Wartime impossible pie from South London with one batter that splits into crust, custard, and filling as it bakes. Use it sweet with coconut and vanilla, or savoury with canned tuna or salmon and frozen vegetables. Pantry magic.
Old-fashioned Southern pralines with brown sugar, evaporated milk, pecans, and a touch of maple. Buttery, crumbly candy that melts the second it hits your tongue.
Italian meatball subs stuffed with mozzarella centers, simmered in pizza sauce, piled into hollowed French rolls, and broiled melty. A gameday or weeknight crowd favorite.
Crustless crab quiche with zucchini, mushrooms, reduced-fat cheddar, and evaporated skim milk. A lighter take on quiche with both microwave and oven instructions.
Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie with Hot Fudge Sauce recipe
Glossy chocolate icing made with butter, sugar, evaporated milk, and chocolate morsels. Boils in one minute, sets up firm on warm brownies. Just 4 ingredients.
Browned pork ribs braised with tangy sauerkraut and caraway seeds, then crowned with fluffy potato dumplings cooked right on top. A German-American one-pot meal for 12.
Lime delight is a no-bake retro Jello dessert: lime gelatin and lemon juice folded into whipped evaporated milk, set on a graham cracker crust for a fluffy citrus fridge cake.
A crustless crab quiche packed with sweet corn, Parmesan, scallions, and dill, made lighter with evaporated skim milk, egg substitute, and nonfat sour cream. All the flavor, less of the guilt.
Lighter chocolate caramel cheesecake made with fat-free cream cheese and low-fat graham crackers. Gooey caramel layer meets chocolate chip-studded filling for guilt-free indulgence.
Buttery cinnamon pound cake studded with toasted almonds, baked in a Bundt pan until golden. Dense, velvety crumb with nutty crunch in every slice.
Banana nut yeast bread is a risen sandwich loaf with mashed bananas, chopped pecans, evaporated milk, and a cinnamon-sugar topping. The slow-risen alternative to quickbread.
Old-fashioned fudge made with semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolate, marshmallow cream, evaporated milk, and loads of chopped pecans. Dense, fudgy, and melt-in-your-mouth smooth.
Easy chocolate coconut pie with semisweet chocolate, evaporated milk, and flaked coconut baked in a single shell. A 30-minute pantry pie that tastes like a baked Mounds bar in slice form.
Chocolate chess pie: classic Southern chess pie with cocoa, evaporated milk, and butter. Six-ingredient custard pie with a crackly top and rich fudgy center.
Maple-pecan pralines cook sugar, evaporated milk, and corn syrup to soft-ball stage with toasted pecans and maple extract. Creamy, melt-in-your-mouth Southern candy with a New England twist.
Enjoy a nice glass of this creamy drink that can warm anyone up on a cold, winter night.
Lemon Snow Jello with cream cheese, crushed pineapple, and whipped evaporated milk folded into lemon Jello. A fluffy, creamy retro gelatin salad topped with chopped nuts.
Cajun meat loaf made with beef and pork, loaded with sautéed holy trinity vegetables, three kinds of pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire. A spicy Louisiana twist on a comfort food classic.
Mississippi mud cake with a fudgy cocoa and pecan cake base, melted marshmallow layer, and rich chocolate pecan icing. A three-layer Southern chocolate dessert that's pure indulgence.
Pizza Via Veneto is a peanut butter and cheddar cheese appetizer pizza on hot roll dough topped with chopped peanuts, pimiento, and red pepper flakes. A retro party snack baked until bubbly.
Old-fashioned tuna wiggle: canned tuna and green peas in a creamy evaporated milk gravy served over egg noodles or saltines. Three-ingredient comfort food from Grandma's kitchen, on the table in 30 minutes.
Pennsylvania Dutch fastnachts (fried doughnuts) made with yeast dough, evaporated milk, nutmeg, and lemon juice, then tossed in cinnamon sugar. A Shrove Tuesday tradition.
Chunky sweet potato soup loaded with carrots, celery, peas, and herbs, finished with nonfat sour cream and skim milk. A big-batch comfort soup that serves 16 and feels lighter than it tastes.
Honey fudge swaps in honey alongside sugar for old-fashioned chocolate candy with a hint of floral sweetness. Boiled-sugar candy that requires a thermometer. Makes 24 squares.
One-bowl black bean casserole with cornmeal, sweet corn, tomatoes, and mild green chiles baked until set. Lacto-vegetarian, low-fat, and simple enough for a busy weeknight.
Lu's moist meatloaf with lean ground beef, horseradish, crumbled bacon, and evaporated milk for extra moisture. A simple mix-and-bake meatloaf with a peppery kick.
Low-fat Scandinavian salmon souffle with canned salmon, dill, lemon juice, and whole wheat bread baked in a custard of egg and evaporated skim milk. A light, single-serving lunch.
German chocolate pie with a silky cocoa custard, flaked coconut and evaporated milk baked into a single crust. The flavors of the classic layer cake in a one-bowl pie.
Pumpkin pie with brown sugar, corn syrup, and a custard set by both eggs and evaporated milk for a creamier filling. Warm cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, finished with whipped cream and candied ginger slivers.
Chocolate fleck frozen yogurt creates tiny shards of dark chocolate throughout a tangy vanilla yogurt base. A lighter alternative to chocolate ice cream with the chocolate technique that creates the fleck effect.
Fettuccine Alfredo made lighter with evaporated milk instead of heavy cream, simmered with Parmesan, garlic and basil into a silky sauce right in the pot. A quick, creamy pasta with less fat than the classic.
Satisfy your sweet tooth with this delicious snack that is addictive as it is tasty.
Potato devil's food cake uses mashed potatoes for an incredibly moist crumb. With unsweetened chocolate squares and chopped nuts, this vintage layer cake stays tender for days.
A creamy, low-calorie vegetable chowder with broccoli, mushrooms, corn, and pimiento in a light chicken broth and evaporated milk base. Warm, filling comfort food on the table in 30 minutes.
Stuffed baked prawns topped with a creamy cheddar and crab meat sauce. A double-seafood showpiece with garlic-scallion stuffing, perfect for special dinners.
Frozen graham custard is a retro no-churn freezer dessert with whipped evaporated milk, lemon, and vanilla custard layered between buttery graham cracker crumbs. Six ingredients, no ice cream maker, pure midcentury nostalgia.
Quiche-grits combines a classic egg and Swiss cheese quiche with hot grits in a pie shell, loaded with ham or tuna, onion, and a kick of cayenne. Southern meets French.
New Orleans-style French Market beignets cut into squares, deep-fried golden, and buried in powdered sugar. Make-ahead yeast dough that chills overnight and improves over a week in the fridge.
Maple pecan pumpkin pie layers spiced pumpkin custard with raisins and chopped pecans, topped with maple-scented whipped cream and toasted pecan halves. A Thanksgiving upgrade on the classic.
frozen dessert
A loaded tamale pie with ground beef, bacon, corn, and green chiles in a cornmeal crust, topped with a melted Monterey Jack and egg layer. Tex-Mex comfort baked in a pie pan.
Old-school stovetop fudge made with semisweet chips, German sweet chocolate, milk chocolate, marshmallow cream, and toasted nuts. Boil for exactly eight minutes and let the chocolate do the rest.
Homemade Twinkle cake rolls with a fluffy vanilla cream filling made from butter, shortening, and evaporated milk. Bake in a sheet pan or potato tins, split, fill, and roll for a fun copycat treat.
Microwave chocolate pecan fudge made with cocoa powder, powdered sugar, butter, and evaporated milk. No candy thermometer needed for this quick, foolproof method.
Mom's small-batch pecan pralines with brown sugar, Karo corn syrup, evaporated milk, and pecan halves. Cooked to soft-ball stage and dropped on wax paper for classic Southern candy.
Leek and potato gratin made with soaked matzo, sauteed leeks, red pepper, evaporated milk, and mozzarella cheese. A Passover-friendly baked casserole with a golden top.
No-bake cheesecake with cream cheese and cottage cheese in a buttery graham cracker crust, set with lemon gelatin and whipped cream. Light, tangy, and ready after a simple chill.