In my former life I was a Rock Star and a Gourmet Chef. In my current life – notsomuch. I can’t do much about my horrendous vocal ability, but I can certainly make the effort to make progress in the kitchen.
I’ve always enjoyed baking, but find my basic cooking skills to be lacking. It is so easy to get stuck in a rut, making the same five meals over and over again.
So, when I was approached by One2One Network to work with Carnation on a few new recipes using Evaporated Milk, my non-chef’s wheels started to turn. I use Evaporated Milk every Christmas to make the-very-best-fudge-in-the-world (remember, I am a decent baker), but I had never used it for traditional cooking.
I made two different recipes. The first from Carnation’s Holiday Recipe Guide:
Loaded Potato Potluck Favorite
- 8 medium potatoes (about 2 1/2- 3 pounds total)
- 1 cup CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups (8 oz package) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled,divided
- Sliced green onions (optional)
PLACE potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to a boil. Cover over medium-high heat for 15-20 minutes or until tender, drain.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 3 quart casserole dish.
RETURN potatoes to saucepan, add evaporated milk, sour cream, salt and pepper. Beat with handheld mixer until smooth. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of cheese and half of bacon. Spoon mixture into prepared casserole dish.
BAKE for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese, remaining bacon and green onions. Bake for an additional 3 minutes or until cheese is melted.
To be honest, I knew this would be a lot of food since I was just cooking for my family, so I cut the recipe in half and STILL had a lot left over. The potatoes were very creamy (that’s the evaporated milk!) but I think I would go without bacon next time. Definitely a great option for a potluck.
Since I am currently over-dosing on comfort food, I decided to make Mac N’ Cheese as my second dish.
Traditional Macaroni and Cheese
- 2/3 cups (about 7 oz.) dry small elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 can (12 fl. oz.) CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
COMBINE cornstarch, salt, mustard and pepper in medium saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk, water, and butter. Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1½ cups cheese until melted. Add macaroni; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.
BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.
NOTE: To transform Macaroni & Cheese from a simple dish to a savory one-dish meal, add 1 cup chopped ham or hot dogs after milk mixture comes to a boil.No related posts.
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