Evaporated Milk Mac and Cheese (Stovetop, No Roux)

Evaporated milk mac and cheese is the fastest creamy mac there is: boil a pound of elbow macaroni, then melt butter, a 12-ounce can of evaporated milk and 12 ounces of shredded cheddar in the same pot over low heat, and stir the pasta back in. There is no roux and no flour. The concentrated milk holds the melted cheese in a smooth sauce on its own, and the whole thing takes about 20 minutes, most of it waiting for the water to boil. It feeds four to six, depending on how many of them are teenagers.

Why evaporated milk works without a roux

A classic cheese sauce starts with butter and flour, because flour stops the cheese from separating into oil and clumps. Evaporated milk does much of that job by itself. The FDA’s standard of identity, 21 CFR 131.130, requires at least 16.5% milk solids other than fat. Ordinary milk needs only 8.25%. Those extra milk proteins help keep melted cheese smooth and glossy instead of grainy. A teaspoon or two of cornstarch tossed with the cheese is cheap insurance on top, and this recipe uses it.

The other reason is practical. A can lives in the cupboard for months, so this is the mac and cheese you can make on a night when there is no fresh milk in the fridge.

Ingredients (serves 4 to 6)

Ingredient	Amount	Note
Elbow macaroni	1 lb	Or shells, cavatappi, any short pasta
Salt for the pasta water	1 tbsp
Butter	2 tbsp
Evaporated milk	1 can (12 oz)	Whole, not sweetened condensed
Sharp or medium cheddar, shredded	12 oz (about 3 cups)	Shred it from a block
Cornstarch	2 tsp	Tossed with the cheese
Dry mustard	1/2 tsp	Optional; sharpens the cheese flavor
Salt and black pepper	To taste
Reserved pasta water	Up to 1 cup	To loosen at the end

Use a can of plain evaporated milk such as Carnation. Sweetened condensed milk sits right next to it on the shelf and looks almost the same, and it will turn dinner into dessert.

For the cheese, a block of Tillamook medium cheddar shredded on a box grater tends to melt more smoothly than bagged shreds, which are coated to stop them clumping in the bag. Bagged cheese still works if that is what you have. Stir it longer, over the lowest heat.

How to make it

1. Boil the pasta. Bring a big pot of water to a rolling boil, add the salt and the macaroni, and cook it until just tender, a minute short of the package time. Our pasta boiling times cover the common shapes. Before you drain it, scoop out a mug of the cooking water.
2. Prep the cheese while it boils. Toss the shredded cheese with the cornstarch and dry mustard in a bowl until every shred is lightly coated.
3. Start the sauce in the same pot. Drain the pasta and set it aside. Put the empty pot back on low heat, melt the butter, pour in the evaporated milk and bring it just to a gentle steam with small bubbles at the edge. Do not let it boil hard.
4. Melt the cheese. Turn the heat to its lowest setting. Add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring until each handful has melted before adding the next. The sauce should be thick and smooth.
5. Combine. Tip the pasta back in and stir until it is coated. Add splashes of the reserved pasta water until the sauce is as loose as you like it. It will tighten as it sits. Season with salt and pepper and serve straight away.

The sauce stage takes 5 to 8 minutes. If it ever looks oily or grainy, the heat was too high. Take the pot off the burner, add a splash of hot pasta water and stir hard, and it usually comes back together.

Ways to change it up

• More vegetables: stir in a cup of frozen peas for the last minute of pasta cooking, or fold in boiled broccoli florets at the end.
• Protein: diced ham, cooked bacon or leftover shredded chicken, warmed through in the sauce before the pasta goes back in.
• Different cheeses: swap a third of the cheddar for Monterey Jack for a stretchier sauce, or Gruyère for a nuttier one. Keep the total at 12 ounces.
• Baked top: spread it in a buttered dish, scatter buttered breadcrumbs over it and broil for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Watch it the whole time.
• Smaller batch: halve everything and use half the can. The rest keeps in a covered container in the fridge.

For a picky crowd

Mild cheddar and plain elbows are the safest bet at a kids’ table, and you can stir the vegetables into the grown-ups’ half of the pot only. If you are out of fresh milk but have no can either, our mac and cheese swaps list the other ways to rescue a box. And if a recipe needs evaporated milk and the cupboard is bare, our evaporated milk substitutes give a ratio for each swap.

Leftovers

Stovetop mac and cheese thickens into a firm block in the fridge. To reheat it, add a splash of milk or water and warm it in a saucepan over low heat, stirring, or covered in the microwave at 50% power, stirring between bursts. University of Illinois Extension’s leftovers guidance is to refrigerate leftovers within two hours, use them within 3 to 4 days, and reheat to at least 165°F.

FAQ

Can you make mac and cheese with evaporated milk instead of regular milk?

Yes, and it makes a creamier sauce than regular milk. Use the evaporated milk undiluted in a stovetop recipe like this one, with no flour needed.

Do you need flour for mac and cheese?

Not with evaporated milk. Its higher milk-protein content helps hold the melted cheese smooth, and a little cornstarch tossed with the cheese adds extra insurance against a grainy sauce.

How much evaporated milk do you use for mac and cheese?

One 12-ounce can for a pound of pasta and 12 ounces of cheese, which serves four to six. Use half a can for half a pound of pasta.

Why is my mac and cheese grainy?

The heat was usually too high when the cheese went in, which makes it separate. Melt the cheese over the lowest heat, a handful at a time, and loosen a broken sauce with hot pasta water off the heat.

Can you use sweetened condensed milk for mac and cheese?

No. It is heavily sweetened and will make the dish taste like dessert. Check the label says evaporated milk.