How To Keep Nacho Cheese Warm:
- You can use a warming plate.
- Another idea is a small crock pot. This small 1.5 quart crock pot is perfect if it is just for family or a small group. We use this a lot when we make dip recipes. They are inexpensive and super handy. Now, if you are making it for a crowd or throwing a party, you might want double the recipe and use a 3 quart crock pot to have more room.
Tips For Homemade Queso Dip
- In this queso recipe, there are so many bold ingredients to add flavor, so we dont need to rely on the flour to build flavor. Cornstarch is the answer for a very smooth creamy consistency.
- Its also important to mention that block cheese, shredded at home, produces a much better texture than pre-shredded cheese covered in additives to ward off clumping.
- Once youve scalded the half & half keep the heat down and be patient as you slowly stir in the fresh shredded cheese.
Youll be amazed by how rich, creamy, and zesty this smoky homemade queso sauce is.
How To Make Cheese Sauce Step By Step Photos
Start by placing 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp flour in a small sauce pot.
Heat the flour and butter over medium flame and whisk together until they become bubbly and foamy. Continue whisking for about 60 seconds. This mixture is called a roux and is what will thicken your sauce. Letting the roux cook for about 60 seconds slightly toasts the flour and gets rid of that raw floury flavor, but you want it to stay blonde, so if it begins to brown, remove it from the heat.
Whisk in one cup of whole milk. Turn the heat up slightly and let it come to a simmer . Because the small volume, it should come to a simmer very quickly .
When it reaches a simmer, the milk will thicken. When its thick enough to coat a spoon like in the photo, turn off the heat.
Whisk in 6oz. shredded medium cheddar, one hand full at a time, until it is melted into the sauce. If needed, put the pot back over a low flame to help it melt, but the residual heat should do most of the work.
Finally, season the sauce with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp chili powder.
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings if needed. And thats it! Now you have real ingredient, really delicious, homemade nacho cheese sauce.
This post either just ruined your life or made your day. Or maybe both.
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What Makes This Recipe So Good
Cheeze Whiz cheese dip I know, I know. This is not a normal ingredient here at 40 Aprons. However, if you want that real Taco Bell flavor, prepackaged cheese dip is the way to go.Pickled jalapeño juice Brine from a jar of pickled jalapeños gives this sauce a little heat and an extra burst of flavor.Milk Helps make the cheese sauce extra creamy.Cayenne pepper As much or as little as you like for a little peppery spice.
How To Thicken Your Cheese Sauce
The best way to thicken your homemade queso is to use cornstarch as the thickening agent instead of flour.
It can be tricky to know when to choose cornstarch and when to choose flour. But the general rule of thumb is that if you plan to cook something a long time, use flour, and if you need your thickening agent to act quickly, use cornstarch.
Flour produces a much better flavor over time, but must be cooked quite a bit to ensure your recipe is smooth, not gritty.
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What Is The Best Cheese For Nacho Cheese Sauce
I find colby jack perfect in this recipe, but if you wanted to use another cheese you totally could.
Or, if you like spicy sauce, double the paprika in this recipe for a spicy nacho cheese or use pepper jack cheese.
I definitely plan on making a white cheese/queso blanco sauce based on this recipe in the future.
Heres my favorite way to serve it: drizzled oh so generously over my 30 minute sweet potato refried bean nachos.
more mexican recipes
How To Make Nacho Cheese Sauce:
Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!
Once you get your nacho cheese sauce to the perfect consistency, its ready to go! Serve it while its hot with some fresh tortilla chips .
If you manage to have any leftovers, just store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat it on the stove, stirring consistently until its heated all the way through. Add extra evaporated milk if need be.
This homemade nacho cheese sauce recipe is about to blow you away! Make this easy cheese dip for game day, for any party, or for a quick little snack.
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Troubleshooting And Storage Tips
To get the desired consistency, you can add ¼ cup grated cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese and a bit more milk. Do not use pre shredded cheese as it is coated to keep it from being sticky.
There may be several reasons that the texture of the sauce doesnt turn out. Here are a couple common mistakes:
- It was heated too quickly and or cooked for too long.
- Another way to keep a smooth texture is to slowly add the milk to the roux. Whisk thoroughly and make sure that all of the roux has been mixed into the milk.
- Your milk did not have enough fat use 2% or whole milk
- Keep the nacho cheese warm, otherwise it may begin to harden and solidify.
STORE leftover nacho cheese in the fridge in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat.
For more dips and sauces, check out:
Tips For Cheese Sauce Success
Here are a few tips to help make sure your nacho cheese sauce is a success:
- Make sure to cook the flour in the butter for one minute. This helps cook out the floury flavor.
- Use medium cheddar for smoother results. Sharp cheddar tends to break or become grainy easier than medium cheddar.
- Remove the pot from the heat before stirring in the cheese. Overheating the sauce once the cheese has been added can cause the sauce to seize up and become thick and/or grainy. If needed, use only low heat to help the cheese fully melt.
- Use block cheese and hand shred it when possible. Pre-shredded cheeses sometimes contain a lot of anti-caking powders, which can cause a powdery flavor in your cheese sauce.
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
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How To Make Nacho Cheese With Velveeta In Microwave
Cut velveeta cheese into dices and set it on large sized bowl.In a medium sauce pan, combine cheese, onion and milk.In the bottom of a crock pot, add cut up velveeta cheese, can of rotel tomatoes, cooked chicken, sour cream and taco seasoning and mix well.It is best to serve or use the velveeta cheese as soon as it has melted.
It will be thicker, smoother, and creamier than a shredded cheese.Microwave on high 3 to 5 min.Microwave on high for 8 minutes.Nacho cheese is easy to make yourself from scratch, and is the perfect melty sauce to pour over tortilla chips.
Or until velveeta is melted.Place all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl, and heat in 1 minute increments until melted, stirring after each time.Place tortilla chips on a large platter and pour melted cheese.Place your cubes of velveeta cheese in the bowl and set the microwave to medium.
Pour the whole can of ro*tel tomatoes and green chilies.Put it inside microwave, set on high and stir once every couple of minutes until the mixture melted.Remove chips and add cheese.Remove from microwave and add small drizzles of salsa, avocado, and pickled jalapeno.
Repeat the process until the cheese has completely melted.Return to microwave and microwave for 15 seconds.Serve the dip with chips or your preferred dish.Serve with tortilla chips to make nachos.
Spicy Nacho Cheese Sauce
This is my favorite recipe for cheese dipping sauce. This spicy nacho cheese sauce is absolutely awesome with veggies, soft pretzels, and nachos! None of that processed stuff, either.
Seriously! What is better than a bowl of silky, creamy, spicy nacho cheese sauce? Nothing. A far cry from processed, this spicy nacho cheese sauce is to die for. I love serving it with soft pretzel bites or pouring on top of a big bowl of broccoli. Its how I get everyone to their vegetables. Just kidding but not really.
Making nacho cheese sauce at home is not difficult. Its actually one of the easiest and quickest little recipes around. There is no excuse to buy anything from a can or from a jar. Homemade cheese sauce, made from real sharp cheddar cheese, is the only way to go. Plus, it tastes worlds better.
I love serving this spicy nacho cheese sauce right from the stove when its warm. But this cheese sauce keeps well covered tightly in the refrigerator for about 1 week. Just heat it up before serving its a great item to make ahead before the guests arrive.
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Quick And Easy Nacho Cheese Recipe
02/01/21 | Appetizers, Mexican, Recipes
This nacho cheese sauce is sharp and creamy, and everything you ever dreamed of smothering over nachos, veggies, or a giant pretzel.
Hey, friend, you ever marvel at that super creamy nacho cheese sauce you get at restaurants and movie theaters and wish you could make it at home? I have just the recipe for you.
This nacho cheese sauce is sharp and creamy, just as spicy as you want it to be, and everything you ever dreamed of smothering over nachos, veggies, or a giant pretzel .
To make it, you just need 5 minutes, AND my secret creamy cheese sauce weapon: evaporated milk.
And I know this might not be something you keep in your pantry. If thats the case, and you need cheese sauce NOW, no worries, go make my classic Homemade Cheese Sauce. Its made with butter, milk, and flour, so you probably have the ingredients, and its GREAT.
But if you have evaporated milk in your pantry or are going shopping before making this, grab a can and give this recipe a try. You will not be disappointed.
Why Make Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce
Simple, its because you know exactly what ingredients are used, and theres only a few of them compared to nacho cheese from a can which might contain a long list of ingredients. My nacho cheese sauce only has five ingredients for making a great sauce perfect for nachos, and it tastes completely like cheese! I can guarantee if you serve this sauce over your nachos, whoever is eating them with you will be your best friend forever, or maybe youll just eat them all yourself!
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Tips To Vary Up This Dip
- The type of salsa you use will greatly change the flavour of this dip. Try a hot salsa for a spicy dip. Use a corn and black bean salsa or mango tomato salsa to give this dip a unique taste!
- Use a jalapeño pepper instead of a sweet pepper to give this dip a great kick! I have done this many times and just love the flavour.
- Instead of cheddar, you could also use monterey jack or use half of both kinds of cheese.
Nacho Cheese Sauce For Parties
This recipe makes a little over 2 cups of sauce, but if you would like to make an even bigger batch, the recipe doubles with no preparation changes.
You can transfer your prepared nacho sauce to a slow cooker and keep it set to warm for a couple of hours. Fair warning, it will do that cheese sauce thing where the top sets and gets kind of sad and ugly looking, but if you give it a quick whisk, it returns to looking smooth and beautiful.
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How Do You Make A Quick Cheese Sauce
The answer is simply: cornstarch.
Once I realized the cornstarch trick, I make all of my cheese sauce recipes this way!
Cornstarch is now a time saving staple in my home.
You cant taste it, and it makes dinner time a heck of a lot easier.
Once we first made this recipe, I had to make it three times in one week because I just could not get enough of it!
The homemade nacho cheese just takes nacho night to the next level.
It literally takes five minutes to make and tastes so good I really cant even prepare you for the deliciousness.
Since first posting this recipe, I have made this countless times and even served it at a party.
From easy dinners to party appetizers, you really cant go wrong with a batch of this cheesy goodness!
It reminds me of going to a mexican restaurant and filling up on chips and cheese.
I could totally do that with this recipe!
I love this cheese sauce plain with tortilla chips, or drizzled generously over whatever mexican dish we are having that night.
Whats The Deal With Evaporated Milk
Evaporated milk is just milk thats been simmered over low heat until more than half of the water content has evaporated, so its extra creamy. Its perfect for giving you extremely creamy cheese sauces without the heaviness of using half and half or heavy cream.
When heated together with cheese and a dash or two of hot sauce, you get something pretty magical.
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Faqs About Making Nacho Cheese Sauce
Can I use any other cheese besides cheddar?
You can use Monterey Jack for that gooey texture or Pepper jack for a kick, but the tang from sharp cheddar is what makes nachos so good!
My cheese sauce is too thick?
If your sauce has cooled down slightly itll become thicker. An easy fix for this is just to add some more milk and warm over a low heat to bring I back to the consistency you want.
Is Velveeta the same thing?
No, Velveeta is a highly processed product that tastes like cheese.
Can I make my nacho cheese sauce ahead of time?
You can, to reheat just place the sauce back into a pan over a low heat until it begins to melt. Add some milk gradually until the sauce is smooth and pourable.
How To Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Melt butter in a saucepan and add sliced jalapeno . Let the jalapenos flavor up the butter for about 2 minutes. Remove and leave the butter in the pan.
- Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes, until you can no longer smell flour.
- Add the milk in splashes, whisking continuously to ensure a smooth result.
- Bring to a gentle boil, reduce to a simmer. Add cayenne, hot sauce, and paprika.
- Reduce heat to low. If the base is too hot when the cheese is added, youll end up with a grainy consistency. Add the cheese.
- Stir continuously until melted and smooth. Serve immediately with chips! Save leftovers for Chili Cheese Dogs.
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How To Make Nacho Dip
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow’s Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards.There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 76,643 times.Learn more…
Whether youre hosting a Superbowl party or just entertaining friends, creamy nacho cheese dip is a quick, delicious recipe that can be whipped up in no time flat and is sure to please. All youll need is half an hour, a few basic ingredients and a big appetite!
How Spicy Is This Nacho Cheese Sauce
That completely depends how spicy you want it. I can tolerate a little spice and I LOVE this homemade cheese sauce. In fact, sometimes I add even more hot sauce and cayenne than the recipe lists below. If you dont like spice, leave both out.
Feel free to adjust the amount of spice based on your heat tolerance.
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Ingredients For Homemade Taco Bell Cheese
I tested soooo many different ingredients to try to recreate the taste of Taco Bells nacho cheese. Everything from cheddar cheese powder, cheddar cheese slices, American cheese slices, cream cheese, and at least 5 different brands of pickled jalapeños.
At the end of all that testing, I believe I have found 4 ingredients, easily accessible to any home chef, that gets you about 98% close to that Taco Bell cheese sauce taste:
Simple Steps To Make Nacho Cheese Sauce
Making this cheese sauce begins with a roux which means melting the butter and whisking in the flour to create a paste. This will be your thickener for the nacho cheese sauce along with the cheddar. Making a roux is easy and you can find the perfect tutorial here if you need more information. Once the flour and butter are mixed together, add the milk in stages until you have a white sauce. This is called béchamel sauce. The final stage is adding all of that extra sharp cheddar and a pinch of paprika powder. Thats how easy it is to make real cheese sauce for your nachos! Dont forget that by doubling the recipe for this sauce it makes an awesome Mac and cheese!
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