In this recipe, we will show you how to make a delicious Instant Pot mac and cheese with corn, which is used in both the pasta and the creamy cheesy sauce. It’s a great twist on a traditional cheesy macaroni dish using up the best of summer produce. Frozen or canned corn can also be used to make this mac and cheese dish. Step-by-step photos included below.
We love making mac and cheese in the Instant Pot. It’s super easy and you can make both the pasta and the sauce directly in the Instant Pot. This particular corn mac and cheese can be served as a pasta dish or baked into a cheesy, creamy casserole.
Adding fresh corn to the cooking macaroni and using some of it in the cheeses sauce adds that lovely sweetness and beautiful yellow color to the dish. It really is something special and we hope you give it a go.
Make sure to check out our fabulous Italian mac & cheese here and a vegan Instant Pot mac & cheese here.
HOW TO MAKE CORN MAC & CHEESE IN INSTANT POT
You will find the full recipe, ingredients and nutritional breakdown below. Here are some step-by-step photos and instructions to help you along the way.
First of all, cut off the kernels from the fresh corn cobs. You can also use frozen corn here. Add half of the corn kernels to the Instant Pot together with macaroni pasta (or small elbow pasta), water, salt and a little oil. Mix through and set to pressure cook for 1 minute at HIGH pressure. Yes, 1 minute is all we need as we’re using small-shaped pasta AND the cooking happens during the build-up of the pressure and the release. You will need to allow about 5 minutes for the pressure to release naturally, then use the quick release to let off the steam. Don’t let the pressure in for longer than that as it will continue to cook pasta while releasing.
Open the lid and strain the cooked macaroni and corn. Set aside and rinse the pot to use for our cheesy sauce.
HOW TO MAKE CHEESY SAUCE FOR MACARONI
Our cheese sauce comes with a twist – a touch of sweet corn – which gives it an extra yellow color and lovely flavor. Simply blend the remaining corn and milk of choice until smooth. Using the Saute function of the Instant Pot, melt the butter and flour together to make the roux for the sauce (this will thicken our milk mixture).
Add the milk and corn mixture and stir through until smooth. Follow with the seasoning and stir again.
Add grated cheese and stir into the milk sauce until melted and smooth. It should be nice, thick and glossy. If the sauce gets too thick, dilute it with a little extra milk. Cancel the Saute function at this stage. Return the pre-cooked pasta and corn to the pot and mix with the sauce.
Serve this Instant Pot macaroni and cheese dish with ground pepper and parsley on top. All it needs is a simple salad on the side or you can serve it as a side dish at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, barbecues or big family gatherings and potlucks.
Instant Pot Mac & Cheese With Corn
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Side or Main
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Creamy, delicious and subtly sweet corn mac and cheese you can make entirely in your Instant Pot. Fresh corn is used in the pasta and the cheese sauce; you can also use frozen corn if not in season. Perfect family dinner or a side dish for potlucks, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter or big feasts.
Ingredients
3 fresh corns on the cob (or about 2 cups of corn kernels)
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0.5 lb / 220 grams macaroni pasta (or small elbow pasta)
4–5 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
For the cheese sauce
2/3 cup of corn kernels (from the cobs above)
1.5 cups milk of choice
1/4 cup butter (cubed)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garnish: Parsley and pepper
Instructions
- Slice the corn kernels off the cobs. Divide them into two halves. Add half of the fresh corn kernels to the Instant Pot together with 0.5 lb dry macaroni pasta, 1 litre of water, 1 teaspoon salt and a little oil. Reserve the rest of the corn for the cheese sauce.
- Stir the pasta and corn in the Instant Pot, pop the lid on top and lock. Set to Manual/Pressure Cook and set the time to just 1 Minute (at high pressure). This smaller pasta doesn’t take long to cook and you don’t want to overcook it. The Instant Pot will take 5-10 minutes to come to pressure, then the timer will start.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare ingredients for the sauce. Add the remaining fresh corn and milk to blender and process into a smooth liquid.
- Once done, allow no more than 5 minutes for natural pressure release. Then point the sealing valve to Venting to quickly release the remaining steam. We recommend holding a towel of the steam jet to catch any erupting foam, which is a normal occurrence when cooking pasta in the Instant Pot.
- Strain the pasta and set aside. Wash the inner pot, wipe and return to the base. Press the Saute function to start on the cheese sauce.
- Add butter to the pot, and once melted, stir in the flour to form the roux, which is a thickener for the sauce. As soon as the flour is incorporated into the butter, pour in the corn and milk mixture, stirring continuously until smooth and thick.
- Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and garlic powder and stir. Now add the grated cheese and stir until melted into the sauce. The sauce should be thick and glossy but if it feels too thick, you can add a little more milk to dilute it. Press Cancel to stop the Saute process.
- Add the pre-cooked pasta and corn and combine with the sauce. Serve while hot with fresh parsley and pepper on top.
Notes
Using frozen corn: Add about 1 cup of frozen corn to the pasta when cooking. To use in the sauce, defrost the corn first before blending with the milk. You can do this in a microwave or a bowl of hot water.
Baked macaroni and cheese casserole: Turn this recipe into a baked cheesy casserole. Transfer the ready corn mac and cheese to an oven-proof casserole dish. Top with more grated cheese and pop in a hot oven (430 F / 220 C) for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 477
- Sugar: 7.4 g
- Sodium: 980.2 mg
- Fat: 24.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 14.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 45.2 g
- Fiber: 2.4 g
- Protein: 20.2 g
- Cholesterol: 67.3 mg
MORE INSTANT POT PASTA RECIPES
- Classic Macaroni Salad With Peas & Ham
- Caesar Pasta Salad With Boiled Eggs & Cherry Tomatoes
- 10+ Delicious Creamy Pasta Recipes
- Summer Pasta With No-Cook Putanesca Sauce
SAVE THIS CORN MAC & CHEESE TO PINTEREST
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