This Buffalo Ranch Chicken Macaroni & Cheese is Ready in Minutes, thanks to the Instant Pot!

At our house, we love a good homemade macaroni and cheese. I’ve made them 97 different ways but I keep coming back to the Instant Pot cooking method because it’s just so easy.

It’s pretty simple – you cook the pasta in chicken stock and some other flavoring. In this case, I used Ranch dressing dry mix but I usually use brown or spicy mustard to give it a hint of tang. For this one, I used the Ranch dressing mix because it better complements the buffalo wing sauce and blue cheese crumbles.

After the Instant Pot cooks the pasta, you quickly release the pressure, open the lid and mix in the butter, cream/milk, cheeses and other ingredients.

Once you have this cooking the pasta in the Instant Pot method figured out, you can explore with different flavors and mix-ins.

Here’s my recipe for this scrumptious Buffalo Ranch Chicken Macaroni and Cheese!

VIDEO: How to Make Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Ranch Mac n Cheese

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Instant Pot Buffalo Ranch Chicken Mac and Cheese

Pardon me while I drown myself in this bowl of Buffalo Ranch Mac and Cheese. Like, please don't judge me. I won't judge you. 😉

Prep Time5

Cook Time7

Ingredients

1 lb. small shell pasta noodles
3 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp Ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup water
4 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Buffalo wing sauce
2 cups grilled or rotisserie chicken cut into bite size pieces
2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
blue cheese crumbles garnish
Side salad or veggies

Instructions

Whisk together the chicken stock and Ranch dressing mix in the Instant Pot insert. Add the pasta noodles, then add water so that the pasta noodles are covered. Press the noodles into the liquid. If needed, add 1/2 cup more water to cover all the noodles.
Set to Sealing.
Cook on Manual, High Pressure for 7 minutes.
Quick Release.
There might be a little liquid remaining, but it will thicken up as it evaporates and as the cheese sauce is made.
Stir in the butter, until melted. Pour in the heavy cream and Buffalo wing sauce and mix it well. Add the chicken and shredded cheeses and gently stir it in and incorporate, until creamy cheese sauce forms.
Serve Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese with crumbled blue cheese on top and favorite veggies or salad.

Notes

This makes 4 hefty main course servings, or 8 side dish servings.