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Gluten Free Instant Pot Mac & Cheese Recipe

May 1, 2017 (UPDATED: May 16, 2020) by Mary Voogt, NTP (Contributing Writer) 19 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

Instant Pot Mac Cheese

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 with grilled cheese and tomato soup and you’ve got a happy bunch.

Picky Eating Solved

Instant Pot Mac Cheese

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.

Nutritious and Delicious Recipe

Instant Pot Mac Cheese

This gluten free Instant Pot mac & cheese meets all of my requirements:

  • quick
  • easy
  • kid-friendly
  • gluten free
  • nourishing (the most important!)
Katie here – gluten-free can be confusing but it doesn’t have to be hard! I’m thrilled to share a FREE gluten-free cheat sheet mini eBook to help get you started!
This is perfect if you’ve just been told you need a GF diet, if you have a friend or family member eating GF and you’d like to cook for them, or if you’re just curious what it’s all about!

Free gluten-free guide for rookies

YES! I WANT THE FREE GF CHEAT SHEET!

After the Instant Pot builds pressure the 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.

Instant Pot Mac Cheese

Get the Recipe in KID-Friendly Style!

We teach kids to cook, and we love sharing real food recipes that don’t confuse our young chefs! Print this recipe in our special Kids Cook Real Food style:

Click here for the recipe in our special kid-friendly style

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Gluten Free Instant Pot Mac & Cheese Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 6 mins
  • Total Time: 11 mins
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main
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Description

A quick, easy and nutritious gluten free macaroni 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

  1. Combine the noodles, broth and water in the Instant Pot. Set it to manual for 3 minutes.
  2. After the 3 minutes is up do a quick release of the pressure.
  3. Add the remaining ingredients and cook on the sautee setting until the cheese is melted, 2 – 3 minutes.
  4. Transfer to a serving dish and let sit for 2 – 3 minutes to thicken before serving.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @kidscookrealfood on Instagram

Need a little help getting healthy food on the table every day? Real Plans takes the stress out of meal planning and puts the nourishing food BACK on your table. There’s a plan for every diet type, including GAPS, Paleo, AIP, Whole30, vegetarian and more! You remain totally in control: use your own recipes, accept theirs, and teach the system what your family likes…Check out how powerful it is here!

Kid and Mom Approved Dinner

Instant Pot Mac Cheese

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.

Click to request access to the Instant Pot Guidebook from Kitchen Stewardship!

Make your Instant Pot work for you!

I won’t tell if your Instant Pot is still in its box, pinky swear. 😉

I left mine abandoned in the basement for almost a YEAR because I have a new-thing-instructions phobia, but now I have TWO Instant Pots and they’re both in constant use!

Turns out it’s so easy, a kid can do it — I’ll send you a quick video of my children unboxing and setting it up when you grab your FREE download mini eBook:

Get the Instant Pot Guidebook for FREE!

What’s in the Guidebook?

You’ll love the simplicity of your Instant Pot, and the free downloadable guidebook will help you:

  • Adapt your own favorite recipes from the slow cooker
  • Cook FROZEN ground beef
  • Hard boil eggs perfectly
  • Cook squash, steam veggies, and make applesauce in your IP
  • Make dry beans in an hour and perfect rice without boiling over
  • Steam veggies al dente and make Paleo cauli rice in minutes
  • Cook a whole chicken and make FAST bone broth

Whether yours is still in the box or you’ve used it a little but want to know more about those techniques, or if you’re still pining for an IP on your wish list, I can’t wait to give you these simple baby steps to success!

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.

Baby Steps

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!

What is your go-to “Easy Button” meal? Share in the comments below!

 

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You've probably seen 1000s of products recommended by bloggers you follow...but what would you ACTUALLY use?

Filed Under: Real Food Recipes Tagged With: cheese, contributing writer, evergreen, gluten free, Instant Pot

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About Mary Voogt, NTP (Contributing Writer)

Mary is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, feeding expert, and a homeschooling mother of four (used to be) selective eaters. She has a passion for real food and can help you navigate the world of feeding challenges. In her world, there are no picky eaters! Mary often shares real food Instant Pot recipes, gluten-free and dairy-free recipes, and about how she has helped her own children as well as others overcome their feeding challenges and work through food allergies.

She blogs about her passion for homemade food, her knowledge about allergies and her life with young children with feeding challenges at Just Take A Bite. Mary strives to give hope to moms that feeding kids well can be done. Learn how with her Eating Styles eCourse.

Read Mary's bio.

19 Bites of Conversation So Far

  1. Elizabeth says

    March 13, 2020 at 6:12 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carolyn @ Kitchen Stewardship says

      March 14, 2020 at 3:18 pm

      So glad to hear your kids enjoy making and eating this! Thanks for the review!

      Reply
  2. Megan says

    July 18, 2017 at 2:51 pm

    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!

    Reply
  3. Laura Snell says

    May 14, 2017 at 11:15 pm

    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).

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Mary Voogt (Contributing Writer) says

      May 15, 2017 at 6:32 am

      So glad you liked it, Laura!!

      Reply
  4. Freya says

    May 14, 2017 at 2:53 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Mary Voogt (Contributing Writer) says

      May 15, 2017 at 6:31 am

      Let us know how it goes, Freya!

      Reply
  5. Savannah says

    May 4, 2017 at 11:47 pm

    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

    Reply
    • Mary Voogt (Contributing Writer) says

      May 5, 2017 at 5:50 am

      I hope your family enjoys it, Savannah!!

      Reply
  6. Nicole | The Professional Mom Project says

    May 1, 2017 at 10:25 pm

    Love that you use pumpkin/squash for an extra burst of vitamins and fiber. I’ll have to give this a try.

    Reply
    • Mary Voogt (Contributing Writer) says

      May 2, 2017 at 6:18 am

      I hope you like it, Nicole!

      Reply
  7. Kelsey says

    May 1, 2017 at 8:40 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Mary Voogt (Contributing Writer) says

      May 2, 2017 at 6:18 am

      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.

      Reply
  8. Lindsey says

    May 1, 2017 at 12:01 pm

    This sounds like a great recipe for kids. Just curious why you don’t do all broth to cook the pasta?

    Reply
    • Mary Voogt (Contributing Writer) says

      May 1, 2017 at 2:16 pm

      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!

      Reply
  9. Patti says

    May 1, 2017 at 9:29 am

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  10. M. says

    May 1, 2017 at 8:40 am

    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.

    Reply
    • Hélène says

      May 1, 2017 at 9:30 am

      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 🙂

      Reply
      • M. says

        May 1, 2017 at 9:51 am

        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!

        Reply

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