Use the sauté function to brown the ground beef before adding other ingredients—this creates a flavorful fond that enriches the entire dish and prevents a bland, boiled taste.

Use slightly less beef broth than you'd normally use (about 3 cups instead of 4) since the noodles won't absorb as much liquid in the pressure cooker, preventing a watery final dish.

Add Velveeta in two stages—half mixed in before pressure cooking and the remainder stirred in after—for an ultra-creamy, velvety texture without graininess.

Allow only a 5-minute natural pressure release before quick releasing remaining pressure to keep elbow noodles from overcooking and turning mushy.

Season and taste the browned ground beef before adding noodles—this ensures proper seasoning distribution throughout the dish since you can't fully taste once everything is combined.