This Creamy Air Fryer Mac and Cheese is made in your Air Fryer and you do not have to boil the noodles first. It’s a delicious side dish that can be made in your Air Fryer in about 20 minutes.
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Macaroni and cheese is something that happens quite often around our house. Whether it’s this creamy baked macaroni and cheese recipe or this white cheddar mac and cheese in the Instant Pot, we are a pasta-loving family and mac and cheese is a favorite.
I bet you’re wondering if you can make macaroni and cheese in your Air Fryer. The answer is a huge YES! Because I love my Air Fryer, I pondered on how I would make mac and cheese work in it. I knew a few things, I did not want to boil the noodles first and I wanted it to be a quick recipe. I’m glad to report that this recipe fits the bill.
How to Make Mac and Cheese in your Air Fryer
First, if using block cheese, which I highly recommend, shred it. I find that block cheese melts much better than the pre-shredded packaged kind.
Then combine uncooked elbow macaroni, water, heavy cream, mustard powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and about 3/4ths of the shredded cheese in a 7-inch pan that will fit in your Air Fryer and is deep enough to hold your macaroni. I use the cake pan that comes in this Air Fryer Accessory set. Stir until combined.
Place in your Air Fryer and cook on 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-20 minutes, stirring and adding the remainder of the cheese halfway through cooking.
Once done, your mac and cheese will look hot, bubbly, and watery. Please don’t stress, because….
Once you stir, it’ll start to thicken up.
And once you let it cool a bit, it’ll thicken up even more and you’ll have yummy creamy mac and cheese goodness.
Notes:
- I use sharp cheddar for this recipe but you can certainly add any combination of cheeses you like. Here’s a list of great cheeses for mac and cheese from the pros.
- The cheese will thicken while it cools. It’s a good idea to let it rest before digging in.
- Various air fryers will cook at different speeds so you’ll want to make sure you check it halfway through. My Phillips took a total of 18 minutes to complete this dish while my Nina Foodi took 20 minutes.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
What to serve this mac and cheese with?
You can also use this recipe to make these Air Fried Macaroni and Cheese Balls recipe
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Air Fryer Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup elbow macaroni
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese shredded and separated
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Combine elbow macaroni, water, heavy cream, ¾ of the cheese, dry mustard, kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder in a 7-inch pan that is deep enough to hold all the ingredients. Stir to combine.
- Place in Air Fryer basket and set Air Fryer on 360 degrees Fahrenheit. Set the timer for 18-20 minutes and start Air Fryer. Halfway through cooking, open the Air Fryer basket and add remaining cheese and stir. Close and continue cooking.
- Once the Air Fryer is done cooking, open Air Fryer and stir the mac and cheese. Remove the pan from the basket and allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes. The mac and cheese will thicken while it cools. Serve and Enjoy 🙂
Cindy Jenkins says
I saw this recipe and would love to try it. I have the Ninja Foodi Delux. Instead of bying a sepeate bowl for the mac, can I use the bowl that comes with the foodi (the one that the air fry basket sits in?
Tanya says
Hi Cindy, that should work fine. You may have to adjust the cook time by cooking a little longer to get the noodles al dente.
mamasylvis says
I was so sure this wouldn’t work but it did! My “air fryer” is the air fryer setting on the new Alexa smart oven and I didn’t have a suitable 7″ heatproof pan, so I used a Corelle casserols dish. I am just ecstatic at finding an EASY way to make good homemade mac ‘n’ cheese. Can’t wait to try other cheeses in it!
Catherine says
Yum! So good! Used kids’ pasta as I couldn’t find elbow macaroni and it was perfect.
Kelley Hensley says
I have to say, “Holy cow!!!” Fabulous. This is a keeper recipe. I am wondering, have you ever used different types of cheeses other than just sharp? Thanks. I have asked to join your Facebook page and am now following you on Pinterest. You go girl!!
Tanya says
Hi Kelley, Thank you! So glad you liked the mac and cheese. I haven’t tried any other cheeses in this air fryer mac yet but I like to put a little smoked gouda in other mac and cheese recipes. I bet parmesan and broccoli would be a nice substitute to this as well.
Kelley Hensley says
You must also be a psychic because I picked up some smoked gouda today and am currently going to do half sharp cheddar and half gouda with some bacon bits on top before serving. I am excited to look through your recipes for the air fryer. I do not have a pressure cooker. Yet! What kind do you have?
Are y’all going to get any rain or anything from the hurricane?
Tanya says
That sounds amazing Kelley. We’re expecting rain later on in the week. I’m hoping it doesn’t get too bad. I’m praying that it doesn’t do too much damage to the islands and the coast.
Cynthia Sweeney says
Is it like baked mac n cheese or like stovetop mac and cheese? Can I add an egg for it to be more like baked mnc?
Tanya says
Hi Cynthia, I’d say it’s not as wet as stovetop as the cream sauce thickens up quite a bit. So closer to baked. I haven’t tried adding an egg but I don’t think that would hurt it.
Meagen Brosius says
I’ve been dying to find a new Mac and cheese recipe and this one was amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my family eat dinner so quickly! We will definitely be making this again!
Tanya says
So glad you liked the recipe Meagen 🙂
Ashley says
I had no idea I could make mac and cheese in my air fryer until I tried this recipe. So good!
Pauline lewis says
I shall try that it looks delicious