Instant Pot Chili Mac brings together the best of chili and mac and cheese all in one meal! Made with ground beef, pasta, cheese and chili seasonings, this fast one-pot meal is sure to become a family favourite!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time15 minutesmins
Inactive time15 minutesmins
Total Time40 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Instant Pot Chili Mac, Pressure Cooker Chili Mac
Prepare the spice mix. In a small bowl, mix the chili powder, cumin, sea salt, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Set aside.
Turn on the Sauté function on the Instant Pot. Heat olive oil then add the bell peppers and cook until softened but still tender-crisp. Turn off the Sauté function and transfer the bell peppers to a bowl and set aside. (Turning off the Sauté function during the transfer will help prevent the juices from the peppers from burning onto the bottom of the insert.)
Turn on the Sauté function again and add the ground beef. Cook until no longer pink, while breaking it up into smaller pieces, about 7 minutes. Add the diced onion and continue to cook for another minute, then add the spice mix and sauté for 30 seconds, making sure the spices evenly coat the beef. Turn off the Sauté function.
Add a small amount of broth to the beef and onion and deglaze the bottom of the insert. Use a plastic of wooden spatula to scrape up every bit of food that is stuck to the bottom. This is critical to avoid a burn warning.
Pour in the remaining broth then add the kidney beans, canned chilies and tomato paste. Add the elbow noodles last and push into the broth until just submerged. Do not stir.
Pressure cook on Manual high pressure for 4 minutes. It will take about 12 minutes to come to pressure. At the end of cooking time, carefully quick release the pressure. The noodles will look stuck together, but they're perfect once you stir. Stir in 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese and the reserved bell peppers. Scoop into bowls and top with some of the remaining cheddar. Serve immediately. Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.
Notes
Inactive time indicates time needed for Instant Pot to come to pressure and release pressure after cooking.