Vegan Pressure Cooker Cheesy Macaroni

Ooey-gooey dairy-free Cheesy Macaroni is on the table in less than half an hour when you make it in your pressure cooker. Heather Nicholds shows you how in this super easy nondairy recipe from The Vegan Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook. Vegan mac and cheese is the ultimate comfort food dinner.

Electric Pressure Cookers

Using an electric pressure cooker can be complicated. I have an Instant Pot, and I don’t even bother trying to come up with my own recipes for it. I never know how long things need to cook, what kind of pressure foods require, or what type of release I should use. Since I rely on recipes from others when using it, I’m pretty excited about Heather Nichold’s new book The Vegan Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook.

The Vegan Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook

In The Vegan Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook, Heather demystifies these strange kitchen gadgets. She explains how they work, what all of the gizmos they contain do, and what all the buttons are for. Heather also explains the basics, making it easy to know what type of pressure to use to cook different foods. A kitchen safety guide is included, and misconceptions are debunked, too.

The Recipes

The recipes in The Vegan Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook are easy to make and use just 5 core ingredients. Ingredients that are found in just about any kitchen, such as salt, water, oil, vinegar, and dried spices aren’t counted as core ingredients. Most of the recipes are budget-friendly and use whole foods that can be found in just about any grocery store.

The recipes are organized according to what type of food they are. So, there’s a chapter dedicated to grains, one for beans, another for pastas, and so on. The dishes will get you from breakfast and lunch all the way through dinner and dessert. No one will be able to resist delicious dishes such as Thai Coconut-Chickpea Stew, Creamy Mushroom Rigatoni, or Fudgy Brownies!

Snacks and drinks are also included, and recipes such as Spinach-Artichoke Dip, Spicy Potato Bites with Avocado Dip, and White Bean Crostini are easy to make when the munchies strike. Heather also includes recipes for vegan basics, such as Tofu Feta, Steel-Cut Oat Milk, and Lentil Bolognese Sauce.

Chapters in The Vegan Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook Include:

• The Basics of Electric Pressure Cooking
• Get Going with Grains
• Basic Beans and Legumes
• Soups, Stews, and Chilis
• Pasta Perfection
• For the Love of Veggies
• Holidays and Social Gatherings
• Piece of Cake Desserts

Cheesy Macaroni

When I get a new cookbook, I usually gravitate to the mac and cheese recipe first. I was excited about trying Heather’s Cheesy Macaroni recipe, because I had never even considered making a dish like this in my Instant Pot before. It’s ridiculously easy to make!

To make vegan mac and cheese, you just place the pasta and cooking water in the bottom off your pressure cooker and then place the carrots and potatoes that become the “cheese” sauce in a steamer basket on a trivet above the pasta. It cooks on high pressure for 5 minutes and uses a quick release.

To make the sauce, you add the place the potatoes and carrots in your blender along with a few other ingredients, give it a good whirl, and dinner is ready!

You can cook the macaroni on your stovetop and use your pressure cooker for the sauce ingredients if you don't have a steamer basket.

If you have an electric pressure cooker and are looking for easy-to-make healthy recipes, you need The Vegan Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook!

Cheesy Macaroni

Heather Nicholds

This recipe uses the pot-in-pot method to make an ooey-gooey macaroni with vegan cheese sauce. If you don’t have a steamer, you can cook the macaroni on the stove as per the package directions.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 501 kcal

Equipment

• Electric Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 pound macaroni or other small pasta
• 5 ½ cups water divided
• ½ to 1 teaspoon salt plus more as needed
• 2 yellow potatoes or red potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 carrots scrubbed or peeled and cut into chunks (of similar size to the potatoes)
• ½ cup nondairy milk
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Pinch red pepper flakes or cayenne (optional)

Instructions

 

• In your electric pressure cooker’s cooking pot, combine the macaroni, 4 cups of water, and a pinch of salt.
• Place a trivet in the pot and put the potatoes and carrots in a steaming basket on top of the trivet. Close and lock the lid and ensure the pressure valve is sealed, then select High Pressure and set the time for 5 minutes.
• Once the cook time is complete, quick release the pressure, being careful not to get your fingers or face near the steam release.
• Once all the pressure has released, remove the lid and carefully pull out the steaming basket with the potatoes and carrots. Transfer to a blender and add the milk, remaining 1 ½ cups of water, salt, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes (if using). Purée until smooth. Stir the cheese sauce into the macaroni. Taste and season with more salt or other seasonings, if needed.

Notes

Ingredient tip: To get the texture of gooey cheese, use a waxy potato, such as red, yellow, or Yukon gold instead of a starchy russet or baking potato.

Recipe reprinted with permission from The Vegan Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Heather Nicholds.

Calories: 501kcal

Tried this recipe?Tag @diannewenz on Instagram!

If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also like:

•  
• Vegan Broccoli with Cheese Sauce
• Pumpkin Pasta Carbonara 
• Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
• Cheesy Primavera Mac