Which milk makes the best Thanksgiving mac and cheese? I wanted a real answer, so I made the same mac and cheese four times. Same roux, same cheese, same pasta, same oven. The only thing I changed was the liquid: heavy cream, whole milk with a little extra butter, evaporated milk and canned coconut milk.
Then I labeled the bottoms of the dishes so nobody could see which was which, and handed my wife, AJ, a fork. She tasted every one blind and scored them.
The winner wasn’t the heavy cream. In fact, heavy cream came in third, behind plain whole milk. The winner was evaporated milk, the can that’s probably sitting in your pantry right now. It made the silkiest, smoothest sauce of the four, and it held up in the oven without breaking or going grainy.
Below you’ll find the full ranking, what each liquid does to the texture and flavor, and my base recipe, so you can make it with whatever you’ve got. At Thanksgiving I cook for about 45 people, three of them gluten-free, so I’ve also included the easy gluten-free swap.
A Little Mac and Cheese History
Baked pasta with cheese is older than America. In 1769, Elizabeth Raffald’s The Experienced English Housekeeper tossed macaroni in a béchamel, topped it with Parmesan and baked it until golden. One theory credits James Hemings, Thomas Jefferson’s enslaved chef, who trained in France, with bringing the dish to Monticello. By 1802 Jefferson was serving “a pie called macaroni” at a state dinner, though one guest, Manasseh Cutler, wasn’t impressed. Mary Randolph printed a three-ingredient version (macaroni, cheese and butter) in The Virginia House-Wife in 1824. Then in 1937, Kraft put it in a box, and mac and cheese became an American staple.
The Results: 4 Ways to Swap the Heavy Cream
Each version used the same amount of liquid. Here’s how AJ ranked them, blind:
| Rank | Liquid | Texture | Flavor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (winner) | Evaporated milk | Silkiest and most stable; thickened fastest | Rich and slightly nutty, with a clean cheese flavor |
| 2 | Whole milk + extra butter | Lighter; looked thin at first but set up in the oven | Cleanest, most “cheesy” flavor |
| 3 | Heavy cream (the classic) | Richest and thickest | Buttery and mild, but heavy enough to mute the cheese |
| 4 | Full-fat coconut milk | Creamy but a little looser | A noticeable coconut note that fights the cheese |
The surprise: heavy cream, the classic, finished third. Its extra fat makes a rich sauce, but it dulls the cheese. Both evaporated milk and whole milk let the cheddar and smoked Gouda come through.
Why evaporated milk wins: it’s milk with about 60% of the water cooked off, so it’s creamy without the extra fat of heavy cream. Its concentrated milk proteins help hold the cheese in the sauce, so it stays smooth and doesn’t break or turn grainy in the oven.
Key Ingredients
The liquid
Any of the four works. Evaporated milk is my pick.
Butter and flour (the roux)
Equal parts. This is what thickens the sauce and keeps it silky. Learn it step by step in my How to Make a Roux for Mac and Cheese.
Sharp cheddar, smoked Gouda and fontina
Cheddar for bite, smoked Gouda for depth, fontina for the melt. About 2 parts cheddar to 1 part each of the others. Shred your own: bagged shredded cheese is coated to stop clumping, and that coating makes the sauce grainy.
Short tube pasta
I used Rummo; elbows or rigatoni work too. Cook it 2 minutes short. It finishes in the oven.
Tips for the Creamiest Mac and Cheese
- Warm the liquid first. Cold liquid into a hot roux is how lumps happen.
- Take the pan off the heat before adding the cheese, and add it a handful at a time.
- Shred your own cheese.
- Undercook the pasta. It keeps cooking in the oven.
Mac and Cheese FAQ
Can I make mac and cheese without heavy cream?
Yes, and it may be better. In my blind test, evaporated milk came first and whole milk with a little extra butter came second, both ahead of heavy cream. Coconut milk works but came last.
Why use evaporated milk in mac and cheese?
It’s concentrated milk, so it’s creamy without heavy cream’s extra fat, and it keeps the cheese sauce smooth instead of grainy.
Can I make it ahead for Thanksgiving?
Yes. Assemble up to a day ahead, refrigerate, and bake about 10 minutes longer.
How do I make it gluten-free?
Swap in a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1) and gluten-free pasta cooked 2 minutes short.
Why is my cheese sauce grainy?
The heat was too high when the cheese went in, or the cheese was pre-shredded. Take the pan off the heat and shred your own.
More Thanksgiving Recipes
- How to Make a Roux for Mac and Cheese
- Healthier Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole
- Thanksgiving Smoked Turkey
- Ultimate Two-Layered Potato Bake
- Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes
Which would you pick: heavy cream, whole milk, evaporated or coconut? Tell me in the comments.
The Recipe
Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese (With Evaporated Milk)
Ingredients
- 1 lb short tube pasta, rigatoni, mezze rigatoni or elbows
- 6 Tbsp butter, plus a little for the dish
- 6 Tbsp all-purpose flour, or a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour
- 4 cups evaporated milk, three 12-oz cans, warmed (or whole milk, heavy cream or coconut milk; see notes)
- 2 cups sharp cheddar, shredded
- 1 cup smoked Gouda, shredded
- 1 cup fontina, shredded
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp mustard powder, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F and butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Cook the pasta in well-salted boiling water for 2 minutes less than the package says. Drain and toss with a little butter so it doesn’t stick.
- Make the roux: melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook 1–2 minutes, until pale and foamy but not browned.
- Pour in the warm evaporated milk a splash at a time, whisking after each one until smooth. Simmer, stirring, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, 3–5 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the cheese a handful at a time, letting each melt before adding more. Season with the salt, pepper, smoked paprika and mustard powder. Taste and adjust.
- Fold the pasta into the sauce, pour into the dish and bake 15–20 minutes, until bubbling at the edges.
- Rest 5 minutes, then serve.
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