This cheesy pressure cooker chili mac is so good! Made with canned beans, elbow macaroni and ground beef it only takes 20 minutes to make in your Instant Pot or as a Ninja Foodi recipe.

We are all about easy Instant Pot recipes and our Ninja Foodi lately! Pop all the ingredients in for this pressure cooker cheesy chili mac and you have a one pot meal everyone will love. It's listed on our roundup of Ninja Foodi recipes but you can use any pressure cooker brand you like really.

If you have bookmarked our page you'll see instructions for our Instant Pot chili mac recipe. That has always been a fave, but this took it over the top! With the addition of some chiles, green onions, and lots of cheese you can taste the difference. Decide which one your family loves best. Or rotate them both during the week.

Ninja Foodi Chili Mac

Once we got this new multi cooker we wanted to add instructions for the Ninja as well. The only difference with this brand is that you need to use the lid that is not attached to cook everything but the last step of melting the top layer of cheese you will use the lid that is attached.

The base is our 5 ingredient crockpot chili recipe that we have used for years. It was one of our first blog posts and is still widely popular today. If you wanted a killer chili dinner you'd omit the noodles. It's a great way to pressure cook this cheesy chili mac with a quick cook time.

You will need to start with your cooking device, your pressure cooker or Ninja Foodi pressure cooker and air fryer. If you have an Instant Pot we HIGHLY suggest getting a non stick pot because it makes it less sensitive when cooking meat and noodles together.

Ingredient notes

As for the meat you can use ground beef but we highly suggest that you use Jimmy Dean Spicy ground sausage because it has a ton of flavor with a bit of heat to it. That is our preference but you could use ground beef if you prefer, the same way.

Can you use frozen ground beef?

You could first follow the directions for our Instant Pot frozen ground beefdrain, break up the meat and then start with the directions below. It is a great option when you forgot to defrost your meat.

A chopped yellow or white Onions are optional but great as well as we like to add a 4 oz. can of diced chiles with our dry package of Chili seasoning.

For the sauce you want to combine Tomato sauce with some petite Diced tomatoes which will make it nice and thick with some chunky elements of veggies.

We are going to make this with a can of Kidney beans. NO need to drain them, dump in and you are set. These are best because they hold up better under high pressure and won't break apart.

Elbow macaroni noodles is the preferred pasta but you could use any shape that was small in size. They will be added uncooked and will boil in the sauce and Beef broth to become nice and tender with everything else.

As for the Cheese We prefer sharp cheddar or cheddar and jack mix. It is best added at the end, you can stir some in and melt another layer on the top before serving.

Chili powder is optional to add some to increase spice level but if using spicy sausage we usually don't add it.

Chopped onions and ground meat are being sautéed in a pot with a wooden spoon. The ingredients are topped with a generous amount of ground spices, setting the stage for a delightful pressure cooker cheesy chili mac.

What else can you add?

There are other add-ins you could include if you wanted to make it loaded. A few favorites would be to add about 1 cup of a combination of the following ideas; Diced bell peppers – add with the onions are great in our 5 ingredient Instant Pot chili too.

Sriracha seasoning can be added for some real added heat and flavor. You could add another can of black beans if you love lots of beans. Sometimes we will use a can of Rotel – we would add in addition to the can of diced tomatoes so there's enough liquid. Bits of roasted jalapeno peppers – we are not that brave

You are going to use the saute function first to cook your meat until the outsides are no longer pink. It will continue to cook in the next process so you don't have to cook it 100% done. Then after that it is a dump and go kinda' meal!

A close-up of cheesy chili mac with beans and meat cooking in a white pressure cooker, viewed from above.

How Long to Cook Cheesy Chili Mac in Instant Pot

You will need about 4 minutes to saute the meat until it is no longer pink. Then once you add all the other ingredients and submerge the noodles you need 4 – 5 minutes until they are tender. If you like noodles soft go for the full 5.

When done we stirred in cheese, then sprinkled the same amount on the top and closed the air fryer lid on the Foodi. We checked it often and it took about 5 minutes at 390 degrees! OH MY was it good!!

Tips for Success

After you add all of your canned ingredients and broth, stir them up well. DO NOT stir your uncooked macaroni noodles in. gently submerge them into the liquid at the top (or else it may trigger the burn notice)

Should we drain the meat for chili?

We do not. This is a personal preference answer. We buy half a cow at the beginning of each year and freeze it to use all year long. Since it is so lean and organic there is hardly any fat that remains once it is browned anyway. What little is there we keep in the pot because it does add additional flavor to the overall dish. Even when we used to buy 80/20 ground beef we wouldn't drain it. It will be more bland if you do. A bit of fat is not harmful, all in moderation we say.

A top view of a ninja foodi reveals a good batch of cheesy chili mac, perfectly garnished with chopped green onions.

Cheesy Instant Pot Chili Mac Recipe

By This cheesy chili mac in Instant Pot or Ninja foodi pressure cooker is so good! Packed with flavor and taking only 20 minutes to make, you'll love it! Prep: 10 minutes minsCook: 5 minutes minsTotal: 15 minutes minsServings: 6 Save Recipe Saved! Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

1.5 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground beefor HOT Jimmy Dean ground sausage is best for a spicy flavor (or half and half)
1 small onion, diced
1 packet chili seasoning 1 oz
1 can tomato sauce 8 oz
1 can diced tomatoes 14.5 oz
1 can kidney beans 14.5 oz., not drained
1 can chiles, diced, 4 oz.
1 cup beef broth
1 cup elbow macaroni, uncooked
2 cup cheese, sharp cheddar is best
1/4-1/2 tsp chili powder, optional for heat

Instructions

Turn pressure cooker to saute (sear/brown on Crock Pot Express) and add olive oil, ground sausage or beef, and diced onions.
Cook until meat is no longer pink, adding packet of chili seasoning half way through cooking process. Turn pot off.
Dump in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, beef broth, chili powder if desired and stir.
Pour 1 measuring cup full of macaroni noodles on top and gently push down so they are submerged into the liquid. DO NOT stir.
Close your pressure cooker lid and close steam valve. Set to pressure high for 5 mintues.
Do a quick release and lift lid. Turn pot off. Stir in 1 cup of cheese so it melts. If you have a Ninja Foodi you can sprinkle the 2nd cup of cheese on top, close your air fryer lid and set to air crisp at 390 degrees for 5 minutes so cheese melts.
If you have an Instant Pot or Crock Pot Express you can stir in the 2nd cup of cheese or transfer to a baking dish, sprinkle cheese on top and put under your broiler for 4-5 minutes until cheese is melted and golden brown.
Serve!! This is over the top if you put a small dollop of sour cream on top of each serving too.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Entree, Main CourseCuisine: American Tried this recipe?Mention @thetypical_mom or tag #thetypicalmom!

How do you reheat chili mac?

It will keep in the fridge for up to four days, or in the freezer for up to four months. Store it in airtight containers, then thaw and pop into the microwave until steaming hot. Or transfer to an oven safe dish straight from the freezer to the oven and bake at 375 degrees until bubbling hot throughout.