Instant Pot Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
Instant Pot cauliflower mac and cheese. CREAMY, easy, and healthy, and you can’t taste the veggies! Great for easy, healthy dinners.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 5 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings, about 12 cups
Ingredients
- 1 medium/large head cauliflower
- 16 ounces whole wheat pasta elbows, shells, rotini, or similar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
- 2 cups freshly grated melty flavorful cheese such as cheddar, gruyere, provolone, fontina, gouda, or a mix, divided (about 8 ounces; I used half extra-sharp white cheddar and half provolone)
- 8 to 12 ounces 2% evaporated milk
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the cauliflower: Cut the cauliflower into large florets, then shred with the large side of a box grater. For quicker grating, place cut florets in a large food processor fitted with a steel blade, then pulse until the cauliflower resembles small grains of rice. The smaller the pieces of cauliflower, the more it will blend in with the mac and cheese. You will have about 4 cups of riced cauliflower total.
- Place the pasta, cauliflower, 3 1/2 cups water, butter, and salt in a 6-quart or larger Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Stir well. Set to cook on high pressure (manual) for 4 minutes.
- As soon as the timer goes off, release the steam using the valve on top. Dot the cream cheese in small pieces over the top, then gently stir in the shredded cheese, 8 ounces evaporated milk, garlic powder, and black pepper. If the mac and cheese seems too thick, stir in a little more evaporated milk or water, until your desired consistency is reached. Taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired (I added one generous additional pinch salt). Serve hot.
Notes
- To make in a slow cooker (NOTE: I have not yet tried this, so it would be an experiment! This is my best-guess method.): To the slow cooker, add the pasta, cauliflower, 8 ounces evaporated milk, 3 1/2 cups water, salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Cook on low for 3 to 4 hours, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Check periodically and if the noodles seem too dry, add a bit of water as needed. Stir in the shredded cheese and cream cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- I don't recommend gluten-free pasta, as it breaks down and becomes very gummy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1(of 8), about 1 1/2 generous cupsCalories: 378kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 18gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 39mgFiber: 8gSugar: 7g
