/ Four Cheese Bacon Mac. Four Cheese Bacon Mac. I actually made this Four Cheese Bacon Mac in OCTOBER of last year, back when I had the ridiculous idea that I was going to get ahead and save some recipes for “maternity leave” after I had the baby.

With just 5 minutes cooking time (thank you!), this lush and creamy macaroni and cheese recipe is made with 100% real cheese and couldn’t be easier or faster to make in the pressure cooker. Plus, I’m sharing 5 more recipe ideas for jazzing up this old-fashioned family favorite for adults and kids alike, especially when it’s time to party. I grew up on the blue-boxed variety of mac and cheese. In high school my friends called it yellow death. I called it delicious. In fact, it’s still one of those things we always have in the cupboard for emergency situationslike when it’s Tuesdayor Wednesdayor Thursdayoryou get the picture.

But after making this homemade mac and cheese recipe in less time and with all real ingredients, I don’t think I’ll be replenishing my stash any time soon. I honestly can’t think of a food that is more comforting to me than a lush and creamy macaroni and cheese recipe, and I am ALWAYS on the lookout for a new variation on my favorite cheesy noodle. So when I was introduced to this pressure cooker version by, it went straight to the top of my bust-out-the--must-make list. And that’s how in just 5 minutes cooking time, we had this velvety lush mac and cheese ready for devouring. Now that this recipe has become a super fast, weeknight solution for what to have when there’s no time to cook, I’ve come up with 5 doctored up versions of this basic mac and cheese recipe depending on what I had hanging out in my fridge to create a super easy solution for easy entertaining and creating a mac and cheese bar where guests can mix and match to make their own. Who is ready to dig in?

How to Make Creamy Macaroni and Cheese I remember years ago when a friend made us the most amazing homemade mac and cheese for a dinner party. It was smooth. It was rich and velvety and everything mac and cheese devotees dream of. I asked him what the secret was to making it so creamy.

His answer: Velveeta. Now, I’ve been known to enjoy a slice or three of the processed stuff, but the real cheesy deal is way more my style. So how do you get that lush creamy texture when you don’t want to use processed cheese or make a butter, flour and milk roux? The secret is evaporated milk. Evaporated milk can be somewhat confusing. Is it real milk or is it pseudo-milk?

Evaporated milk is indeed real cow’s milk that’s been cooked down so some of the water content evaporates, creating a shelf-stable, always at the ready ingredient. I’ve used it time and again as creamer for my coffee when we’re out of milk or half and half. It’s concentrated and has a slightly heavier tasting milk. And in macaroni and cheese it keeps the cheese from breaking or getting greasy because there’s less moisture to contend with.

When cooking this mac and cheese there’s no need for draining the pasta cooking water, it’s all mixed into the sauce, and that’s why you only need 5 ounces compared to that call for 3 cups of whole milk. What to use instead of evaporated milk. To make your own evaporated milk, simmer 2 1/4 cups of regular milk down to 1 cup. Whatsapp pocket for mac. Or replace it with 3/4 cup whole milk and 1/4 cup half-and-half.