Cooking With Karli

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Dump and Start Instant Pot Alfredo

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Instant Pot Dump and Start Alfredo made completely from scratch in under 20 minutes! This rich, creamy & dreamy meal is picky eater and kid friendly- making this meal a no-brainer!

Instant Pot Dump and Start Alfredo made completely from scratch in under 20 minutes! This rich, creamy & dreamy meal is picky eater and kid friendly- making this meal a no-brainer!

Watch how easy it is to make Alfredo in your Instant Pot in this video!

Alfredo. Do you know what is better than alfredo? Alfredo made from scratch in under 20 minutes..with only 5 (okay, 7 if you count salt & pepper) ingredients? Yeah, I went there.

We eat this for dinner probably once a week because it is seriously SO delicious! I try to save it for a day of the week where I know I will be short on time, but let’s be honest, it’s so good that I will make it even when I’ve got all the time in the world.

This is a fool-proof recipe- great for newbies, seasoned Instant Potters, and totally kid approved!

Instant Pot Dump and Start Alfredo made completely from scratch in under 20 minutes! This rich, creamy & dreamy meal is picky eater and kid friendly- making this meal a no-brainer!

Okay, let’s do this thang.

Chicken broth, heavy cream, minced garlic, salt, pepper & noodles broken in half go into the pot. Make sure that all of the noodles are covered in liquid.

Manual high pressure for 6 minutes. (I like my noodles with a little bite to them, if you like yours softer I’d recommend cooking for a minute or two longer.) Let it naturally release the pressure for 6 minutes. The display will read L0:06 and then you can quick release.

It will be very liquidy when you take the lid off. That is a-okay and totally normal. Let it sit and cool for about a minute or so (very important!!)  and then add in some parmesan cheese. You’ll want the real thing. None of that powdered stuff.

Gradually stir in the cheese. The cheese will melt into the sauce and thicken it.

Instant Pot Dump and Start Alfredo made completely from scratch in under 20 minutes! This rich, creamy & dreamy meal is picky eater and kid friendly- making this meal a no-brainer!

Aaaand then, serve it up and say Bon Appetit! Serve alongside some Oven Roasted Broccoli!

Want something a little lighter? Try my Skinny Alfredo!

 

Instant Pot Dump and Start Alfredo made completely from scratch in under 20 minutes! This rich, creamy & dreamy meal is picky eater and kid friendly- making this meal a no-brainer!

Don’t want to use heavy cream? Check out the Skinny version of this recipe!

Dump and Start Instant Pot Alfredo

Dump and Start Instant Pot Alfredo

Yield: 4 people
Prep Time: 4 minutes
Cook Time: 6 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Perfectly delicious alfredo in under 20 minutes!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tsp minced garlic, dried
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 lb dry linguine noodles, broken in half
  • 3/4-1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Instructions

  1. Add the broth, cream, garlic, salt, pepper and noodles to the instant pot in that order. DO NOT STIR, but make sure all noodles are covered. If you need to move some noodles around, thats okay.
  2. Set your Instant Pot to Manual for 6 minutes (I like my noodles with a little bite to them, if you like yours softer I'd recommend cooking for a minute or two longer) and then let it naturally release its pressure for an additional 6 minutes then quick release.
  3. Let the noodles and sauce sit for a minute or so. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. Your cheese will not melt into the sauce if it doesn't cool for a minute or two.
  4. Gradually stir in the parmesan cheese.
  5. It's ready to eat, Enjoy!

Notes

This recipe can easily be doubled!

Leftovers are best when you add a splash of milk in after it is reheated.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 511 Total Fat: 37g Saturated Fat: 23g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 11g Cholesterol: 114mg Sodium: 700mg Carbohydrates: 31g Fiber: 2g Sugar: 4g Protein: 14g
© Karli
Category: Main Course

Dump and Start Instant Pot Alfredo

(Printable Recipe Below)

Perfectly delicious alfredo in under 20 minutes!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 tsp minced garlic dried
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 lb dry linguine noodles broken in half
  • 3/4-1 cup parmesan cheese shredded

Instructions

  1. Add the broth, cream, garlic, salt, pepper and noodles to the instant pot in that order. DO NOT STIR, but make sure all noodles are covered. If you need to move some noodles around, thats okay.
  2. Set your Instant Pot to Manual for 6 minutes (I like my noodles with a little bite to them, if you like yours softer I’d recommend cooking for a minute or two longer) and then let it naturally release its pressure for an additional 6 minutes then quick release.
  3. Let the noodles and sauce sit for a minute or so. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. Your cheese will not melt into the sauce if it doesn’t cool for a minute or two.
  4. Gradually stir in the parmesan cheese.
  5. It’s ready to eat, Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

This recipe can easily be doubled!

Leftovers are best when you add a splash of milk in after it is reheated.


  

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I made this tonight and it was delicious. I went by the recipient to a T. The cheese still stuck together. What did I do wrong?

    Reply

    • Hi Linda- did you use the pre-shredded cheese or did you shred the cheese yourself? Sometimes the pre-shredded doesn’t like to melt in very nicely. If that does happen next time, turn the Instant Pot onto sauté and heat everything up again and it usually helps melt the cheese is it’s being a little stubborn. ?

      Reply

        • Hi Shirley- the reason for not stirring is so the pasta doesn’t get stuck to the bottom of the pot. There needs to be a little liquid underneath the pasta and if it gets stirred around the pasta seems to sink to the bottom and stick.

          Reply

  2. I LOVE this recipe! I follow the recipe as written, but double it because the leftovers are so good for lunch the next day. I will usually cook some shrimp scampi in my cast iorn skillet, and add it in at the end. It’s definitely a hit in our house!

    Reply


  3. This is an excellent recipe and a huge favorite of my family. Simple and easy ingredients I try to keep on hand. I got a special request to make that great Alfredo for my teen daughter and her friends and they all loved it!

    Reply


  4. wow this turned out pretty good.. I changed a few things as pertaining to what i had in the fridge.
    sliced up chicken and sauted for 3-4 min first, threw in cut up mushrooms and sauted with the chicken for another 1-2 min. turned off the saute but left the chicken and mushrooms in the pot.
    Followed the order of chicken broth (used 2cups).. I didnt have cream so i took a can of mushroom soup and mixed in with some milk to equal 2 cups, fresh minced garlic on top, salt and pepper, then penne pasta noodles (enough that all the noodles were mostly covered by the liquid. Set manual 6 min, natural release 5-6 min. Opened lid to let it cool for 2-3 min then stirred in 1/2-3/4 cup marble cheese mixed with 1/2cup parmasean cheese.
    Thanks for the recipe! Definitely going in the recipe box 🙂

    Reply


  7. This is a great way to use up the end of a heavy cream container. I used as much cream as I had and then finished up the measurement with half and half. Really tasty! I added in left over broccoli after cooking and it made for a lovely lunch. Thanks so much!

    Reply


  8. I just found this recipe 2 weeks ago and we’ve already made it twice. It’s delicious and tastes so much more authentic than the jarred sauce I’ve been using for years. My very picked 10 year old even loves it and now requests “Mom’s chicken alfredo” for every meal. I’m doubling the batch and making it for a large family dinner tomorrow and I can’t wait to hear what everyone says about it!

    For those who want to add chicken – I started with cooking the chicken using the sauté function, until it’s just about done. Then I take the chicken out, rinse out the insert and layer the sauce and noodles as instructed. Then I top with chicken and cook. It’s turned out great both times!

    Reply


  9. I have tried many Instant Pot homemade alfredo recipes in the past that were either so-so to down right horrible. This is soooooo delicious! My only problem is that it didn’t make enough. It was so good that everyone wanted seconds! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

    • Hi Crystal! If you’d like to cut the recipe in half, just follow the recipe instructions exactly, but use half the ingredients. The cook time will stay the same. ?

      Reply

      • Hi Karli. This sounds wonderful. I just got my a 3 quart Instant Pot. (Which I haven’t tried yet. Do I need to cut the recipe in half or will it fit? Thanks.

        Reply

        • You should be fine, Judith! Just watch it as it releases the pressure. Since you are using a smaller pot you will have a bigger chance of liquid coming out of the vent. If that does start to happen, just seal it back up and wait another minute for things to settle down before trying again.

          Reply

  12. Cut the recipe in half – perfect for two people with a 3rd serving for leftovers. A very easy and delicious recipe. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  13. Followed it exactly, but added 2 minutes for softer noodles. The flavor was fantastic, but noodles were stuck together and still crunchy. 🙁 Any suggestions?!

    Reply

    • Hi Tiffany- it sounds like either your Pot didn’t come to pressure correctly or your Pot was set to low pressure instead of high pressure. Give it another go, you are the first to report having undercooked noodles, some people actually cook for less time because they prefer them more al dente. Give it another shot, make sure the pot is set to high pressure & that the pin pops up indicating that the pot has come to pressure and you should be golden. ?

      Reply

    • Hi Janice! If you have an 8 qt, you should be able to triple with out any issues. I would just keep an eye on the pot while releasing the pressure, with the extra pasta in there (which means more start he than normal) it may bubble up and start coming out of the vent. If that begins to happen, quickly close the vent with the back of a spoon and let it sit for an additional minute or so before trying again. ?

      Reply

  15. There have been several comments made in a post in the Dump and Push Start fb Group regarding the heavy cream in this recipe being one of the first ingredients added to the inner pot immediately before the pressure cooking phase. A couple of members outright said they wouldn’t use the recipe for that reason—when all that would be necessary to quell their fears about burn messages andor failure to pressurize would be to add the cream in after the pressure cooking is done together with the parmesan cheese; which is what I’m going to do. My newest 8qt Ultra is very, very sensitive to those wretched burn messages. Thought you might want to know the potheads are getting restless, LOL

    Reply

    • Hi Tanis! Thanks for the heads up! They are correct that most dairy should not be used under pressure because it has the tendency to curdle (not burn) BUT heavy cream has enough fat to stabilize it while under pressure and will not curdle. Still, if you’d rather add it afterwards, up your chicken broth to 2 1/2- 3 cups. There needs to be the same amount of liquid in the pot in order for all of the pasta to cook. The pasta should be covered by liquid before cooking or else some of the pasta will come out crunchy. I want to assure you though, you will be 100% successful with this recipe as written. I have made it literally over 100 times and have never had a bad batch. ? I’ve tried to find that fb thread so I can explain how heavy cream is okay but I can’t seem to find it. Thanks for keeping an eye out for me! ❤️ hope you enjoy!

      Reply

      • Mine had the dreaded “burn” but it was my second time using it and forgot to closeness the sealing vent. ??‍♀️ Going to try again tonight but my kids requested penne pasta. Do you think it will work with penne and will the time will be the same? Thanks!

        Reply

        • The burn definitely came from leaving the vent open. All of the liquid boiled out! You could definitely substitute penne! Same cook time.

          Reply

    • Hi Jennifer! Half and half will curdle if cooked under pressure. Search for my Skinny Alfredo Recipe and use that method and you can substitute the half and half for the evaporated milk in that recipe. Hope this helps!

      Reply

  19. I’m making this for dinner tonight (2nd time fixing it), but this time I’m doubling it as everyone in my family loved it so much. My question is, do I need to double the time since it’s doubled or do I stay with the 6-7 minutes?

    Reply

    • Hi Natalie- I like to roast my broccoli in the oven while the Instant Pot is cooking the pasta. Broccoli cooks for 0 minute in the Instant Pot so cooking it with the pasta would turn it to mush.

      Reply

  21. “. . . with the extra pasta in there (which means more start he than normal) it may bubble up and start coming out of the vent. If that begins to happen, quickly close the vent with the back of a spoon and let it sit for an additional minute or so before trying again.”

    Oh boy, that happened to me tonight. I have a 6 qt Ultra and this is the 4th thing I’ve attempted. Two nights ago I had a disaster with chicken and rice. Apparently you’re not supposed to stir the rice And the mixture was too thick. There’s a definite learning curve here!

    I’m wondering what made my spew since it definitely wasn’t overfilled. I did let it naturally release for 6 minutes and then my kitchen was covered in sauce when I went to manual, lol. Wish I’d known about the closing the vent thing instead of standing there like a dummy going, “uuuuh, something’s not right.” I’m usually the gal with a plan but that threw me. Everything turned out fine and we didn’t go hungry, but there Was additional clean up. 😀

    I threw two curve balls into the mix. I didn’t have broth so I went with 1½ c water and about half a Tbs of butter. I seared chicken prior to pouring everything else in and I did not stir after adding the liquids – I let the noodles sink in. Thus far I’m failing at proving to my husband that this was The kitchen item to have; however, the mishaps are making for good stories (at my expense!).

    Reply

    • I’m sorry you were left with a mess!! Think about what happens to pasta when boiled on the stove with the lid on.. you know how the starches bubble up and likes to overflow?? This happens inside of the Instant Pot! Which is why we NPR it. When doubling the recipe, you are doubling the starch which is why this happened. Next time, just let it NPR for a few extra minutes and you’ll be golden. ❤️

      Reply

  22. Could I use elbow macaroni instead? Would I still use a 1/2 pound of the elbows (since it calls for 1/2 pound of dry linguine), or the whole box…which is one pound?

    Reply

    • You will want to use 1/2 lb of elbow macaroni noodles and then make the recipe according to how it is written. 😊

      Reply

  23. I made this tonight, followed the directions to a t. I took skinless chicken breast seasoned with a little garlic salt and pepper and fried in a pan with a little olive oil while the instant pot was cooking the noodles. When done I cut up the chicken breast and put on top of plated noodles. Omg this was to die for, it was just as good as olive gardens, everyone loved it.

    Reply

  24. I followed the recipe precisely and it tasted very good. For my family’s taste, the sauce was a little soupy and they don’t care for chicken broth flavor. So my question… If I were to omit most or all of the broth, would I increase cream by that full amount? With cream being so much thicker, I wasn’t sure. Or, is some runnier broth (or water?) required for proper pasta cooking? Thank you!

    Reply

    • It sounds like the cheese didn’t melt into the sauce correctly, did you let it sit for a few minutes before adding the cheese? And then slowly add it when you do? You could definitely substitute some water for the broth if you’d like. 😊

      Reply

  25. I tried this tonight and OMG it was delicious 😍 i only had half and half but it tasted perfect and i added a little extra at the end so it looked less curdled. SO yummy. Thank you!

    Reply

  26. I think I have a silly question, but I have seen several comments about adding frozen chicken tenders to the top. Does it work the same way for fresh chicken tenders? I’m wanting to make the dish tonight and will not have enough time to freeze them.

    Reply

    • Hey Melissa! Fresh chicken tenders don’t take quite as long to cook, so they may be slightly over cooked. I might suggest using spaghetti noodles instead of linguine and cooking it for 3 min HP with a 6 min NPR. That way the chicken and pasta will be cooked for the correct amount of time. 😊

      Reply

      • I have made this note times than I can count, always perfect and always rave reviews! My picky 10 year old son says that this is “better than ice cream!” Which says A LOT! Making is again tonight for his special birthday dinner. Thanks for this amazing and easy recipe! I like to add to mine…tonight grilled chicken, sautéed mushrooms, and steamed broccoli…all done while the noodles and sauce are cooking! So easy

        Reply

        • Aww, thanks so much for the kind comment, Karey!! I am so happy you have found something your picky eater loves! I know how tough that can be. Than you for taking the time to comment!

          Reply

  27. Delicious! I made it yesterday. At the end I stirred in some thawd frozen cooked salad shrimp and broccoli that I had warmed in the microwave. It will be perfect for the mini. If I’m expecting company, next time I’ll double it for my 6 qt.

    Reply

  28. Thank you Karli for such an excellent recipe! I made it tonight for supper and doubled it (so glad I did). My son loved it and had two servings. It was so easy to make. Thanks again

    Reply

  29. This is my second time making this, super simple and my husband raves about it! He’s an Alfredo lover. Both times I’ve added one pound raw chicken tenderloins. After all is done, they neatly shred when stirring the cheese. Such a great week night recipe!

    Reply

  30. I just found out I have a wheat/soy/nut/coconut allergy, so options have been limited. I came across this recipe and used rice/corn pasta and cooked the pasta for 7 minutes instead of 6. It is SO delicious, al dente perfection! Thank you! I never thought I would eat pasta again! I will be making this every week.

    Reply

  31. If you are doubling this recipe, do you still only pressure it for 6 min? I made it once already as written and it was fabulous.

    Reply

  33. You know it’s a hit in our house when we eat this almost weekly, and husband asks for it!!
    Usually I bake some chicken in butter and garlic and cut it up on top, but it’s good as a meatless dish, too. We never have leftovers, it’s so good 😄

    Reply

  34. I actually made this with our whole raw goats milk and chicken bone broth and it’s really amazing. The milk didn’t curdle, but our girls also have high butterfat levels in their milk. Great recipe!

    Reply

  35. I’m hosting a baby shower this weekend and with these rave reviews, I’m trusting this recipe to be a crowd pleaser! I am planning to double recipe, and try to decrease amount of heavy cream. I have read above comments re: curdling and fat content. If I double recipe as written but use 1.5c heavy cream and 1.5 c half &half, do you think It will curdle? Nervous to change too much and mess it up for the party! Also, planning on using a ziti instead of linguini – easier for serving purposes but it sounds like that shouldn’t affect cooking time? Haven’t cooked a ton in my instant pot so still perfecting it all! Thanks for the recipe and insight on these questions.

    Reply

    • Hi Danielle- I wouldn’t suggest substituting half of the cream with half and half, especially when it will be served at a party. There would be a risk of the dairy curdling, which would be a huge bummer!! I do have a skinny version of the recipe that uses evaporated milk instead. You could use the Skinny Version’s method and add half and half that way. You will be fine to double the recipe and ziti noodles cook for the same cook time. 🙂 Let me know if you have any questions! https://cookingwithkarli.com/instant-pot-skinny-alfredo/

      Reply

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