• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

By Kelsey Smith logo

  • Recipes
    • Main Dish
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Instant Pot
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Vegetarian
  • Slow Cooker
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Slow Cooker
  • Instant Pot
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Slow Cooker
    • Instant Pot
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Main Dish

    Instant Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

    Published: Sep 20, 2021 · Modified: Aug 18, 2022 by Kelsey Smith

    80 shares
    • Facebook
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe

    This creamy Instant Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is the perfect savory fall comfort food and a one-pot meal. Top with crispy bacon.

    This recipe is for pumpkin lovers and non-pumpkin lovers alike. The pumpkin flavor isn't overpowering, it just adds a nice, thick and creamy texture to the cheese sauce.

    Serve this as your main dish alongside roasted veggies or a side salad, or serve as a side dish with Pesto Ranch Chicken Breasts.

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Bowl of pumpkin macaroni and cheese topped with cooked bacon bits with an Instant Pot in the background.

    For a vegan pumpkin macaroni and cheese recipe, try this Instant Pot recipe from My Heart Beets.

    Another great Instant Pot pasta recipe is my Cheeseburger Macaroni. Discover more Instant Pot recipes with bacon.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Equipment
    • Burn Error Tips
    • 📖 Recipe
    • Safety tips
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients

    I usually have the basic ingredients for pressure cooker macaroni and cheese on hand. Pumpkin mac and cheese just calls for a few additional ingredients.

    Ingredients: bacon, macaroni, chicken broth, butter, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper, shredded cheddar, shredded mozzarella, half and half, pumpkin puree.
    • bacon (optional)
    • elbow macaroni
    • chicken broth
    • unsalted butter
    • hot sauce
    • Worcestershire sauce
    • garlic powder
    • salt
    • ground black pepper
    • shredded cheddar cheese
    • shredded mozzarella cheese
    • half and half
    • pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions

    If adding the bacon (optional) cut or slice the bacon horizontally into thick chunks.

    Bacon cut horizontally into half inch chunks with kitchen scissors.
    I used kitchen scissors to cut the bacon.

    Using the sauté setting on the Instant Pot, add the bacon to a hot pot and cook until crisped to your liking. Cancel the sauté and remove the bacon (I use a slotted spoon to do so), setting it aside on a paper towel to drain.

    Cooked bacon chunks on a slotted spoon.
    Remove all of the cooked bacon chunks.

    Leave any remaining bacon grease in the bottom of the pot. Carefully deglaze with a small splash of broth, scraping the bottom of the pan thoroughly with a spatula. This will help you avoid a burn error.

    Add a small splash of broth to deglaze the pot.
    Thoroughly scrape the bottom of the pot.

    Add the uncooked elbow macaroni, chicken broth, butter, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the Instant Pot and stir.

    Uncooked elbow macaroni, chicken broth, butter, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in an Instant Pot liner.
    Stir to combine.

    Close the lid and set it to sealing. Pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking time begins. After the cooking time is complete, follow by a quick release.

    Tip: Do not be alarmed by the amount of liquid left after cooking. This is normal (see photo below) and will help create the cheese sauce.

    Macaroni after cooking in a small amount of liquid.
    This amount of liquid after cooking is perfectly normal.

    Add half of the half and half and half of the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, stirring until the cheese is melted.

    Cooked macaroni stirred with cheese and half and half.
    Add half of the half and half and cheese to make sure the cheese melts and coats the noodles evenly.

    Next, stir in the remaining cheese along with the pumpkin puree and cooked bacon chunks, reserving some of the bacon bits for topping. Slowly add the remaining half and half until you reach your desired consistency.

    Cooked pumpkin macaroni and cheese.
    Stir it up!

    Top with the remaining bacon bits and serve.

    Pumpkin mac and cheese with bacon bits on top.
    Enjoy!

    Hint: Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon bits after frying but use a flat spatula for deglazing the pot.

    Substitutions

    There's a lot of flexibility with this Instant Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Bacon recipe (or any macaroni and cheese recipe for that matter). Make it your own!

    • Bacon - Use your favorite bacon (e.g., thick cut bacon or turkey bacon) or skip the bacon altogether.
    • Pasta - I use elbow macaroni but I have also tested this with rotini and had good results.
    • Broth - I like the chicken broth in this recipe, I think it adds good flavor. Beef broth would be another good option. Water will work perfectly fine in a pinch.
    • Hot sauce - I use Cholula or Franks. It does not make the mac and cheese spicy, so do not worry if you're not a hot sauce fan.
    • Worcestershire sauce - I would say, if you don't already have this in your fridge, you can skip it and the recipe will still be tasty. It just adds a certain je ne sais quoi.
    • Half and half - This recipe would work well with milk or cream. Half and half is the perfect middle ground.
    • Cheese - Cheddar and mozzarella is my favorite mix, but you could go all-cheddar. You could also add in some shredded parmesan. Smoked gouda would be amazing.
    Close up of a bowl of pumpkin macaroni and cheese with cooked bacon bits scattered on top.

    Equipment

    I use a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo. I also recommend using a slotted spoon and a flat spatula for this recipe.

    I love using the Instant Pot for this recipe because it's a one-pot dinner. You can fry the bacon in a separate pan (or even bake it in the oven) while your macaroni is cooking instead, it just comes down to how much time you have and how many dishes you want to dirty.

    Burn Error Tips

    So here's the deal. With this recipe, you cook the bacon prior to pressure cooking the noodles, so there's a chance you will get a burn error if you don't properly deglaze the pan.

    See my step-by-step instructions with photos (above) for tips on deglazing. But, if you've done your best deglazing job and you still run into a burn error your dish might be okay!

    When the burn error beeps, give the Instant Pot a minute or so to sort itself out before you cancel the cooking time. Sometimes the error will go away and the pot will keep cooking.

    If the burn error does not go away after a minute or so, hit cancel on your pressure cooker and release the steam. Your pasta may already be cooked al dente anyway.

    📖 Recipe

    Instant Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Bacon
    Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved! Email Print

    Instant Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

    This creamy Instant Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is the perfect savory fall comfort food and a one-pot meal. Top with crispy bacon.
    5 from 1 vote
    Recipe by: Kelsey Smith
    Prep time: 10 minutes
    Cook time: 15 minutes
    Total time: 25 minutes
    Servings: 6

    Equipment

    • Pressure cooker

    Ingredients
      

    • 6 slices bacon uncooked, optional
    • 16 ounces elbow macaroni uncooked
    • 4 cups chicken broth
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
    • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
    • 1 cup half and half
    • 1 (14.5 oz) can pure pumpkin puree

    Instructions
     

    • If using bacon (optional), cut or slice the bacon horizontally into thick chunks.
    • Using the sauté setting on the Instant Pot, add the bacon to a hot pot and cook until crisped to your liking. Cancel the sauté and remove the bacon, setting it aside on a paper towel to drain.
    • Leave any remaining bacon grease in the bottom of the pot. Carefully deglaze with a small splash of broth, scraping the bottom of the pan thoroughly with a spatula. This will help you avoid a burn error.
    • Add the uncooked elbow macaroni, chicken broth, butter, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the Instant Pot and stir.
    • Close the lid and set it to sealing. Pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure before the cooking time begins. After the cooking time is complete, follow by a quick release.
    • Add half of the half and half and half of the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, stirring until the cheese is melted.
    • Next, stir in the remaining cheese along with the pumpkin puree and cooked bacon chunks, reserving some of the bacon bits for topping. Slowly add the remaining half and half until you reach your desired consistency.
    • Top with the remaining bacon bits and serve.

    Notes

    Nutrition was estimated using MyFitnessPal. Fat 27 g, Carbohydrate 72 g, Protein 30 g.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 642kcal
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: bacon, pasta, pumpkin
    Tried this recipe?Rate it to let me know how it was!

    Safety tips

    Always use caution when cooking raw meat. According to USDA.gov, it's difficult to determine the temperature of bacon, but if it is cooked crisp, it should have reached a safe temperature.

    • Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
    • Wash hands after touching raw meat
    • Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods

    And of course, follow the user manual for your Instant Pot.

    Instant Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with BaconInstant Pot Pumpkin Mac and Cheese with Bacon

    More Main Dish

    • 33 Sunday Dinner Ideas for Two
    • 51 Easy Friday Night Dinner Ideas
    • Creamy Kale Pasta
    • Chickpea and Spinach Curry

    About Kelsey Smith

    I am a freelance content writer for college-level textbooks by day, mommy by night, and a blogger in between. I live in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband, Xavier. When I'm not working on college textbooks, you might find me here, sharing recipes, social media tutorials, and more.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Kelsey says

      October 17, 2021 at 11:02 pm

      5 stars
      The salty bacon is a must, it's a great flavor combination.

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Photo of Kelsey Smith

    Hi, I'm Kelsey! I am a freelance content writer for college-level textbooks by day, mommy by night, and a blogger in between. I live in Knoxville, Tennessee with my husband, Xavier. When I'm not working, you might find me here, sharing easy comfort food recipes.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • 3-Ingredient Cherry Dump Cake
    • Blueberry Banana Spinach Smoothie
    • Instant Pot Tortellini Soup with Sausage
    • Rotel Chicken Spaghetti

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Shop My Amazon Store
    • Privacy Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up

    Follow Me

    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Facebook Recipe Group

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Kelsey Smith