Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni is homemade hamburger helper made with ground beef and pasta in a creamy, cheesy sauce. Quick, easy and kid friendly!
Raise your hand if your grew up eating Hamburger Helper cheeseburger mac? This was actually one of my favorite dinners, so I decided to make a healthier homemade Hamburger Helper for my own family. This Instant Pot cheeseburger macaroni is quick, easy and even better than the cheeseburger mac you grew up with!
I’m always trying out new quick and easy Instant Pot recipes, and I whipped up this easy cheeseburger macaroni for the kids’ lunch today. I have a lot of Instant Pot ground beef recipes on the blog, but I didn’t have one for cheeseburger macaroni — until today!
The beautiful thing about this Instant Pot cheeseburger mac or even skillet cheeseburger mac is that you probably have everything you need to make it — nothing complicated about this recipe! I even had some ground beef in the fridge. So if you’re looking for a quick and easy Instant Pot dinner recipe that’s also kid approved, this one’s for you!
How to make Instant Pot cheeseburger macaroni (homemade Hamburger Helper)
Cheeseburger macaroni is practically a dump and go recipe, only you do have to brown the ground beef first. To cut down on prep and make this dinner even easier, I use dried minced onions along with a few other spices. I use lean ground beef so that I don’t have to drain the fat, but you can drain it before adding your seasonings if you need to.
Next, add the macaroni, beef broth and then, add some butter. You need 4 cups of beef broth to cover the macaroni, so you can add a little water if you don’t have exactly 4 cups of broth. You can also use all water instead of broth if you want, but the broth gives this beefy mac an extra flavor boost!
After the pasta cooks, stir in some cream and shredded cheese — that’s it! I used a mixture of colby jack cheese and cheddar cheese, but you can definitely use you r favorite cheese here. Heck, if you want to make cheeseburger macaroni with Velveeta, go for it!
Guys, this Instant Pot cheeseburger macaroni is so good! It’s absolutely perfect when you need a quick and easy, kid-approved dinner!
Looking for more Instant Pot ground beef and pasta recipes?
- Instant Pot Macaroni Beef Casserole
- Instant Pot Creamy Shells and Beef
- Instant Pot Creamy Taco Pasta
- Instant Pot BBQ Macaroni and Beef
- Instant Pot Ground Beef Stroganoff
Recipe for Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni (Homemade Hamburger Helper)
Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1.5 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onions
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 1 pound box macaroni noodles, uncooked
- 4 cups low sodium beef broth or water
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded colby jack cheese
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Press SAUTE on the Instant Pot and when it reads Hot, add olive oil and ground beef. Break up beef with a spatula, and cook until no longer pink
- Stir in the sea salt, garlic powder, onions and pepper, then hit CANCEL
- Layer the uncooked macaroni on the beef, pour the beef broth over and around the macaroni, and top with the butter
- Place lid on pressure cooker, turn vent to Sealing position, and hit PRESSURE COOK for 4 minutes. Pot will take a few minutes to pressurize, then cook for 4 minutes and beep when done
- Turn vent to Venting for a quick release, and when pin drops, remove lid, and stir. Stir in the cream, and gradually stir in the cheese, about 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each cup is added
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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My family loved this easy Instant Pot cheeseburger macaroni. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Can you use half and half instead of heavy cream?
Yes — You can use milk or half and half, but the sauce may be a little thinner.
Followed the recipe. Quick and easy. Very good and my kids loved it. My husband and I added a green chile powder to our bowls because we put it on everything. We will make it again. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you liked the cheeseburger mac, Macy! Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
Have been prepping for this and now it is cooking….. can’t wait!!!!! I am going to make a mock Big Mac sauce to serve over. You have wonderful recipes. Saved your pumpkin soup to serve @ our thanksgiving meal…..
Thanks, Jaci. I hope you enjoyed the pasta!
Can you use something other than colby jack? I live in Ireland and we dont have Colby Jack.
You can use cheddar. I just like the creaminess of the colby jack.
Oh my this may be my new favorite instant pot recipe! My husband and I loved it so much that we both had thirds! There’s barely any leftovers because it was that good!
I’m so happy to hear this, Megan. Thanks so much!
I wonder if I could add mushroom soup to this, my Mom made a mac and cheese casserole with mushroom soup in it. If so, when would I add it and how much?
I haven’t tried it, but you usually want to add cream soup or dairy after pressure cooking. I would mix some in along with enough milk to thin it out after pressure cooking until it’s the right consistency for you. Hope this helps.
If I were to double the recipe would I increase the cook time? Basically I have a large family and an 8quart. I think this would be great I just need more.
The cook time stays the same even if you double it. Hope you enjoy the cheeseburger mac! 🙂
Super easy and quick! Kiddos loved it!!! Thank you!!
SO happy to hear this, Lisa. Thank you!
This was so good and easy . We loved it.
Thanks, Ann. So glad you enjoyed the cheeseburger mac!
Gonna give this one a try. Don’t have dehydrated onions in the pantry so like wendy leal I’m gonna cook the hamburger with onion. Just got the instant pot for Christmas and already used it 4 or 5 times ha ha. Have a 3 year old and an even pickier wife but how can u go wrong with a meal like this. Thank you for the recipe
I hope you enjoy it, Luke. My picky eaters love this!
Love this! Make it once a week. Tonight I made a ground turkey version with chicken broth in my 6qt IP and ground beef with beef broth in my 8qt. Both are awesome!
Thank you so much, Maureen. I’m glad you like the recipe!
This was amazing!!!! Keeping it in my monthly rotation… Brought bowls to a few neighbors and they raves about it as well! 🙂
Thank you so much, Sean! So nice of you to share with the neighbors!
Came out so good. Not sure who liked it more. Me, my wife, or our picky 3 year old. Needless to say what few leftovers we had didn’t last long the next day. Thanks for the recipe
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Luke! So glad you liked it!
I am making this as I type!!!! Thank you so very much for such an amazing recipe! 🙂
Thanks! I hope you enjoy the cheeseburger mac!
This was so easy, fast and good! I sauteed the hamburger with fresh onion.
Awesome news, Wendy! I’m glad you liked it!
You posted this recipe almost a year ago but I just stumbled across it tonight. I’m so glad I did! It was delicious, the entire family loved it! So simple and quick but tastes as good as a similar recipe I have made in the past that dirties three different pans and takes well over an hour to prepare. Thanks for this recipe.
I’m glad your family enjoyed it, Sheila! Thanks so muoh!
Making it now for a work function.
Can i top it with bread crumbs and bake it?
Yes, I’ve done that before — works with any leftovers, too.
Will this work out if you cut the recipe in half? Does the time need to be adjusted?
You can cut the ingredients in half, but keep the time the same.
Super FAST! Awesome! Cheesy! Delicious!
I used half stock and half beer. The beer gave it great flavor that complimented the cheese.
Mostly, this was the fastest instant pot recipe I have ever made!
Beer sounds like an awesome addition! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Super yummy! It will be afamily staple. Thanks!!!
So glad you liked it! Thanks so much!
If double recipe do you double water/broth
Yes, double the broth/water if you’re adding more pasta and meat, but keep the cook time the same.
Made this tonight, really good. Since I don’t have kids may add a tad bit Cajun spice or cayenne pepper next time for a little kick, but is delicious as is.
Glad you liked it, Julie! I love the idea of adding Cajun flavor. 🙂