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Ninja Foodi Macaroni and Cheese

Creamy Ninja Foodi macaroni and cheese recipe that is the BEST pressure cooker mac and cheese you’ll ever make in under 15 minutes flat! Cheesy perfection. 

ninja foodi macaroni and cheese

Have you tried making a pot of Ninja Foodi macaroni and cheese yet?? I have TWO different recipes for this. The quick low fat version and the REALLY creamy and incredible version. I suggest you not count the calories and go straight to the recipe card one, then try more easy Ninja Foodi recipes next. (affiliate links present)

Ninja Foodi Mac and Cheese

Ok so you just got your pot and you relied on the recipe in the recipe book that came with your pot. OMG, I know, everyone else figured out they made a typo with the amount of salt they published too. NO good….that is why I created this one. I just had to help.

This is one of the meals I grew up on. I mean I didn’t get it homemade like this, mine was out of the box. Okay but definitely not nearly as great as this one is. Have little ones who will only eat this and nuggets? I assure you that they will rave about this one friends.

FIRST – You should sign up for my free newsletter so you get new posts emailed to you twice a week and never miss out on anything!

If you too are obsessed with your Ninja Foodi pressure cooker air fryer machine, here are a few resource to start with:

  1. You can bookmark our Ninja air fryer recipes page, we add to that weekly.
    1. Here’s a printable air fryer cooking times chart here for your fridge.
    2. Be sure to save this link to Instant Pot recipes for beginners too. You can use any of those in your pot too.

  1. Grab a set of wooden utensils to work with. They are great so your pot doesn’t get scratched!
  2. Then join our Ninja Foodi EASY Recipes – Facebook group where you can share and find more ideas you’ll love. Thousands of others share both pressure cooker and air fryer recipe ideas there daily and you can too!

If you need to know how to cook frozen meat in a pressure cooker, we have information on that. NO, you aren’t the only forgetful one. 😉

ninja foodi

Macaroni and Cheese Ninja Foodi

Want to make this completely OVER the top??!! Add some bacon into the mix too!! I mean you can add all sorts of things into the mix if you want. Sliced hot dogs works too and a family favorite for sure.

You don’t need any accessories to make this which is nice. Just throw in your liquid and uncooked elbow macaroni noodles and let those soften.

ninja foodi baked macaroni and cheese

Pressure Cooker Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

Let me share the really quick low fat version of mac and cheese first. (2nd version to make it from good to AMAZING is below in recipe card)

How to make 3 ingredient Ninja Foodi macaroni and cheese

Instructions

  • Add your water and elbow macaroni into your pot, stir.
  • Close your pressure cooker lid & steam valve. Set to high for 2 minutes. Allow to naturally release pressure for 1 minute 30 seconds, then release rest of steam.
  • Lift lid and stir in 2 tbsp of butter, allow this to melt. Then sprinkle in 1 1/2 c. of your cheese and stir until melted. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, stir. Can serve now or follow next steps to melt more cheese on the top.
  • Sprinkle 1 c. of cheese on top of cooked mac and cheese. Can add diced green onions at this time if desired.

Close air crisp lid, push air crisp button at 400 degrees for 3 minutes. Check, add additional minutes if desired (to crisp up further).

pressure cooker macaroni and cheese

Why do I share the easy homemade macaroni and cheese recipe above if I say the one below is so much better?

  • I do so because you can make it a dairy free mac and cheese with margarine instead of butter. It is without milk and has no heavy cream inside. 

We’ve made both. Pressure cooker pasta recipes are seriously the best for hectic evenings.

ninja foodi macaroni and cheese recipe

Ninja Foodie Mac and Cheese

BUT what if you want to go ALL OUT and make the best Ninja Foodi macaroni and cheese recipe ever??

You will need to pick this up:

  1. Elbow macaroni noodles
  2. Heavy whipping cream
  3. Chicken broth
  4. Cheese 
    1. sharp cheddar
    2. parmesan
    3. Mexican blend
  5. Garlic salt
  6. Butter
  7. Salt and pepper
  8. Diced chives is optional

You can use a blend of any cheeses you want, above is what I choose.

homemade mac and cheese

What can you add into mac and cheese

I mean you can add heat and make it kinda’ spicy with tobasco for adults, add diced meat of any kind too. It’s a great way to use up leftovers for sure. If you dice up broccoli or cauliflower you could add 1/2 c. of that too and they’ll never know there were hidden vegetables inside.

  • Sliced hot dogs
  • Shrimp
    • takes 0 minutes to defrost or cook, from frozen to perfect
  • Bacon bits
  • Fresh cooked bacon, crushed
  • Chives
  • Diced onions
  • Diced cooked ham pieces
  • Onion and/or garlic powder

I would add any and all of these after you stir in your cheese and let it melt, and before you air crisp.

ninja foodi mac and cheese

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese Ninja Foodi

No need to add anything else though, this is packed with flavor as is. Can you make boxed Kraft macaroni and cheese in a pressure cooker? YES!!!

This is the ONLY way we make it now!! Why??

Because there is NO draining required! Just add your liquid and noodles, cook to soften, add butter and the cheese packet and it’s ready to serve! I have instructions if you want to add hot dogs inside too.

instant pot boxed macaroni and cheese 2

What to serve with your baked macaroni and cheese recipe or air fryer mac and cheese;

  1. Pressure cooker broccoli takes just 1 minute!
  2. Make a whole chicken in your machine beforehand!
  3. A few air fryer chicken nuggets are always a favorite pair.

Ninja Foodi crack chicken is amazing and creamy with a block of cream cheese into the mix. Other one pot meals you should try:

Our cheesy Ninja Foodi spaghetti recipe gets five stars from everyone who tries it.

cheesy ninja foodi spaghetti

Want to see a few of my favorite things that I am totally obsessed with?? Take a peek and see how many you might already have…twinsies!

Looking for more easy family recipes and tips? LIKE The Typical Mom Facebook page?

Then sign up for my free newsletter, and follow me on Pinterest! 😉

***** If you LOVED this recipe give it 5 Stars below and let everyone know what you thought about it. 😉

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4.79 from 23 votes

Ninja Foodi Macaroni and Cheese

Creamy Ninja Foodi macaroni and cheese recipe that is the BEST pressure cooker mac and cheese you'll ever make in under 15 minutes flat! Cheesy perfection.
Course Entree, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword homemade, macaroni and cheese, ninja foodi, pressure cooker
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Servings 5
Calories 799kcal
Author The Typical Mom

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add your chicken broth, 1 cup of your heavy whipping cream and elbow macaroni into your pot, stir.
  • Close your pressure cooker lid & steam valve. Set to high for 3 minutes. Allow to naturally release pressure for 1 minute 30 seconds, then release rest of steam.
  • Lift lid and stir in 3 tbsp of butter, allow this to melt. Then sprinkle in 2 c. of your cheese and stir until melted. Add remaining 1/4 c of whipping cream. Season with a pinch of pepper, salt and garlic salt, stir. Can serve now or follow next steps to melt more cheese on the top.
  • Sprinkle 1 c. of cheese on top of cooked mac and cheese. I use 1/3 c. of each: sharp cheddar, parmesan, and Mexican cheese blend. Can add diced green onions at this time if desired.
  • Close air crisp lid, push air crisp button at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Check, add additional minutes if desired (to crisp up further).

Video

Nutrition Facts
Ninja Foodi Macaroni and Cheese
Amount Per Serving
Calories 799 Calories from Fat 468
% Daily Value*
Fat 52g80%
Saturated Fat 33g206%
Cholesterol 171mg57%
Sodium 746mg32%
Potassium 267mg8%
Carbohydrates 55g18%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 27g54%
Vitamin A 1765IU35%
Vitamin C 0.3mg0%
Calcium 547mg55%
Iron 1.4mg8%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
ninja foodi pasta
Recipe Rating




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Alison Friend

Thursday 6th of October 2022

This was probably the best Mac n Cheese I’ve ever had! I used ham chunks, and for the remaining 1/4 cup of the whipping cream I used sour cream. The noodles were cooked to perfection!!

The Typical Mom

Thursday 6th of October 2022

Oh ya glad it was a hit

Sharon

Wednesday 19th of January 2022

Made this Mac & cheese recipe in my Ninja Foodi. Used Colby Jack and Swiss cheese. Added diced ham with the last of the cheese - delicious! Will definitely make this recipe again!

Rebecca L.

Monday 10th of January 2022

I have always made oven baked Mac and cheese. My hubby and kiddos (2 boys) were hesitant on trying a pressure cooker version of "baked" Mac and cheese. Let me tell you, WE WILL NEVER GO BACK! We all absolutely love it! Thank you for sharing 😊🥳

Veronica

Wednesday 5th of January 2022

I make Mac n Cheese every Christmas and experiment with different recipes. This one was voted by the crowd as the best. And, it’s by far the easiest. Win win for everyone.

The Typical Mom

Friday 7th of January 2022

OH yay!!

Jackie

Sunday 12th of December 2021

Excellent. My new fave mac and cheese recipe. My only problem is why not do the whole box of macaroni instead of leaving the last 1 1/2 cup in the box? I guess I could experiment with increasing the other ingredients a bit.

The Typical Mom

Sunday 12th of December 2021

Yeah you'd have to increase the liquid and I've just made it this way since it's enough for our family.

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