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 (or not) as you want it to be, and everything you ever dreamed of smothering over nachos, veggies, or a giant pretzel (<–my fav).
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 that’s the case, and you need cheese sauce NOW, no worries, go make my classic Homemade Cheese Sauce. It’s made with butter, milk, and flour, so you probably have the ingredients, and it’s 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.
What’s the Deal With Evaporated Milk?
Evaporated milk is just milk that’s been simmered over low heat until more than half of the water content has evaporated, so it’s extra creamy. It’s 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.
How to Make Nacho Cheese Sauce
1. Toss shredded cheese and cornstarch together so your cheese gets coated and you don’t 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. 😉
FAQ
Can I make this in advance?
Yes. Unlike a lot of cheese sauces, this sauce reheats pretty well (though it will get a little lumpy if reheated too hot and as it cools). It will solidify in the refrigerator but returns to its pourable state when reheated. To reheat:
On the stove: Transfer sauce to a small saucepan and reheat gently over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Do not allow to come to a boil.
In the microwave: Microwave in a microwave-safe dish, stopping to stir sauce every 10-15 seconds as needed until just heated through. Heads up, the sauce will pop and sizzle in the microwave.
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.
What to serve with nacho sauce?
Looking for more things to drizzle nacho cheese over? Try:
Steamed Broccoli
Steamed Cauliflower
Carnitas Nacho Fries
Chili Baked Potatoes
Nacho Cheese Recipe Notes
You should be able to find evaporated milk in the baking aisle next to the condensed milk. Double check the can that you’re putting in your cart and make sure that you’re getting evaporated and not condensed milk, because the two CANNOT be used interchangeably. (Though you can and should use condensed milk to make dulce de leche…)
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Quick and Easy Nacho Cheese Recipe
This nacho cheese sauce is sharp and creamy, and everything you ever dreamed of smothering over nachos, veggies, or a giant pretzel.
1/8teaspoonground cayenne pepperplus more as needed
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine shredded cheese and cornstarch and toss to coat.
To a medium saucepan, add evaporated milk. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until milk just begins to simmer.
Remove the milk from heat and stir in the cheese, a large handful at a time,until all the cheese has been incorporated and it has completely melted into the sauce.
Add hot sauce, salt, and cayenne, and then taste and add more if needed. Serve over nachos, fries, or steamed vegetables and enjoy!
Notes
* For best results, do not use pre-shredded cheese as it contains anti-caking additives that may prevent the cheese from melting smoothly.
To keep warm, transfer mixture to a crockpot on the warm setting. Whisk occasionally.
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Choose a combination of cheeses for both flavor and meltability. A Monterey Jack cheese will have the oozy-melty quality sought after in the best nachos, while a standard sharp cheddar will offer a little tang.
Ingredients: Nacho sauce is typically made with a combination of melted cheese, tomatoes, and spices, while cheese dip is usually made with a blend of melted cheese and milk or cream. Consistency: Nacho sauce is usually thicker and more paste-like in consistency, while cheese dip is typically thinner and more pourable.
It is best to keep your nacho cheese warm in a small crockpot or slow cooker, or on low heat on the stove. Stir it regularly, as it can begin to clump and harden if even heat is not applied. Stir in a bit of milk if it starts to lose its creaminess.
My personal favorite is cheddar cheese, but I have also had great success with Monterey Jack, pepper jack, and even mozzarella cheese. Just make sure the cheese is shredded and not in slices, so it will melt evenly on the nachos. Hope this answer helps!
Heavy cream has a lot of fat content which helps thicken the nacho cheese sauce so no flour or roux is needed. Up next is the cheese. We are keeping it simple and only using sharp cheddar. It has the bright yellow/orange color that is key to making this look just like Taco Bell's.
Is the nacho cheese in cinemas actually cheese? The nacho cheese they pump onto tortillas comes from a can and contains only a small percentage of real cheese. It is mostly water, milk and oil thickened with corn starch. The cheese lends flavor to the sauce but accounts for little of the total volume.
"Nacho cheese" is a specialized cheese sauce designed for nachos, a popular snack, or appetizer, known for its smooth, creamy texture and mild, slightly tangy flavor. In contrast, "queso cheese" is a more general term that encompasses various cheeses used in Mexican cuisine, available in different f…
For dips, you'll want to use a tablespoon of cornstarch per pound of cheese, then add at least five ounces of evaporated milk. After that, you can use more evaporated milk to thin out your dip as much as you need.
Remove the saucepan from heat and slowly incorporate the cheese, whisking constantly. According to AlSawwaf, adding the cheese over heat can cause the fats and milk solids to separate, resulting in a lumpy sauce with a curdled texture — so always take the pan off the burner first.
Making a slurry with cornstarch and cold milk is how you will thicken your queso. A traditional slurry is a 1:1 liquid to cornstarch ratio, but for our queso purposes I used 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of milk.
Since then, the unmistakable aroma of Ricos Nacho Cheese Sauce has become synonymous with the joyous spirit of entertainment venues, sports arenas, and movie theaters across the globe.
Drummond "nukes" the nachos in a microwave and the NYT grills them, but the best results, I find, come from baking, which heats the dish all the way through without making the base layer soft and chewy.
Cook at a higher heat, limit ingredients and amounts that are loose (refried beans, chili, etc. When stacking the nachos, add ingredients to each stack watching the amount. I like to keep my nachos from getting soggy in the oven by using a preheated oven and cooking them on a high heat for a shorter amount of time.
You can use any shredded, melty cheese, such as cheddar, Monterrey jack, Pepper jack, or mozzarella. I like using a Mexican blend because you get a mix of everything. I opt for pre-shredded cheese because it's one less step, but if you prefer to grate the cheese yourself, that works.
Two of the most common Mexican cheeses you probably heard are cotija and queso fresco. These two popular Mexican kinds of cheese have distinctive characters that they add to various Mexican dishes. Queso fresco and cotija cheese are the most common and are often compared to each other for multiple reasons.
Here's the how to melt cheese the slow and steady way: use low heat—introduce a double-boiler, even—to avoid overcooking. If you want to speed up the melting a little more, try grating the cheese instead of cranking the temperature—the thin and uniform shape will melt faster and more evenly.
Limiting the number of ingredients baked with the chips is the key to crispiness. Top chips with no more than two or three toppings. Choose from items such as black beans, refried beans, chopped grilled chicken, seasoned ground beef (browned and drained), or chopped jalapenos.
Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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