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.
Make Nacho Cheese: Process
Have you ever tried to make nacho cheese? What is the best nacho cheese youve ever had?
Do I Really Need To Use Velveeta Cheese
Velveeta is perfect for melting and is known for its cheesy goodness. Nothing melts quite as good as Velveeta!
If you are looking for an alternative to Velveeta, you can find other processed cheese products in the supermarket. I recommend American cheese you get from the Deli department of your grocery store. It will melt very nicely and will help you create this easy dip recipe.
Modernist Cuisine has a fascinating recipe for using sodium citrate to turn almost any cheese into a creamy sauce for those who prefer to use unprocessed cheese and are willing to turn their kitchen into a science lab.
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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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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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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.
Now Wheres That Recipe
For this years party I went to grab my recipe and I couldnt find it.
So, I decided I needed to get it up on the blog, despite the fact that it may not be my normal ingredients or healthy-ness. Its just that good. And, it is a sometimes treat.
So, maybe this post is more for me so I can find this easy recipe.
I may have it memorized already, but since I only make it once a year I like to make sure I remember it correctly.
Oh, and speaking of Super Bowl parties, heres what I served.
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More About Mexican Food
We just love Mexico and the food even more! So, weve put together various reviews to help you create your own Mexican Fiesta!
Secondly, of course, is the right equipment. Take a look at our reviews of the Best Tortilla Makers, the Best Quesadilla Makers, the Best Molcajetes, the Best Tamale Steamers, and the Best Taco Holders you can buy.
Now, all you need is a Mojito!
What Can I Use If I Dont Have Taco Shells
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How To Make Nacho Cheese Sauce
1. Toss shredded cheese and cornstarch together so your cheese gets coated and you dont end up with any big cornstarch lumps in your sauce. The cornstarch will help thicken your nacho sauce and prevent it from curdling.
2. Heat evaporated milk over medium heat until milk just begins to simmer.
3. Remove the milk from heat and stir in the cheese, a handful at a time, until all the cheese has been incorporated and it has completely melted into the sauce.
4. Add hot sauce, salt, and cayenne, and then taste and add more if needed.
5. And the final, most important step: drizzle your homemade nacho cheese over something delicious, and try not to eat the entire pot.
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With only two ingredients, these nachos are a cinch to make. Layering the chips and cheese ensures that every chip has molten goodness on it. Once youve mastered that, level up with these very easy pantry dinners.
This recipe was featured as part of our Nacho Recipes photo gallery.
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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 Make Cheese Sauce For French Fries
To make cheese sauce for fries, you will need shredded cheese, milk, cornstarch, and seasoning.
While the fries are cooking combine the ingredients for the cheese sauce in a small pot or pan and heat on medium until it begins to simmer.
Mix it so it doesnt clump up together.
After the sauce has come together, carefully pour into on the fries and top with pickled jalapenos, crumbled bacon, or your favorite toppings!
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How To Make A Nacho Cheese Sauce In The Microwave
Do you love the rich and creamy texture of nacho cheese sauce?
Dipping lightly salted and crispy tortilla chips into a bowl of hot melted cheese is very satisfying. This is the perfect snack to share and helps to make any gathering of friends or family extra special.
Many people avoid making their own nacho cheese sauce because they think it is messy and difficult. However, you can make this sauce in next to no time in the microwave.
So, lets go through the best ways of how to make a nacho cheese sauce in the microwave
Contents
How To Reheat Nacho Cheese:
Heat the leftover nacho cheese in a skillet over medium low heat until melted and warm. Add 2 tbsp of water and whisk until the cheese looks smooth and creamy again . If the sauce is still too thick and doesnt flow well, add more liquid and whisk again. Do not reheat nacho cheese in the microwave.
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Option : Use A Slow Cooker
Your next option is to use a slow cooker. Just like in the microwave method, the first thing you need to do is shred the cheese into smaller pieces.
For this method, we recommend using a pound of Velveeta cheese. You should add the cheese straight into the slow cooker and cover it, leaving it to boil on low heat for approximately 30 minutes.
Please note that this method does not require you to add any butter or milk to the slow cooker as you are cooking it on a very low heat.
To stop the cheese from getting clumpy, we recommend regularly stirring it throughout the 30 minutes that it is in the slow cooker.
Once the 30 minutes have passed, you should replace the lid on the slow cooker and leave the cheese to cook for between 1-2 hours.
During this time you should not stir the cheese or remove the lid as this could damage its consistency. After this, the cheese will be ready to serve, so simply keep it warm until you are ready to eat.
Super easy and completely made from scratch ! Its cheesy, sharp, smoky, unbelievably velvety and just SO GOOD!
With Super Bowl 50 coming up in 2.5 weeks, there is no time to waste. The invite list should be written up and the game day menu should be set, tested and ready to go.
But before you set everything in motion, you need to add this nacho cheese to your arsenal.
Dont worry. Itll just add 10 minutes of your time. No biggie. And maybe 2 different types of Wisconsin Cheeses to your tummies.
Recipe Tips For Best Results:
- Cooking tips: I love stirring with a flat ended wooden spoon so that I can scrape the entire bottom of the pan.
- Cheese selection:
- Cheese grated from a block is the best choice when making homemade nacho cheese as opposed to using pre-shredded cheese. It just melts better.
- If you can find peppered cheddar like I used in this recipe, I think it’s the best. However, it can be hard to find. If using plain mild, medium, or sharp cheddar, you can add spice by using salsa, roasted green chile, or hot pepper sauce.
- You can also make this recipe using pepper jack or a combination of cheeses.
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How To Make Nacho Cheese With Velveeta In Crock Pot
Cover and cook on low for 2 hours.Cover and heat on high for 45 minutes to 2 hours, mixing about every 20 minutes to avoid hot spots in the cheese.Cube the velveeta cheese and add it to the crock pot.Cut those sections into cubes.
Cut velveeta cheese into chunks.Dump and go in the slow cooker.For the final 2 minutes, stir the cheese about every 30 seconds.I mentioned that this recipe goes a long way.
In a large pan, melt butter.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.Layer this mixture with sour.Make the cheese sauce ahead of time, so you can free up your busy schedule.
Nacho cheese is hard to keep warm while serving at a table.On the stove top, brown the ground beef.Once, the butter is melted, add the cheese, and then add milk.Place the lid on the.
Place your tomatoes and velveeta into your crock pot on high.Pour over the can of rotel and sprinkle over the chili and garlic powder.Put in crock pot on low.Put into a large crock pot and cook on low, stirring occasionally.
Reduce heat to warm and place the.Serve on warm with tortilla chips.Serve with nacho chips or bagel chips.Serve with tortilla chips or corn chips.
Stir your dip occasionally until all of the cheese has melted.The cheese will come out warm and fresh with no runny texture by the end of the.This recipe is also great if you are doing a.Turn the crock pot on low and heat until cheese starts to melt.
Nacho Cheese It Can Be
- Easy To Make
- Delicious & Versatile
- Better & Less Expensive Than Store Bought
Requiring almost zero prep, and made in a matter of minutes, this nacho cheese sauce is the perfect addition to amplify any basic dish to make it a stand-out crowd pleaser. I mean, 5 ingredients that youll most likely already have at home? Doesnt get much better than that!
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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.
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Option : Microwave It
The first method that we would recommend is to microwave the cheese. To do this, you must tear up the cheese into small pieces ready to melt.
You must take a microwave-safe bowl and add a small amount of butter into it, you should then add the cheese in on top.
Once all of your cheese has been added to the bowl, you can then place the bowl into the microwave.
Place your bowl in the center of the microwave, and set it to medium heat. You should then cook the cheese in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
There is no set amount of time for which you should cook the cheese, instead, you should stand near the microwave and keep a close listen out for any signs of burning.
To ensure the cheese doesnt burn, we recommend checking it every 30-60 seconds. Once the cheese has melted, take the bowl out of the microwave and give it a good stir to ensure that the cheese and butter have combined.
Finally, you should check the heat. If the heat is at a good temperature then your cheese is ready to serve, if not simply put it back in the microwave for a further few minutes until you reach your desired temperature.
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How To Make Cheesy Nachos
Nachos is a typical Mexican dish and can be accompanied by numerous sauces, although one of the most common recipes is to make cheesy nachos with that typical melted cheese sauce we all enjoy with that characteristic orange color. Melted cheddar cheese is normally used to achieve such color, along with the corn triangles, although it can also be made with your favorite cheese. In this OneHowTo.com article, you will discover step by step how to prepare cheesy nachos.
- 1 pound Cheddar cheese or your favourite one
- 1 cup Milk
To prepare the cheese sauce for your easy cheesy nachos, you should put a little milk in a saucepan or a small pot and add the cheddar cheese. If you prefer, you can use any other variety of cheese that you like the most. This is not a problem, though the best cheeses to melt are soft, non-cured cheeses such as Fontina, Provolone, Gouda or Gruyere.
You should melt the cheese and mix it with the milk on low heat. Pay attention that the cheese does not stick to the pan or burn. You can add more milk to get the right texture, but always try to add it slowly so you don’t have too much liquid left.
Also, once the cream cheese has the right consistency, you can add some spices, such as oregano, or even add jalapeno chillies, onion or pepper cut up into thin slices. You can give the personal touch you fancy to the sauce to accompany the nachos.
