Unstuffed mushroom mac and cheese (Instant Pot)

My favorite stuffed mushrooms involve stuffing a mixture of garlic, herbs, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and breadcrumbs into button mushroom caps, kinda like this recipe. However, if you've read my blog before, you'll know that I'm quite a lazy cook and usually like to avoid stuffing little things into other little things, hence my recent unstuffed peppers recipe. 

Along these lines, I developed a mac and cheese recipe with all the flavors of stuffed mushrooms without any of the futzing. The recipe starts with 2 pounds of mushrooms, which are cooked in the Instant Pot with garlic, herbs, and pasta. Next, I stir in cream cheese and Italian cheeses, plus herbaceous parsley. Finally, to mimic the crunchy stuffed mushroom tops, I garnish each serving with breadcrumbs for crunchy texture. There you have it! Stuffed mushroom vibes in a 20-minute one-pot meal!

Unstuffed mushroom mac and cheese

1 T butter

2 lbs sliced or quartered mushrooms (such as white, cremini, shitake, wild, etc.)

1 T minced garlic

4 cups water 
1 1/2 t salt 

1 1/2 t Italian seasoning 

black pepper to taste 

1 lb pasta (macaroni, shells, gemelli, rotini)

8 oz. cream cheese (I use reduced fat)

8 oz shredded Italian cheese (approximately 2 cups) I like an Italian cheese mix with Parmesan

bunch parsley, chopped

1 T lemon juice, optional

panko or Italian breadcrumbs, to garnish

In Instant Pot, sauté mushrooms in butter until softened and somewhat browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds. Stir in water, salt, Italian seasoning, pepper, and pasta. Seal Instant Pot and set to 4 minutes on high pressure. Do a quick pressure release when finished cooking. 

Stir in cheese, parsley, and optional lemon juice until sauce is melted and thickened. If sauce is too liquid, let it stand for a few minutes. The pasta will absorb the excess moisture. If pasta is too dry, add more water until desired consistency is reached. Top each serving with breadcrumbs.

Serves 7.