Cafeteria noodles are a Midwestern comfort dish made with egg noodles and other inexpensive ingredients. This Instant Pot version cooks up in less than 10 minutes from start to finish.
You will love the flavor of these easy cafeteria noodles, which can be served as a side or main dish. You do not need a can of cream chicken soup to make the most delicious comfort meal after a long day at work or school. This Instant Pot recipe will pressure cook for only 1 minute so that it will come together super fast!
Ingredients
1 12 oz bag of egg noodles
Four cups of chicken broth or chicken stock
One tablespoon butter
One teaspoon of garlic powder
One teaspoon of onion powder (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional, for a creamier version)
Fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
Optional Ingredients: To help round out this meal, you can add frozen vegetables, frozen peas, carrots, mushrooms, or shredded chicken. If you don’t have egg noodles, try this recipe with another type of pasta. Finally, you can choose to serve this meal with your favorite cheese on top. You can use ingredients you have at home for variations.
Equipment
Instant Pot or another brand of pressure cooker
cutting board if you are cutting chicken or veggies to go with this dish.
Instructions
1. Add butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, egg noodles, and chicken broth into your Instant Pot pot.
2. stir the noodles to make sure that the noodles are completely submerged in liquid.
3. Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the valve to “sealing.” Cook on manual high pressure for 1 minute. When cooking, the pressure is quickly released by carefully turning the valve to venting. Press the “cancel” button to stop the cooking process.
4. Open up the lid and add the heavy cream to the noodles. Stir well. The sauce will thicken.
5. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed.
6. Serve
Instant Pot Cafeteria Noodles
Cafeteria noodles are a Midwestern comfort dish made with egg noodles and other inexpensive ingredients. This Instant Pot version cooks up in less than 10 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
- 1 12 ounces Bag of egg noodles
- 4 cups Chickan broth
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup heavy cream optional
- fresh parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
-
Add butter, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, egg noodles, and chicken broth into your Instant Pot pot.
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Stir the noodles to make sure that the noodles are completely submerged in liquid.
-
Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the valve to "sealing." Cook on manual high pressure for 1 minute. When cooking, the pressure is quickly released by carefully turning the valve to venting. Press the "cancel" button to stop the cooking process.
-
Open up the lid and add the heavy cream to the noodles. Stir well. The sauce will thicken.
-
Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed.
-
Serve.
Tips for cooking noodles in your Instant Pot
The general rule for cooking noodles in the Instant Pot is to need 4 cups of liquid per 1 pound of pasta. It is vital to ensure the pasta is submerged in liquid before cooking. This will help prevent your Instant Pot from getting the “burn” notice 🙂
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. You can easily heat leftover noodles in the microwave.
If you like this recipe, you should also try:
Instant Pot Tortellini with Ham and Peas
Instant Pot Chicken Pot Pie Risotto
Instant Pot Cacio e pepe tortelini
What is the origin of cafeteria noodles?
Besides being viral on TikTok, the concept of cafeteria noodles involved devising an inexpensive recipe that would feed a crowd. The dish is known for being hearty, creamy, and easy to make in large quantities, which makes it ideal for cafeterias and church halls.
Did you make this Instant Pot chicken broth noodles recipe? I would love to hear how it turned out for you! Please comment below this post or tag me on social media and let me know how it worked out for you! You can find me on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
