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Instant Pot Smoked Sausage Mac and Cheese

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5 from 9 votes
25 minutes

This smoked sausage mac and cheese is a pressure cooked, one pot dinner made with Kielbasa or any smoked sausage. Family loved!

Wooden spoon stirring instant pot mac & cheese with smoked sausage. Pot is on gray background with blue and white striped linen, dry pasta noodles, and fresh parsley

Who can argue the convenience and deliciousness of mac and cheese with sausage made right in your pressure cooker? It's just like this mac n cheese, only it has smoked sausage added to it. It makes weeknight cooking not like cooking at all! If you like one-pot Instant Pot entrees, you'll love my chicken alfredo and tuna casserole as much as this kielbasa mac and cheese.

Table of Contents hide
1) Key ingredients
2) Smoked sausage mac and cheese pressure cooker instructions
3) What is Kielbasa?
4) Why we love sausage mac and cheese made in the pressure cooker
5) More 30 minute Instant Pot dinner recipes
6) Instant Pot Smoked Sausage Mac and Cheese

Key ingredients

Get recipe amounts in the printable recipe below

  • ziti pasta - or macaroni noodles
  • water - or broth
  • salt - sea salt or Kosher salt
  • butter - or cooking oil
  • kielbasa - or any smoked sausage
  • milk - any fat content
  • Dijon mustard - could use mustard powder too
  • cheddar cheese - preferably not pre-shredded
  • parsley - for garnish

Smoked sausage mac and cheese pressure cooker instructions

Get instructions in the printable recipe below

  1. Add dry pasta, water, sausage, and butter to the Instant Pot.
  2. Cook on HIGH pressure for 2 minutes with 10 minute (NPR) natural pressure release.
  3. Open the lid, remove Kielbasa, slice it, and return it to the pasta.
  4. Add milk, Dijon, and cheese. Gently stir the pasta until the cheese melts and sauce becomes creamy. Serve warm
Wooden spoon stirring instant pot mac & cheese with smoked sausage. Pot is on gray background with blue and white striped linen, dry pasta noodles, and fresh parsley

What is Kielbasa?

It’s a pre-cooked Polish sausage that's sold in retail packs at most grocery stores. In this recipe, we simply pressure cook it with the pasta, slice it, and add it back to the mac and cheese. You can use any smoked sausage for this recipe for a different flavor or texture, or due to limited availability.

Smoked sausage links nested on top of cooked macaroni noodles in the instant pot.

Why we love sausage mac and cheese made in the pressure cooker

  • budget-friendly comfort food in under 30 minutes
  • takes mac and cheese to a whole new level
  • perfect dinner recipe for busy weeknights
  • delicious and satisfying for the whole family
  • dump-start recipe with no prep required
  • no special cooking skills needed
Wooden spoon stirring instant pot mac & cheese with smoked sausage. Pot is on gray background with blue and white striped linen

More 30 minute Instant Pot dinner recipes

Wooden spoon stirring instant pot mac & cheese with smoked sausage. Pot is on gray background with blue and white striped linen

Instant Pot Smoked Sausage Mac and Cheese

This smoked sausage mac and cheese is a pressure cooked, one pot dinner made with Kielbasa or any smoked sausage. So easy and family loved!
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin
Prep: 5 minutes
Pressure Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 1-cup servings
Author: Traci The Kitchen Girl

INGREDIENTS
 

  • 8 ounces Ziti Pasta (or Elbow Macaroni), (about 2 cups)
  • 2 cups Water
  • ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
  • 2 (4 ounce) Kielbasa Links
  • 1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter, cut into cubes

Mac and Cheese Sauce Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup Milk
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard, optional
  • 8 ounces Cheddar Cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh Parsley, optional for garnish

Instructions
 

For the pasta and sausage

  • Add DRY PASTA, WATER, and SALT to the Instant Pot. Push pasta under the water to submerge it.
  • Place KIELBASA sausages on top of the pasta. Scatter BUTTER in the pot.
  • Secure the lid; turn pressure valve to "Sealing" and pressure cook on HIGH for 2 minutes followed by a full 10-minute natural pressure release (NPR). *See recipe notes
  • Safely turn pressure valve to "venting" position and release any remaining steam. Open the lid, transfer KIELBASA to a plate, slice into ¼" pieces, and add back to the pasta.

For the mac and cheese sauce

  • Add MILK, DIJON, and CHEDDAR CHEESE to the pasta, gently stirring until the cheese melts and sauce becomes creamy. * See recipe footnote about adding more cheese

Mac and cheese storage and reheat instructions

  • Store mac and cheese in an airtight container up to five days in the refrigerator.
    To reheat, add a splash of liquid to moisten the macaroni and reheat via stove or microwave, stirring as needed.
Tried this recipe? I'd love your review!Visit the comments below and tell me how it went.

Traci's Recipe Notes

Pressure cook time and NPR
  • Thicker pasta (macaroni, penne, rotini, etc) gets 2 minutes + 10 minute NPR.
  • Thinner pasta (shell, spaghetti noodles) gets 1 minute + 10 minute NPR.
Do not cut the 10 minute NPR (natural pressure release) short because it helps prevent splattering and, more importantly, the pasta is still cooking.
Want your mac and cheese cheesier?
Stir in additional cheese in 1 cup amounts, adding a splash of milk or water as needed to help smooth it out.
Kielbasa Tips
Caramelization hack - For enhanced flavor, slice the Kielbasa and saute it in the Instant Pot before pressure cooking it with the pasta. This will brown the surface and make it even more heavenly.
Substitutions - You can sub any smoked sausage, bratwurst, chorizo, or hot dogs using the same recipe instructions.

Equipment

NUTRITION

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 320kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 480mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 513IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 298mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.

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Comments

  1. Chantal says

    5 stars
    This is definitely a kids favorite and my go-to when I am short on time! It's super easy and delicious. I often double the amount because we love having it for leftovers. I actually discovered an even shorter shortcut, if you could imagine, for the sauce. Instead of adding flour and milk, put in a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. It pairs really well with the shredded cheese and comes out very creamy. Thank you Traci for the awesome recipe. This definitely makes the family weeknight list!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Awesome Chantal! So glad you're enjoying the recipe 🙂 There's no flour added to this one, but the mushroom soup is def an option. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. Cheers!

  2. Anna says

    This would not be nearly enough for our 5 adult family . Can I double everything and use the same cooking time?

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Hi Anna, sure can! As long as you have a 6 quart cooker or larger. Thanks for asking! Let me know if you have other questions...enjoy! 🙂

  3. Heather says

    Hi! I measured out 2 cups of dried macaroni- should I have used a whole 16oz box instead? It turned out too wet. Thank you!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Hi Heather, I wouldn't double because 1:1 macaroni and water is pretty standard for IP mac n cheese. Once cooked, there should be some liquid bc that (along with added milk and cheese) makes the cheese sauce creamy. Not sure what happened for you there but things to rule out would be A) shortened natural pressure release time B) different model cooker used C) different ingredients/measurements used.

  4. Suzie says

    5 stars
    This sounds wonderfully easy and delicious! Ca I add a vegetable? Maybe peas. How would this change the directions? Thanks!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Hi Suzie! Yep, you can add peas either before or after the pressure cook cycle. If you like your peas barely cooked, add them after. It's a quick pressure cook cycle so if you cook them with the pasta, they'll still be in tact, just not as bright green. Hope that helps...enjoy!

  5. Alexandra says

    5 stars
    Yum!! This made for such an easy and delicious dinner. I think this will be a regular in our household from now on.. who doesn’t love Mac and cheese!!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Yay, Alexandra! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you

  6. Mirlene says

    5 stars
    The flavor in this dish is phenomenal. Make this often for the kiddos and they absorb love it.

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Awesome, Mirlene! I love it when the family signs off

  7. Chris Collins says

    I'm always on the hunt for new mac and cheese recipes and this looks like a total winner! Can't wait to try it 🙂

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Awesome, Chris! Hope you love it!

  8. Shashi says

    Kielbasa most definitely takes mac and cheese to whole other level! Wow - so much flavor this comforting dish - bookmarking to try soon!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Yay Shashi! Hope you love it like we do 🙂

  9. Adriana says

    This is such a comforting dish like the idea of adding the sausage sounds delicious.

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Thanks, Adriana! It really is a comfort dish...so easy too!

  10. Jeff says

    5 stars
    Oh man, these smoky, meaty bites take macaroni and cheese to another level. And it really couldn't be easier for a minimalist cook like me. Gonna keep making this one!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Awesome, Jeff! Yes, keep on making it! Try it with different smoked sausage too

  11. Deanne says

    5 stars
    Our family loved this mac and cheese recipe. It was easy to make and something we all enjoyed!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Awesome, Deanne! I'm always happy when the family signs off on a Kielbasa recipe Who can resist mac and cheese LOL

  12. Erika says

    This sounds amazing! I love the kielbasa added to the mac and cheese. I can't wait to try this! 🙂

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Thanks, Erika! Hope you love it!

  13. Neli Howard says

    5 stars
    I’ll add this to my list for a fab fall dish! I love adding tasty sausage to different dishes. Looks great!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Awesome, Neli! Hope you love it

  14. Patricia @ Grab a Plate says

    Ohmygosh this looks so good! I love that it's a bit heartier than just plain old mac & cheese -- perfect for dinner!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Thanks, Patricia! Yep, Kielbasa adds that smoky flavor and hearty texture, for sure

  15. Elaine says

    5 stars
    I've got to admit, no matter how many mac'n'cheese recipes there are, I've got try every one of them! I just can never get tired of mac'n'cheese 🙂

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Thanks, Elaine! I can never get tired of mac n cheese either