There is a short list of ingredients that live rent-free in my pantry all year long. Dried pasta and grains like rice, of course, as well as canned tomatoes and beans. To the side sit a few cans you might not expect, but that I consistently keep stocked: evaporated milk.
Cheap and old-school, evaporated milk is the secret to luscious desserts, creamy dips and soups, and extra-dreamy mac and cheese. If you’re under the age of 30 (and depending on your cultural heritage), you might not even know what it is.
The simple ingredient is made by slowly cooking down milk so that about 60 percent of the water has evaporated, resulting in a more concentrated, thicker, shelf-stable version of whole milk. I’m here to tell you that the retro canned good deserves a place of honor in your pantry.
Evaporated Milk
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Price: $1 to 2 for a 12-ounce can
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Why I Love It: Evaporated milk has countless uses and adds creaminess to dishes like mac and cheese or soup without making them taste overly rich.
Why I Love Canned Evaporated Milk (And You Should, Too)
Growing up, I saw my mom buy plenty of canned goods, including evaporated milk. She would use it in various recipes. I definitely remember it going into creamy potato sausage soup, as well as Velveeta dip—but the one I remember most was fudge. She always made my grandma’s recipe, which was basically the one on Carnation’s evaporated milk can. And it was delicious.
As I started cooking for myself, I carried on the tradition, picking up a can of evaporated milk every once in a while. The more I cooked, the more I realized how handy the stuff really was. I often found myself wanting to give a base of creaminess to a dish without the over-the-top richness that cream or even half-and-half provide.
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Evaporated milk is ideal for this, and it won’t “split” or separate when it meets heat, like some other dairy will. That’s why it’s often used in stovetop or baked mac and cheese recipes, since it provides a thick enough base without competing with the cheese. For a creamy soup that still feels light, add evaporated milk to the broth. I especially like adding evaporated milk to potato soup, since a heavy cream version can easily become too rich for an average dinner.
I almost never make a creamy dip without canned evaporated milk. It’s an ideal base for queso and other cheesy, chip-coating dips. And we haven’t even covered what it’s probably most famous for: It’s frequently one of the three milks in tres leche cake. You’ll find it in other retro and Latin American desserts, like some pumpkin pie and flan recipes.
In addition to its many uses, evaporated milk has a distinct advantage over most other dairy options—it’s shelf-stable and lasts (unopened) for years. If I run out of milk for a recipe, I know I can pop open a can and just water it down a bit to substitute for whole milk. It’s also cheap. I can typically find it at Walmart for $1 a can, and it’s never more than $2. A total no-brainer to add to my shopping cart.
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