This 5 ingredient Instant Pot cheesy potatoes recipe is one I couldn’t wait to test out. I have a recipe for cheesy potatoes made in a slow cooker that is super delicious which has hundreds of positive reviews, readers were always asking if cheesy potatoes could be made in an Instant Pot and sure enough, they can be!
I’ve made cheesy potatoes in a slow cooker for years (check out the recipe here) and that recipe has always been a hit at home and at parties. So, I thought I should give it a try in an Instant Pot to see if I could create cheesy, delicious potatoes in a fraction of the time.
What ingredients do I need for cheesy potatoes?
- Frozen diced potatoes
- Sour cream
- Cream of chicken soup
- Garlic salt
- Cheddar jack cheese
I would say the most important note in this recipe is to NOT get creative with cheese choice. A lot of times, I love to get creative with what ingredients one has on-hand, but this is one recipe to ensure you have cheddar jack cheese. And for good reason!
Cheddar jack is a non-greasy cheese, so that’s the best option for the dish. Otherwise the potatoes take on a kind of greasy texture (in my opinion).
Can you make cheesy potatoes in an Instant Pot?
Yes you can! The best Instant Pot cheesy potatoes are made by cooking potatoes in the Instant Pot, and then adding in a delicious mixture of cheese/sour cream/cream of chicken (or if vegetarian you can use cream of mushroom!) and cooking it all together.
I love serving these cheesy potatoes at parties because it’s easy to make a large batch. I already have them noted to make for a few upcoming holiday gatherings I know we’ll be a part of. But, they are also great alongside your favorite burger.
Some people love a crunchy layer on top and these potatoes would be perfect for that. Sometimes I like to add crackers (buttery Ritz cracker, crumbled up), corn flakes or even bacon! If you like the crispy layer, you could just add the crackers on top, OR, spoon the potatoes into a flameproof baking dish, sprinkle with 1 cup panko bread crumbs and then broil for a few minutes, until the bread crumbs are golden brown.
Not only is the 5 ingredient Instant Pot cheesy potatoes recipe super easy to make, but it only uses a few simple ingredients and is perfect for this weeks’ Five Ingredient Friday recipe. Plus, if you’re looking to make it vegetarian, simply make it using a cream of mushroom or cream of celery soup in place of the cream of chicken. It’s as easy as that!
5 Ingredient Instant Pot Cheesy Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups water divided
- 1 bag frozen diced potatoes 32 oz. Or 2 lbs. diced potatoes
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 can cream of chicken soup 10.5 oz.
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 2 cups cheddar jack cheese shredded
Instructions
- Coat your Instant Pot with cooking spray (or with a light layer of oil). This step is important to keep the potatoes from burning.
- Pour 3 1/2 cups water into the Instant Pot.
- Add potatoes into the Instant Pot
- Secure the lid and set the pressure release valve to sealing. Set the Instant Pot to manual, high pressure, for 5 minutes.
- While the potatoes cook, in a bowl, mix sour cream, cream of chicken soup, 1/2 cup water, shredded cheese and garlic salt.
- Perform a quick release by moving the pressure valve to venting. DO NOT do a natural release, the potatoes will be too mushy. If there is excess water, drain it (careful, the IP is hot!)
- Open the pot and stir in the cheesey mixture. Let sit for 3-5 minutes until warm throughout and cheese has melted. Stir and serve.
Bettina R Baer says
This worked! Amazing! I was sceptical but had very little time to make my dish so I tried it and I never got a burn notice on my instant pot + it was the #1 at our gathering!!!👍👍
Thank you!!
P.S. I didn’t have frozen potatoes so I had to peal cut and whole potatoes and I boiled them for 10 min and drained , and just added that I to the instant pot
Sweetphi says
YAY, I’m so glad that you loved this recipe, thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a lovely comment!
Bettina R Baer says
This worked! Amazing! I was sceptical but had very little time to make my dish so I tried it and I never got a burn notice on my instant pot + it was the #1 at our gathering!!!👍👍
Thank you!!
Robin says
Potatoes turned to mush even with a quick release. Even reduced time from 5 to 3 mins. Should the potatoes be in the water or above the water?
Sweetphi says
Sorry these didn’t turn out for you, the potatoes should be above the water.
Hannah says
Really awful. Basically turned into potato soup.
Sweetphi says
Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear this. Can I ask, did you drain the potatoes? I find that if there’s too much water left in them they are more on the runny side. Regardless, sorry they didn’t turn out for you.
Ellen B says
The author needs to go over this recipe.
The last three steps don’t make sense.
It doesn’t say when to add the shredded cheese.
And the cook time for the potato’s seems off.
Sweetphi says
Oh my goodness Ellen, so sorry, it seems that the last two steps of the recipe got jumbled. It’s been corrected now. It should be make the potatoes, then add the remaining ingredients, and enjoy!
Kristen says
Hey can you clear up some questions I have about the recipe? Reading it, it says you add the cheese mixture then stir it and serve it. But then there are more steps. I’m assuming you are steaming the potatoes then adding the cheese mixture and cooking again? There is also not a pressure amount of time listed for the second pressure cooking round, it just says do a quick release? Hopefully this makes sense haha. Would love to make this for Easter tomorrow!
Sweetphi says
Hi, I am so sorry that I’m only replying now. The last few steps somehow got jumbled in the recipe card, but yes all your assumptions were correct. Hopefully you enjoyed this recipe, so sorry again!
Sara Zielinski says
This looks like an amazing recipe.
Sweetphi says
I think you’d love them, you’ll have to tell me how you like them 🙂
Sweetphi says
Thank you so much for your comment. Mine cooked exactly as written, I’m assuming the water released from the frozen potatoes mixed with the sour cream/condensed soup, but I’m going to add a 1/2 cup of water to the instructions in case anyone else runs into an issue with their instant pot. You’d add the water when mixing the sour cream and condensed soup.