Instant Pot Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese–creamy macaroni and cheese made quickly in your instant pot with tender bites of chicken and (not crisp, but not mushy) broccoli florets. This is an easy one pot meal that the whole family will love!
Instant Pot Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese
I love macaroni and cheese and whenever I see it as a side dish option at a restaurant I always choose it (especially when it has the toasted bread crumb topping nom nom nom). However, making a big pot of mac and cheese for dinner at home with nothing else in it kind of leaves me feeling blah. It’s delicious, don’t get me wrong, but I like the idea of adding a little more nutrition into it. That’s why I decided to add in the chicken and broccoli. Chicken Broccoli Casserole is one of my most popular recipes on my website so I knew it was a winning combination.
The trick was to figure out was how to cook fresh broccoli in the same pot as the chicken and pasta but not let it get mushy. I’ve read online that when you steam broccoli in the Instant Pot you are supposed to use a zero minute pressure cooking time. So I knew that there was no way the broccoli would withstand pressure for more than a minute or two. It would become a mushy mess. I didn’t like the idea of steaming it separately on the stove or in the microwave. Too many dishes. I also knew that I could add in frozen broccoli later (like I do in this recipe) but I just really wanted to find a way to use fresh broccoli.
I ended up making a foil packet filled with broccoli florets. I placed the foil packet on top of the pasta and the result was not overcooked and not undercooked broccoli. After the pasta cooked I opened the packet and stirred the broccoli in with everything else so that it could get coated in the cheesy sauce. Perfection!
If your family is anything like mine, I think they will love this instant pot broccoli chicken mac and cheese. Add it to your menu this week!
More recipes you’ll love…
Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken Pasta
Instant Pot Cheeseburger Pasta
Instant Pot Chicken Margherita Pasta
Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?
To make Instant Pot Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I love this Instant Pot because it has the yogurt making function which I use almost weekly. It has two pressure settings (high and low), and there are also little slots in the handles so that you can rest the lid there instead of putting it down on your counter-top.
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Instant Pot Broccoli Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes (plus 5 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
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Creamy macaroni and cheese made quickly in your instant pot with tender bites of chicken and (not crisp, but not mushy) broccoli florets. This is an easy one pot meal that the whole family will love!
Ingredients
- Between 1 and 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (depending on how much meat you like)
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 pound (12 oz) cavatappi, cellentani or elbow macaroni noodles
- 3 cups water (or for more flavor you can use broth)
- 1 tsp ground mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 pound (8 oz) fresh broccoli florets
- 3/4 cup half and half, heavy cream, milk or evaporated milk
- 1/2 pound (8 oz) grated medium or sharp cheddar (see note below)
- Cornstarch, if needed
Instructions
- Turn your Instant Pot to the saute setting. While it is heating up cut up your chicken into bite-size pieces. When the Instant Pot display says HOT add in the butter. When it is melted add in the chicken and saute lightly for 1-2 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Turn off the saute function.
- Add in the pasta into a flat, even layer. Pour the water over the top to cover the pasta as much as possible. Sprinkle in the ground mustard and the salt.
- Create a foil packet by placing broccoli florets (see note below) in the center of a piece of foil large enough to enclose the food one and a half times. Pull over one side, folding the edges to seal. Then fold the remaining two edges. Don’t seal the packet too tightly: you want to leave some room for the steam to expand. Place the foil packet on top of the pasta.
- Cover the Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to “sealing.” Set the manual/pressure cook button to 3 minutes. When the time is up let the pot sit there for an additional 5 minutes and then move the valve to “venting.” Remove the lid, when you can.
- Use hot pads to open up the foil packet. Stir the broccoli into the pot. Stir in the milk (your choice) and the cheese until it is melted.
- If the mixture is too liquidy then you can prepare a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth. Stir the mixture into the pot and turn the pot to the saute function. Stir constantly until thick. The mac and cheese will thicken up in a minute or two.
- Salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
I like to grate my own cheddar instead of using pre-grated cheese. It seems to melt better and creates a creamier sauce. The pre-grated cheese seems to clump up more.
Larger broccoli florets will produce a crisper texture whereas smaller broccoli florets will be a little more soft. If you are a broccoli lover you can add twice as much broccoli into your packet. You can also forego adding fresh broccoli and add in a package of frozen broccoli after the pasta is done cooking. Just run hot water over the frozen broccoli before adding it into the pot.
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*.
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Instant Pot
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 582
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 88 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Carbohydrates: 48 g
- Protein: 45 g
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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
How could you do this recipe using a slow cooker?
I can never get mac and cheese to turn out well in the slow cooker. Sorry!
You mention adding in frozen broccoli after the pasta is cooked, but there is no cooking time after the pasta/chicken is cooked and released.
How do does the frozen broccoli get cooked?
You can stir it into the super hot pasta and cover the pot (don’t pressure cook) and it will be cooked through in about 5 minutes.
Have you ever added riced cauliflower in? Any chang es in cook time?
I haven’t tried that!
Question: is the pasta already cooked before its added to the pot?
no
I really enjoyed this! Definitely on my list of meals to continue making!
★★★★★
So glad you liked it Ashley!
Instant family favorite 😍
★★★★★
Can you make this without the chicken?
yes, same cooking time and process.
Does the chicken stay under the noodles/mixed with them during the cooking process?? Is 3 minutes enough time to have the chicken cooked thoroughly after saute?
Yes it is because they are in small chunks.
Wondering if anyone has tried this recipe using gluten free pasta? I’m a newbie to both the IP and cooking gluten free. Thanks!
Made this the other day and it turned out great! Everything was cooked perfectly. Yum!
★★★★★
awesome!!
Agh! I commented a minute ago and forgot to rate the recipe with any stars! LOL I’ll try again! I give this recipe 5 stars for sure!
★★★★★
This was the first recipe of yours that I tried and it was a HUGE success with my kids!!! Everything about it was perfect! The kids said we just HAVE to make it again! 🙂 I subscribed to your weekly email list after that! 🙂
Thanks so much Lynn! I hope you like it 🙂 I’m glad you liked this recipe 🙂
Good recipe! I cooked the broccoli al dente in the microwave and just added it to the pot when everything else was cooked and mixed it in.
I doubled the recipe. It was a hit my teenage boy!
★★★★★
So glad you and he liked it!
YUM!! It is cold and rainy here and this really hit the spot. Super easy and fast to put together. I hate mushy broccoli so I just steamed some in the microwave and added in at the end. Had just enough time to grate my cheese and cut up the broccoli while it cooked and “rested.” I opened the pot, stirred in the half and half, cheese and broccoli and voila!! Delicious, warm and filling. Love it. Thanks for the great recipe. Love my Instant Pot and always come to your website when I need inspiration.
★★★★★
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing, Marcia!
This was great! Super easy and fast for a weeknight dinner. My husband and son LOVED it! Everything worked out well and the broccoli was perfect, no mush! Thanks!
★★★★★
This was a hit with my family! I love my Instant Pot, but have only had it for a few weeks and had not made pasta in it before, and since I don’t like soggy noodles I let them sit for 4 minutes instead of 5 — they were fine, but 5 would have been perfect, so I will do that next time. I got 2 bags of steam-in-the-bag broccoli, cooked them in the microwave, and stirred the broccoli in at the end, so easy.
★★★★★
NICE! I love the idea of steam in the bag broccoli.
Can I follow the same recipe if I don’t use chicken?
yep!
Made this as my first instant pot meal! Absolutely delicious, and the broccoli was perfect. This is very similar to the mac and cheese I make on the stove top.
★★★★★
Congrats on your first IP meal! So glad you liked this recipe 🙂
Made this last night, it was delicious!! Absolutely loved it! I did add a little more cheese rather than make the slurry. Will make again it was just so easy. I also used the Instant Pot 60 – 6 in 1
★★★★★
Awesome! I’m so happy you loved it. I think anything mac and cheese is great 🙂
MISS KAREN JUST SEEN SOME OF YOUR RECIPES. CANT WAIT TO TRY!
I made this recipe tonight!! AMAZING!! It was a little watery, but I let it sit for a few minutes and it was perfect!!! I love Cavatappi noodles. I have 3 men in the house, so no leftovers!! Thank you. I am addicted to my Instant Pot now!!
★★★★★
We loved this too! I’m glad you liked it 🙂
Your recipes are the best. We made this the other night for dinner and it is a hit. I used more broccoli than called for, and will add more next time. Our leftovers are nearly gone. Thank you!
Delicious, I would like to see a similar recipe using the old standby with the cheese mix that comes in the box. You know, for those days you need to stretch what you have on hand, cheddar can be expensive.
Do you think just stirring in the powder mix after the pasta is cooked would work?
This is from Adventures Of A Nurse:
Kraft Mac & Cheese (Pressure Cooker)
Ingredients
• Box of mac n Cheese
• 1 ¼ c water
• 2 tbsp butter
• ¼ c milk
Directions
Add butter, water, and pasta.
Place on manual high pressure for 5 minutes.
5 minutes then a Quick Release.
Stir in milk and cheese packet.
**Note, same time if doubling recipe.