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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!
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.
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.
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.
And that’s it! You’ve got an easy, kid friendly dinner in about 30 minutes — quicker than takeout and healthier, too!
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
Instant Pot Smoked Sausage Mac and Cheese
Equipment
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Very good! Although I used about 3/4 cup of half and half in place of heavy cream, it turned out really well.
So glad you liked the mac and cheese! Thanks!
fixed this for dinner tonight and it was so good!!!
yummy!!!
Thanks, Lynne. So happy you liked it!
How do I amend for a 3Qt?
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.
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.
That’s awesome! Thrilled that you liked it, Tina! 🙂
What does gradual quick release mean?
You release the pressure little by little instead of all at once or letting it release naturally.
I really want to try this! Can you tell me how many cups of macaroni noodles is 16 oz? Thank you!
I’ll have to check for sure next time I make it, but it’s roughly about 4 cups.
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?
Thanks
So glad to hear this, Lori! The cook time and settings would stay the same without the sausage added. 🙂
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!
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.
Trying this recipe again the first time was great this time I put broccoli florets and cauliflower in it we’ll only know soon!
WE have made this twice already! The kids just gobble it up!
That’s wonderful, James! Thanks for letting me know!