Cheeseburger macaroni made in the Instant Pot is a quick and easy one-pot meal!
This Instant Pot cheeseburger macaroni recipe is an easy homemade version of Hamburger Helper, without a lot of extra effort!
Tender noodles combine with beef and a flavorful, creamy sauce for a delicious weeknight meal!
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UPDATED March 10, 2024
As much as I love cooking, there are days when I really don’t feel like doing it.
Sometimes I lack motivation or inspiration, sometimes our day is just busy, and sometimes I’m worn out by the time dinner rolls around.
That’s why one-pot meals are a life-saver these days.
I know we’re going to have to eat, so I prepare my meal plan in advance, and I try to include as many quick and easy meals as possible.
My Instant Pot has really helped to simplify mealtime, allowing many of our favorite meals to easily become one-pot meals that are ready in minutes.
This Instant Pot cheeseburger macaroni is one of those meals.
It’s one of my favorite Instant Pot ground beef recipes because it doesn’t require a ton of pots and pans or strange ingredients.
It’s super simple to make, and it is really tasty!
Copycat Hamburger Helper in the Instant Pot
As a kid, Hamburger Helper meals were a weeknight staple in my family.
These days, I love making homemade versions of our favorite convenience meals, because they’re usually cheaper, healthier, and tastier!
But, I still need plenty of easy meal options, because I can’t spend all day in the kitchen.
This cheeseburger macaroni is a perfect example of that–it’s a simple meal the whole family will love.
Basically a homemade Hamburger Helper!
However, I do have instructions for making Instant Pot Hamburger Helper from a box for those nights when you simply don’t have time for the homemade version!
I love the multi-functionality of the Instant Pot, which allows you to brown the beef in the same pot you pressure cook the noodles and seasonings in.
It’s almost too easy!
How to Make Easy Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
It’s really easy to make this simple recipe–which means it’s perfect for your busy weeknights!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Ground beef
- Elbow macaroni
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Montreal Steak seasoning
- Worcestershire sauce
- Petite diced tomatoes
- Water or beef broth
- Cheddar cheese condensed soup
- Colby Jack cheese
How to Make it:
(Full printable recipe card is available below)
Brown the beef. You’ll begin by using the Saute function of the Instant Pot (or other electric pressure cooker) to brown the ground beef in the insert pot, breaking the beef apart as it cooks.
If needed, drain excess grease.
Add noodles and seasonings. Layer in the macaroni noodles and seasonings over the beef, followed by the diced tomatoes and water/broth. Don’t stir!
Pressure cook. Next, you’ll cook all of that at high pressure for just 4 minutes.
Once the cooking time is complete, allow a natural release of pressure for 5 minutes, followed by a quick release of remaining pressure.
Add the cheese. Last, you’ll stir in some cheddar cheese condensed soup until combined, followed by some shredded cheese.
Stir until everything is melty, cheesy, creamy goodness.
Let it sit for a few minutes to allow the noodles to absorb a bit more liquid. The liquid will thicken more, too.
Serve it up with a side salad or vegetable of choice and you’re all set for dinner!
More Instant Pot Dinners You’ll Love:
- Pressure Cooker Chicken Fettucine Alfredo
- Instant Pot Shepherd’s Pie
- Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese with Ham
- Spaghetti and Meat Sauce in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
- The Best Pressure Cooker Chicken and Dumplings
- A Weeknight Favorite: Chili Mac in the Pressure Cooker
- Instant Pot Ground Beef and Potatoes Casserole
- Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup
Notes and Adaptations:
- When adding the macaroni, seasonings, tomatoes, and water to the pot, do not stir. You want the noodles to be resting on top of the ground beef.
- When adding the liquid, be sure to only add as much as you need to fully cover the macaroni to ensure proper cooking.
- I have not personally tried doubling this recipe, so I’m not sure how well it would work.
- I highly recommend shredding your own cheese, as it melts much better than pre-shredded cheese.
- You can select a different pasta than elbow macaroni–penne, rigatoni, farfalle, or rotini would work well. You may need to adjust cook time with different pasta shapes. The general rule of thumb for cook times when pressure cooking dry pasta is to look at what the pasta box recommends–if it says to boil it for 10 minutes, cut that time in half and subtract one minute to get your new cook time.
- Change up the flavor a little bit if you’d like–add some chili powder or hot sauce for a little kick. Stir in some sour cream after cooking if you want a bit more tang!
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container.
Recommended Equipment:
Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni
Instant Pot cheeseburger macaroni is a classic comfort food made easy, thanks to the pressure cooker! It's way better than what you'd get from a box!
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp Montreal Steak seasoning (or other steak seasoning of choice)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 14.5-oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 2/3 cups water (or beef broth)
- 10.5-oz can cheddar cheese condensed soup
- 1 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
Instructions
- Add ground beef to the insert pot of an Instant Pot. Use the Saute setting to brown beef, breaking it apart as it cooks. Once browned, drain off any excess grease and return beef to insert pot, spreading it evenly across bottom of the insert pot.
- Layer the macaroni on top of the ground beef. Do not stir.
- Add garlic powder, onion powder, steak seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce. Do not stir.
- Pour in tomatoes and enough water to just barely cover the macaroni (for me, this was about 1 2/3 cups, but you may need a little bit more or less). If necessary, gently press down any noodles to ensure they are covered with liquid.
- Close the lid and set the vent to the sealed position.
- Using the manual setting at high pressure, select a 4 minute cook time.
- Once cook time is complete, allow a 5 minute natural release, followed by a quick release of remaining pressure.
- Stir in the condensed soup until well combined. Add in shredded cheese, stirring until melted and combined.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- When adding the macaroni, seasonings, tomatoes, and water to the pot, do not stir. You want the noodles to be resting on top of the ground beef.
- When adding the liquid, be sure to only add as much as you need to fully cover the macaroni to ensure proper cooking.
- I have not personally tried doubling this recipe, so I'm not sure how well it would work.
- I highly recommend shredding your own cheese, as it melts much better than pre-shredded cheese.
- You can select a different pasta than elbow macaroni--penne, rigatoni, farfalle, or rotini would work well. You may need to adjust cook time with different pasta shapes. The general rule of thumb for cook times when pressure cooking dry pasta is to look at what the pasta box recommends--if it says to boil it for 10 minutes, cut that time in half and subtract one minute to get your new cook time.
- Change up the flavor a little bit if you'd like--add some chili powder or hot sauce for a little kick. Stir in some sour cream after cooking if you want a bit more tang!
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 553Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 135mgSodium: 897mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 39g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
Be sure to save this recipe to your Instant Pot board on Pinterest!
I made this dish for my family and we loved it!. I substituted ground turkey and cooked it with garlic and onions before adding the additional ingredients. Thank you for sharing this quick meal.
Thanks for sharing the tweaks that you made, Octavia! I’m so happy to hear you and your family loved it! 🙂
I accidentally used soy sauce instead of worchestire sauce. Here’s hoping no one notices #momfail
Haha! I’m sure it will be fine–the two are often fairly interchangeable! 🙂
I made this last night. My husband and I loved it! I thought it was a bit too watery at the end so I just added about another 1/2 cup or so of the shredded cheese and that worked.
We both like spicy foods so I’m going to try spicing it up a bit next time. Maybe some chili powder, red pepper flakes or sriracha!
Hi Lauri! I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed it–more cheese fixes everything, right? 🙂 Upping the spice is a great idea, too!
Made this tonight because it’s so darn cold in Western Pennsylvania! Turned out excellent! Very cheesy and we loved the tomatoes in it! I like a little hot so I shook a couple shakes of Crystal Louisiana hot sauce on mine and it took it right over the edge! So delicious Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jeannie! It’s perfect for a cold night! 🙂
I made this tonight and doubled the recipe and it was delish. next time I make it I am going to add more of the spices
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Donna!