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
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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!
Jaci says
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…..
Dee says
Thanks, Jaci. I hope you enjoyed the pasta!
Cheryl Melton says
Can you use something other than colby jack? I live in Ireland and we dont have Colby Jack.
Dee says
You can use cheddar. I just like the creaminess of the colby jack.
Megan says
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!
Dee says
I’m so happy to hear this, Megan. Thanks so much!
Lori L Ritchie says
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?
Dee says
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.
Marcy F says
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.
Dee says
The cook time stays the same even if you double it. Hope you enjoy the cheeseburger mac! 🙂
Lisa Casper says
Super easy and quick! Kiddos loved it!!! Thank you!!
Dee says
SO happy to hear this, Lisa. Thank you!
Ann says
This was so good and easy . We loved it.
Dee says
Thanks, Ann. So glad you enjoyed the cheeseburger mac!
Luke says
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
Dee says
I hope you enjoy it, Luke. My picky eaters love this!
Maureen says
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!
Dee says
Thank you so much, Maureen. I’m glad you like the recipe!
Sean says
This was amazing!!!! Keeping it in my monthly rotation… Brought bowls to a few neighbors and they raves about it as well! 🙂
Dee says
Thank you so much, Sean! So nice of you to share with the neighbors!
Luke says
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
Dee says
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Luke! So glad you liked it!
Sean says
I am making this as I type!!!! Thank you so very much for such an amazing recipe! 🙂
Dee says
Thanks! I hope you enjoy the cheeseburger mac!
Wendy Leal says
This was so easy, fast and good! I sauteed the hamburger with fresh onion.
Dee says
Awesome news, Wendy! I’m glad you liked it!
Sheila says
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.
Dee says
I’m glad your family enjoyed it, Sheila! Thanks so muoh!
Debbie Bartelink says
Making it now for a work function.
Can i top it with bread crumbs and bake it?
Dee says
Yes, I’ve done that before — works with any leftovers, too.
JessicA says
Will this work out if you cut the recipe in half? Does the time need to be adjusted?
Dee says
You can cut the ingredients in half, but keep the time the same.
Sara says
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!
Dee says
Beer sounds like an awesome addition! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Leslie says
Super yummy! It will be afamily staple. Thanks!!!
Dee says
So glad you liked it! Thanks so much!
shaunacy parr says
If double recipe do you double water/broth
Dee says
Yes, double the broth/water if you’re adding more pasta and meat, but keep the cook time the same.
Julie Trevarthen says
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.
Dee says
Glad you liked it, Julie! I love the idea of adding Cajun flavor. 🙂
Jo Lynne Nugent says
I didn’t have cream, so I used a 5.2 oz block of Boursin with garlic (so I left out the garlic powder) & added a teaspoon of yellow mustard at the end and stirred it in when I was adding the Boursin and shredded cheeses. It adds depth. Delicious!
Dee says
That sounds delicious! So glad you liked it! 🙂
Misty says
Looks delicious! Will be making for dinner tomorrow. One question, would evap milk be an okay substitute for heavy cream? I have some in the fridge I’m needing to use before it spoils.
Thanks!
Dee says
You can use the evaporated milk instead of cream. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Kathleen Motley-Hale says
I am making this now. Can it be reheated later? Can I reheat in the Instant Pot? (I’m fairly new to this!)
Dee says
It reheats well — We do this all the time, but I always just throw it in the microwave. I have reheated soup before in the IP but now pasta dishes. You can definitely try this, though. 🙂
Marilee Compston says
My family likes their food a bit spicy, so at the end I stirred in some hot salsa. They and all their friends that were here for game night finished it off quickly! Thanks for a great recipe
Dee says
That sounds like a wonderful addition! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Lisa Bartlett says
Wow this was fantastic! My whole family loved it. Served with steamed broccoli (frozen) so literally one put to clean.
QUESTION: 4 cups of broth did not cover my pasta, so I added extra. And then when I open the pod there was too much broth left that I had to ladle out. Does the pasta have to be submerged under the broth in order to cook properly?
Dee says
I usually pat the pasta down a little before cooking, but it does not need to be fully submerged. One of the mysteries of the Instant Pot! 🙂
Sandra Malecha says
Thank you for a great recipe! It was delicous!!
Dee says
So glad to hear this, Sandra. Thank you so much!
Angie says
Just made a double batch of this. It’s delicious! Definitely on my meal rotations. I didn’t have Colby cheese so I used Monteray Jack jalapeno. Yummy!! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Dee says
That sounds so good! Glad you liked it! 🙂
Amanda says
Hey all! I wanted to share that I doubled this but changed the time to 0 minutes on manual high pressure and it was wonderful! My kids LOVED it!
Tina says
If I double the recipe, so I need to increase cooking time?
Dee says
The cooking time remains the same. Just double the ingredients. 🙂
Sonya Nelson says
Could you add a can of petite diced tomatoes too this. I’m wondering if I did if I would drain the tomatoes or not.
Dee says
I would drain the tomatoes — but don’t stir before pressure cooking. I have a similar recipe that uses tomatoes here Instant Pot Macaroni Beef Casserole
Julie @ Back To My Southern Roots says
This looks so comforting and delicious. Yum!
Dee says
Thanks, Julie. It’s definitely comfort food!
Miz Helen says
Congratulations!
Your Post is on The Top Ten at Full Plate Thursday this week! Thanks so much for sharing with us and have a great weekend!
Miz Helen
James says
Made this for the kids twice this weekend. They couldn’t get enough. Super easy too!
Jamielyn says
So delicious! My family would love this!
Dee says
Thanks, Jamielyn. My kids are crazy about it!
Melanie Bauer says
Holy delicious! These look seriously incredible, can’t wait to try this!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
Looks so perfect! Definitely a must try! I love this! looks so good!
Katerina @ diethood .com says
This looks incredibly delicious!! My kids would LOVE it!!
Dee says
Thanks, Katerina. My kids inhaled this! 🙂
Chrissie Baker says
Oh how delicious this recipe looks! I really like it!
Dee says
Thanks so much, Chrissie! My family loved it!
Carol Watkins says
When I followed the recipe, results were great! When I used “whatever cheese I wanted,” not so much. All cheddar, or cheddar with mozzarella for example, produced clumps in the meat. I suggest sticking with the jack to cheddar ratio, as Monterey Jack is a softer cheese that melts and almost liqifies for a sauce that doesn’t cause clumping. Just my two cents ☺️
Allyson Zea says
Oh this looks so good! I love using my instant pot! I will be trying this for sure!
Dee says
Thanks, Allyson! I hope your family liked it!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
I am seriously in love with this dish! I really need this.
Dee says
Thanks, Jocelyn. It’s definitely a keeper!
Mike says
Made this Last Night for my friends! Everyone loved it!