Instant Pot Green Chile and Chicken Mac and Cheese

Recipe posted in: Flex Meals & Snacks, Lunches & Dinners, Main Courses
Cheesy pasta bites with hearty chicken and tasty green chile

Craving classic comfort food without the complicated recipe? The Instant Pot is infamous for making every meal easier to prepare, clean up and enjoy. That’s why we’re using it to take a childhood favorite to the next level!

If you want an easy, cheesy bowl of mac and cheese with a little kick and some extra protein, our Instant Pot Green Chile and Chicken Mac and Cheese recipe is a dish you have to try!

How To Cook The Instant Pot Mac and Cheese of Your Dreams

Like almost every mac and cheese recipe (except for our Cauliflower Mac and Cheese, of course), this one starts off with the star of the show: pasta. But not just any pasta! We use whole wheat elbow macaroni for the extra fiber, the classic shape and the delicious taste.

Pour two cups of dry whole wheat elbow pasta into your Instant Pot, along with two cups of water, one teaspoon of garlic powder (or more—we won’t judge!), a pinch of black pepper and a can of fire roasted diced green chiles. Make sure to drain the can of chiles before pouring them into the pot.

Place a lid on your Instant Pot, set it to SEAL and select MANUAL for four minutes. Once it’s finished cooking, let it release naturally for three minutes. After the three minutes is up, move the toggle to RELEASE.

The next step is our favorite part, because what’s mac and cheese without the cheese? We use a creamy and spicy combination of pepper jack cheese and reduced fat cheese spread (we love Laughing Cow brand!). Stir in four slices of pepper jack and three wedges of the cheese spread, plus a half-cup of nonfat milk. Keep mixing until the cheese is melted and thoroughly combined. Finally, gently fold one cup of cooked and diced chicken into your green chile mac and cheese before digging in! 

Tips for Healthy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese

This healthy Instant Pot Mac and Cheese recipe makes eight satisfying, smart-sized servings. Clocking in just under 200 calories per bowl, you can count this meal as one PowerFuel and one SmartCarb.

Healthy Hack: Did you know that you should be eating at least four servings of non-starchy vegetables each day on Nutrisystem? That may seem like a daunting task, but it’s easy when you have a tasty, versatile recipe like this Green Chile and Chicken Mac and Cheese!

You can easily add a serving or two of veggies to this simple Instant Pot meal. Simply pick out one or two (or a few!) of your favorite non-starchy vegetables and toss them in your bowl. We think this Instant Pot mac and cheese would be super tasty with the addition of broccoli, bell peppers, tomatoes or onions. Even a dark, leafy green like spinach is delicious in this easy dinner meal!

Other Healthy, Easy Instant Pot Dinner Recipes

Just like the Nutrisystem weight loss program, the Instant Pot makes meal prep easier than ever! That’s why we love it for whipping up healthy Flex meals in a snap. Check out the other tasty Instant Pot recipes below that fit into your Nutrisystem plan. Bonus: Even the family will love them!

Looking for more healthy meals without any prep work? Get started with a Nutrisystem weight loss plan today!

Servings: 8

Calories per Serving: 192

On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb and 1 PowerFuel

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups whole wheat elbow pasta. dry
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 1 can fire roasted diced green chiles, drained
  • 3 wedges of cheese spread, reduced fat (i.e. Laughing Cow)
  • 4 slices pepper jack cheese
  • ½ cup nonfat milk
  • 1 cup cooked chicken, diced

Directions:

  1. Add pasta, water, garlic powder, black pepper and green chiles to the Instant Pot.
  2. Place lid on Instant Pot and set to SEAL. Select MANUAL for 4 minutes. Once it is finished, let it release naturally for 3 minutes. After the 3 minutes, move the toggle to RELEASE.
  3. Remove lid and set the Instant Pot to sauté. Stir in cheeses and milk until melted and mixed.
  4. Gently fold in the chicken.
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