If you’re gluten free and love mac n cheese, this Instant Pot recipe is for you!
Sometimes I wish there was an easy button for dinner. Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook! But with three little kids, home schooling, activities and work it’s hard to squeeze it in some days. Sound familiar?
But I have a little secret I want to share with you…kids love easy meals! Really. If you take your time and prepare an elaborate feast they’ll probably turn up their noses. Keep it simple and you’ll have a happy bunch.
Instant Pot Recipes for Picky Eaters
I am very well versed in picky eating (more than I wish!…you can learn more here. Yet I’ve raised three little foodies that now jump for joy at the sight of cabbage and Brussels sprouts. They get giddy about salmon and sardines! My toddler even eats plain gelatinous broth off the spoon and cries when I take meat bones away from her because she likes to chew on them.
Yet even with their broad palates my kids love simple meals like chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese (they love this dairy free version!). I am more than happy to oblige…but in a healthy way. (My kids have never had either of these that comes from a box. And I’m guessing they wouldn’t like them if they did since my kids know what real food tastes like.)
And remember that easy button I mentioned? It does exist…it’s called the Instant Pot.
Gluten Free Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe
This gluten free Instant Pot mac and cheese meets all of my requirements:
- quick
- easy
- kid-friendly
- gluten free
- nourishing (the most important!)
GLUTEN-FREE CAN BE CONFUSING BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE HARD!
After the Instant Pot builds pressure the gluten free mac & cheese is ready in literally five minutes. Talk about fast food! So when your kids are “starving” and need food “right now” you can actually deliver.
KID-Friendly Instant Pot Gluten Free Mac and Cheese
We teach kids to cook, and we love sharing real food recipes that don’t confuse our young chefs! Head over to Kids Cook Real Food to print this recipe in our special kid-friendly style:
Gluten Free Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 6 mins
- Total Time: 11 mins
- Yield: 4
- Category: Main
Description
A quick, easy and nutritious Instant Pot gluten free mac and cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 cups brown rice noodles
- 1/4 cup chicken or turkey broth
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup cooked pumpkin or winter squash
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 2 cups grated cheese (any variety you like, mozzarella works well for melting)
- 1 tsp. unrefined sea salt
- 1 tsp. organic cane sugar (optional – makes it taste more like boxed mac & cheese)
Instructions
- Combine the noodles, broth and water in the Instant Pot. Set it to manual for 3 minutes.
- After the 3 minutes is up do a quick release of the pressure.
- Add the remaining ingredients and cook on the sautee setting until the cheese is melted, 2 – 3 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving dish and let sit for 2 – 3 minutes to thicken before serving.
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Kid and Mom Approved Gluten Free Dinner
When I first tried making mac & cheese in the Instant Pot I was worried about the texture of the noodles. We are gluten free, and I wasn’t sure how gluten free noodles would hold up. To my great delight they cooked perfectly! No mushy noodles.
You’re Just *7 Days* Away From Easier Meals with Your Instant Pot
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But for me the best part of this kid-friendly meal is not the ease or even the taste. The best part is the nutrition factor. I’m a huge fan of making every bite count (or at least most of them…nobody is perfect). So I was thrilled to be able to add both broth and vegetables to our mac & cheese…without anyone noticing! My kids can’t get enough of this stuff.
Gluten Free Mac and Cheese with Pumpkin
Are you just transitioning off a Standard American Diet? Guess what? The pumpkin makes this look just like the mac & cheese that comes from a box! Switching to this more nourishing variety is a simple baby step that your kids won’t even notice.
This gluten free Instant Pot mac & cheese works perfectly for an easy lunch (it even tastes great cold packed in a school lunch!) or for a busy week night supper.
It is also a big money saver using simple staple ingredients and no meat (check out this post if you’re looking for more ways to cut back on meat).
The next time your kids are begging for a quick, delicious meal whip up a nutritious batch of macaroni and cheese. And let the Instant Pot do all the work!
Will you try this gluten free Instant Pot Mac n Cheese? What is your go-to “Easy Button” meal? Share in the comments below!
Where to Buy an Instant Pot
This is the 6-quart Instant Pot I started out with. After a few years, we added an 8-quart partly because I knew I would use two at the same time often enough, partly because it was the Prime Day sale, and also because I wanted more space for certain recipes. Both are a pretty basic model and you don’t need more bells and whistles than that!
If you’re deciding on size, most people say it’s better to get a deal on the 6-quart and just have 2 rather than go big, BUT if your family has 5 or more people or you really like to batch cook or do more than a pound of beans, the 8-quart may be the best choice. My full Instant Pot review and buying guide for features, size, and model.
If you’d like to shop directly at Instant Pot’s website instead of Amazon (or just compare prices), check them out here.
You can even get a carrying case to travel with it! See my review of the Instant Pot carrying case we have.
If you’re still on the fence about adding an Instant Pot to your kitchen appliance arsenal here are my Instant Pot pros and cons.
I’d like to try this first before sending it on to our son, who works hard to feed our granddaughter in a healthy way. However, he currently DOES use an organic boxed gf mac and cheese for her, so I’d love to see if this transition to a healthier version would work for him (and her, LOL). Having said that, when I click on the link for what pasta you use, it takes me to a general page for gf pasta options – not to the pasta you use in the recipe. I like Jovial pasta, so should I assume that elbow macaroni would cook up the same as a fusilli or penne in the Instant Pot? Also, have you ever used the new Cassava pasta by Jovial? I use it all the time for our spaghetti, but it definitely has a different flavor/texture, so thinking it may not work in this instance?
Any shape of pasta should work the same. Jovial is just fine. I’ve never tried the Cassava, only the rice. You’ll have to just give it a try if you use the cassava.
I’ve been making this recipe (with canned pumpkin) for years! It’s great! Thank You!
I’d like to make it for a pot luck. Can everything be doubled or tripled?
I don’t know if the noodle to liquid ratio will stay the same for a big batch.
My twelve year old has been in charge of making this recipe (I personally haven’t made it yet). He and his brother decided to leave out the pumpkin, they used corn pasta, subbed water for the broth, and used a variety of cheeses. They followed the directions otherwise and it turned out great! It is now one of our favorite lunches. So good, so easy, so fast, and not mushy at all. Thank you, Katie!
So glad to hear your kids enjoy making and eating this! Thanks for the review!
This was perfect! I used mashed sweet potato in the same quantity because that’s what I had on hand and it’s delicious. My 2yo daughter is gobbling it up as we speak. Thank you!
What a great idea to make mac n cheese with broth and veggies! My kids loved it, and so did I. It’s going on my list to make again someday (soon).
So glad you liked it, Laura!!
Wow! Pumpkin/squash? 🙂 That’s genius. Will try this for my picky eater son tomorrow. Hope he’ll like it. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.
Let us know how it goes, Freya!
Mmmmm, I’ve never thought of adding pumpkin to help with the texture of mac and cheese! This is definitely a treat meal in our house, but I can’t wait to hit the store for all the ingredients. Thanks for sharing!! <3
I hope your family enjoys it, Savannah!!
Love that you use pumpkin/squash for an extra burst of vitamins and fiber. I’ll have to give this a try.
I hope you like it, Nicole!
Can this be made without an Instant Pot? I love the idea of how easy it is since my macaroni and cheese recipe requires a roux.
Yes, Kelsey! Just cook the noodles on the stove like usual. Drain and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer a few minutes until it’s thick. I do it all the time.
This sounds like a great recipe for kids. Just curious why you don’t do all broth to cook the pasta?
You can try it, Lindsey. But I find things like noodles and rice cook differently in all broth. It doesn’t absorb the same. So I like to do a combination. You can play with the ratios to see what you like best!
Instant Pot and gluten free – love it! I’m going to try it for both mt little celiac princess and her non-problem brother (who hates vegetables other than broccoli and cauliflower). Thanks! And a lentil recipe courtesy of the prior comment – both kids love lentils (as long as they don’t see them cooking.
We are blessed in that there are no food allergies, only dislikes. The one meal that seems to please everyone and is easy to prepare is lentils (from dry lentils) and pasta. To the lentils, aside from seasoning vegetables, we add verrrrry finely minced celery, carrots chunks or “coins”, and sometimes tomato paste. With a side of steamed vegetables, we’re ready to go in about 45 minutes or so.
Sounds great, hope youre soaking your lentils first. I will combine this with soaked brown rice too, to serve a complete protein. Worcestershire sauce actually tastes good in this too. A topping of cheese adds some extra nutrition too, if youve got it on hand 🙂
Yes, thank you, I soak all beans. Then the water is used on plants! Brown rice and Worcestershire sauce sound tasty. We do usually have cheese on hand. You just may have suggested a new family favorite. Thank you, Hélène!