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    Popular » Recipes » Instant Pot

    Instant Pot Kielbasa Mac and Cheese

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure for more information. Published: May 28, 2020 by Dee

    Instant Pot Kielbasa Mac and Cheese recipe is a quick and easy dinner made with pasta and smoked sausage slices. Just add the ingredients and cook! via @meamel

    Instant Pot Kielbasa Mac and Cheese recipe is a quick and easy dinner made with pasta and smoked sausage slices. Just add the ingredients and cook!

    Jump to Recipe -
    bowl of instant pot kielbasa mac and cheese

    This mac and cheese is one of the easiest, simplest Instant Pot recipes you can make because there is hardly any prep work involved. And because you’re using smoked sausage, there’s no need to pre-cook the meat, which is a huge timesaver!

    I grew up on kielbasa recipes. I truly love the stuff!

    Some of our favorite smoked sausage recipes include sheet pan dinners, noodles and cabbage, Instant Pot Cabbage and Noodle and Polish Sausage Sandwiches! It’s very versatile!

    How to Make Instant Pot Smoked Sausage Mac and Cheese

    When I make plain Instant Pot Mac and Cheese, I like to use several kinds of cheese for more flavor, but for this one, I kept everything simple. You get plenty of extra flavor from the smoked sausage.

    Just cut the smoked sausage into pieces roughly ½ in thick and place them in the pressure cooker.

    I sometimes use 2 ropes of kielbasa for a meatier mac and cheese. You can use 1 or 2 without changing anything else.

    smoked sausage kielbasa in instant pot

    Next, add the pasta, spices and water. Don't stir just yet.

    Add a few pats of butter. Then, you cook the mac and sausage for 4 minutes.   

    macaroni in instant pot

    After cooking, you can add more butter for a super creamy mac and cheese. Or, you just add shredded cheese, cream and a little Dijon mustard.

    Now, you can stir everything together until it's all mixed well. The mustard adds an extra pop of flavor that goes well with the smokiness of the sausage.

    It’s not overpowering. But if you’re not a mustard fan, you can leave it out.

    mac and cheese with kielbasa in pressure cooker

    And that’s it! You’ve got an easy, kid friendly dinner in about 30 minutes -- quicker than takeout and healthier, too!

    bowl of mac and cheese with sliced smoked sausage

    This post was originally published as sponsored by Eckrich Smoked Sausage in 2018 but has been updated with new pictures and recipe information in 2020.

    Instant Pot Kielbasa Mac and Cheese Recipe

    bowl of instant pot kielbasa mac and cheese

    Instant Pot Smoked Sausage Mac and Cheese

    Published by Dee
    Instant Pot Kielbasa Mac and Cheese recipe is a quick and easy dinner made with pasta and smoked sausage slices. Just add the ingredients and cook!
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Recipe Share by Email
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 4 mins
    time to pressurize 10 mins
    Total Time 19 mins
    Course Main
    Cuisine American
    Servings 10
    Calories 250 kcal

    Equipment

    • Instant Pot Pressure Cooker

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 rope Kielbasa or Smoked Sausage sliced Can use 2 ropes for more meat
    • 1 16-ounce box macaroni pasta
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon ground pepper
    • 4 cups water
    • 3 tablespoons butter sliced into smaller pieces
    • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 3 cups shredded Colby jack cheese

    Instructions
     

    • Place the smoked sausage slices in the Instant Pot
    • Add the macaroni over the sausage
    • Add the sea salt, garlic powder and pepper over the pasta
    • Pour water around the sides and over the pasta, and add butter
    • Cover with lid, turn vent to Sealing position, and hit PRESSURE COOK for 4 minutes
    • Pot will take time to pressurize, then begin counting down at 4 minutes
    • After cook time, do a gradual quick release
    • After pin drops, open lid, add cream, mustard, and gradually add cheese, stirring well until completely blended

    Video

    Notes

    Recipe was made in a 6-quart Instant Pot electric pressure cooker, but an 8 quart can be used without changing time or ingredient amounts.
    For a creamier mac and cheese, add an additional 3 tablespoons butter after pressure cooking along with the cream and cheese.
    You can use 2 ropes of smoked sausage without changing any other ingredients or cooking times.

    Nutrition information is estimated. Please do your own calculation to fit special diets.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 250kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 9gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 493mgPotassium: 51mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 794IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 264mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Please comment and rate it! Show me your dish on Instagram!Mention @meatloafandmelodrama or tag #meatloafandmelodrama!
    close up of mac and cheese with kielbasa in bowl

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    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Gregory instant pot says

      November 06, 2019 at 5:01 pm

      Very good! Although I used about 3/4 cup of half and half in place of heavy cream, it turned out really well.5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        November 07, 2019 at 7:51 am

        So glad you liked the mac and cheese! Thanks!

    2. lynne trover says

      August 27, 2019 at 1:34 pm

      fixed this for dinner tonight and it was so good!!!
      yummy!!!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        August 27, 2019 at 8:30 pm

        Thanks, Lynne. So happy you liked it!

    3. Sarah says

      July 19, 2019 at 5:02 pm

      How do I amend for a 3Qt?

      Reply
      • Dee says

        July 21, 2019 at 5:22 pm

        I'm not sure if it would all fit in the 3 quart, but if it does, just follow the recipe as is. I'm not familiar with the 3 quart, so I can't say for sure.

    4. Tina says

      April 10, 2019 at 4:17 pm

      My family LOVED this yummy, quick and easy meal...even my husband who’s not a huge fan of pasta. He insisted I take my Instapot on vacation with us just to make this meal. I’ve only tried a handful of recipes in my new Instapot and I highly recommend this recipe for newbies like myself.5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        April 11, 2019 at 8:24 am

        That's awesome! Thrilled that you liked it, Tina! 🙂

    5. Amy says

      March 30, 2019 at 8:08 pm

      What does gradual quick release mean?

      Reply
      • Dee says

        March 31, 2019 at 6:19 pm

        You release the pressure little by little instead of all at once or letting it release naturally.

    6. Heather Wik says

      March 18, 2019 at 10:30 am

      I really want to try this! Can you tell me how many cups of macaroni noodles is 16 oz? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        March 19, 2019 at 8:45 am

        I'll have to check for sure next time I make it, but it's roughly about 4 cups.

    7. Lori says

      February 15, 2019 at 9:49 am

      I've made this a few time for my family and they really LOVE it! It has a great flavor. I am wondering if I were to make this without the sausage would I need to adjust the cooking time/settings?
      Thanks5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        February 15, 2019 at 12:53 pm

        So glad to hear this, Lori! The cook time and settings would stay the same without the sausage added. 🙂

    8. Mialee says

      December 29, 2018 at 3:29 pm

      Yikes! Mine was soupy! I have an 8 qt, used 4 cups water as directed. But I'm new to the IP. Ideas of what I did wrong?! I made sure it was sealed. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        December 29, 2018 at 10:40 pm

        So sorry to hear that! It definitely should not have been soupy -- It should look like it does in the video. Did you use an entire box of macaroni and only one cup of cream? It might seem like there's extra liquid at first, but it quickly gets absorbed and thickens up as the pasta cools down.

    9. Art says

      December 11, 2018 at 3:20 pm

      Trying this recipe again the first time was great this time I put broccoli florets and cauliflower in it we'll only know soon!5 stars

      Reply
    10. James says

      August 28, 2018 at 6:46 am

      WE have made this twice already! The kids just gobble it up!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        August 28, 2018 at 7:05 am

        That's wonderful, James! Thanks for letting me know!

    11. Miz Helen says

      August 27, 2018 at 5:41 pm

      A great combo for the Instant Pot! Hope you are having a good week and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday!
      Miz Helen5 stars

      Reply
    12. Patricia @ Grab a Plate says

      August 27, 2018 at 9:05 am

      I'll add this to my list for a fab fall dish! I love adding tasty sausage to different dishes. Looks great!

      Reply
    13. Lauren says

      August 24, 2018 at 4:04 pm

      I bet the smokiness of the sausage gives it a nice touch

      Reply
    14. Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says

      August 23, 2018 at 5:55 pm

      This couldn't look any more perfect! This looks fabulous!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        August 23, 2018 at 10:14 pm

        Thank you so much, Erin! 🙂

    15. Catalina says

      August 23, 2018 at 12:43 pm

      My kid will go crazy over this version of Mac and Cheese!

      Reply
    16. Mahy Elamin says

      August 23, 2018 at 11:58 am

      That sounds so flavorful! One of my favs. I can't WAIT to try this! Thank you for this great recipe! So YUMMY!5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        August 23, 2018 at 10:20 pm

        Thanks so much, Mahy! This mac and cheese is definitely a favorite. 🙂

      • Laurie says

        January 24, 2020 at 4:02 pm

        I used bow ties and the pasta wasn’t cooked. Still very hard. Just started it for more time.

      • Dee says

        January 26, 2020 at 4:48 pm

        Hmmm. Not sure what the problem was, but it always comes out fine for us. We do stick to the macaroni, though.

      • Amanda says

        March 24, 2020 at 2:16 pm

        Look at the cook time on the pasta box that you are using and use half the cook time recommended! (May have to add just a wee bit more liquid but not much)

    17. James says

      August 23, 2018 at 6:49 am

      Made this last night! Yummy and super easy. Always have the ingredients on hand.5 stars

      Reply
      • Dee says

        August 23, 2018 at 8:19 am

        I'm glad you liked it, James! Thanks! 🙂

    18. Kimberly says

      August 22, 2018 at 5:48 pm

      The addition of the sausage is a delicious touch!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        August 23, 2018 at 8:19 am

        It really is! Thanks so much, Kimberly!

    19. Sara says

      August 22, 2018 at 9:08 am

      I know my family is going to love this! Super easy to make and delicious!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        August 23, 2018 at 8:17 am

        It was a huge hit with my family! 🙂

    20. Nancy | The Bitter Side of Sweet says

      August 22, 2018 at 7:21 am

      I'm thinking I need to invest in an Instant Pot! This looks great!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        August 23, 2018 at 8:15 am

        Oh, definitely! I love my Instant Pot! 🙂

      • Misty Elliott says

        August 29, 2018 at 3:14 pm

        You have to get one!!!

    Newer Comments »

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