at 4:00 pm

Would it still be 5mins if I double the recipe?!
Reply
- Jacqueline says
  March 19, 2019 at 12:40 pm
  
  Yes 🙂
  Reply
Rebecca Welle says
March 19, 2019 at 12:27 pm

This is way too salty! Is it a misprint? If I had made it, I would never have added the 4 teaspoons of salt as the recipe called for. This was my son’s doing, so, he thought it sounded like a lot of salt, but double checked the recipe and added it all anyway! For me it was inedible! My husband added green beans, and said it was a bit better, and my son ate it with bread and it helped some… I think it will be a great recipe, but will leave out all that salt next time!!
Reply
- Jacqueline says
  March 19, 2019 at 12:45 pm
  
  So, its not a misprint, but I DO know where the discrepancy is coming from- I use coarse kosher salt, which I will need to go back and specify. Without getting into a really long winded discussion about it, kosher salt is less “salty” than typical table salt. With the grains of salt also being much larger, it ends up being less salt by weight. When I made this the first time I used two teaspoons of salt (I have found that I need to really season the hell out of things in the Instant Pot because they turn out bland otherwise) and thought it was really lacking in taste. To me, it only tasted right after I added the additional two teaspoons of salt during a “final seasoning.” I’ll make a note in the recipe that I used coarse kosher salt, and if using regular iodized table salt, to start with 1 teaspoon and season to taste.
  Reply
Chris says
March 22, 2019 at 9:03 am

Could I substitute the velveeta for something else?
Reply
- Jacqueline says
  September 9, 2019 at 10:54 pm
  
  Thats up to you. I use Velveeta to get that creamy texture. You could try yellow American cheese as a possible sub.
  Reply
Laura says
March 23, 2019 at 6:08 pm

When do you put in the rest of the spice mix?!? It doesn’t say!! Grrrr
Reply
- Jacqueline says
  September 9, 2019 at 10:54 pm
  
  All the spices are added at the beginning of the recipe as stated. 2 tsp of the salt is reserved for seasoning to taste at the end of cooking.
  Reply
Erin says
March 26, 2019 at 9:18 pm

I just made this tonight using the amount of kosher salt listed and it turned out wonderful! It’s a big hit in my house! Thanks for the great recipe!
Reply
Brandi Wagner says
March 31, 2019 at 8:56 pm

We loved this recipe. My question is how many people does this recipe feed and what is the serving size?
Reply
Becky says
April 10, 2019 at 6:47 pm

I love cheeseburger macaroni and this will become a favorite recipe. Very good! Very easy to make, it was nice and creamy. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Reply
Michael Carter says
January 30, 2020 at 1:39 am

This looks like it would be easy to adapt to the Instant Pot Mini for a smaller batch, and that it would be any child’s favorite meal the first time they tried it.
Reply