Try this Southwestern Mac and Cheese recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 3.58213444746652 g
- Cholesterol 2.0000000016907 mg
- Fat 0.718628889496076 g
- Fiber 0.68561112186073 g
- Protein 1.30228333443319 g
- Saturated Fat 0.385908889215025 g
- Serving Size 1 1 -8 serving (336g)
- Sodium 269.27155578318 mg
- Sugar 2.89652332560579 g
- Trans Fat 0.0713488889491906 g
- Calories 24 calories
Step-by-step
- Press Sauté; melt 1 tablespoon butter in Instant Pot®. Add onion; cook and stir 3 minutes or until softened. Stir in water, macaroni, tomatoes and salt; mix well.
- Secure lid and move pressure release valve to Sealing position. Press Manual or Pressure Cook; cook at high pressure 4 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, press Cancel and use quick release.
- Press Sauté; add 3 1/2 cups cheese, milk and remaining 3 tablespoons butter to pot. Stir until smooth and well blended. Stir in salsa. Press Cancel. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over pasta; let stand until melted.
Swapping standard cow's milk for evaporated milk alters the emulsion stability entirely, introducing higher protein concentrations that resist breaking under direct heat. While pressure cookers simplify starch gelatinization by forcing liquid into the pasta at temperatures exceeding standard boiling points, scaling these proportions requires precise mathematical adjustments rather than linear guessing.
- When doubling this recipe, do not double the water volume proportionally; reduce the total added liquid by roughly twenty percent to account for decreased steam loss ratios in larger pressure vessel capacities.
- Keep initial saute temperatures moderate when softening onions, aiming for a translucent appearance at the three-minute mark before introducing dry starches to prevent scorching on the stainless steel base.
- Reheat refrigerated leftovers gently on the stovetop over low heat while whisking in an extra tablespoon of milk to reconstitute the broken fat matrix formed by the melted cheese blend.
Starch molecules retrograde rapidly as temperature drops, meaning day-old portions demand moisture replenishment to restore fluidity. Careful attention to pressure release timings prevents the elbow macaroni from absorbing excess ambient liquid and turning pasty.
