Believe it or not, making your own salty and creamy Nacho cheese sauce is actually possible!
This easy recipe is a must-try if you love snacking on Nachos, tortilla chips, and other appetizers or fried foods.
The dip is super versatile, ultra-delicious, and comes together with just some kitchen staples.
I'm entertaining a lot these days, so naturally, I'm also experimenting with a lot of dips, sauces, and spreads.
I recently tried a nice apricot salsa to go with my nachos, and a rich cowboy butter dipping sauce to go with my chicken wings, and they were both absolute crowdpleasers.
But, I really wanted to try something more classic. A simple yet effortless dip that could work with pretty much anything. And that's when I made this cheesy nacho dip!
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
Not only is this homemade nacho cheese sauce a delicious, preservative-free alternative to store-bought versions, but it is also an incredibly versatile condiment that you can use with pretty much anything.
It doesn't congeal or harden when it cools down and tastes insanely delicious even when it isn't warm.
And that's not all- you can make it in advance too.
Ingredients For the Nacho Cheese Sauce Recipe
Flour: Just your regular all-purpose flour. You'll need this for the roux.
Butter: Use salted butter.
Milk: Use full fat milk here. This will help loosen up the sauce and also lend it some extra richness.
Cheese: Here's the best part! I just used some regular cheddar cheese here. No fancy stuff!
Jalapeno: For that nice kick of heat. Skip this if you want it to be super simple.
Seasonings: To season, I just used some garlic powder, cayenne, salt and pepper.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Want a bit of a different flavor? Swap the cheddar cheese in the recipe for another kind of cheese. Mexican 3-cheese blend is a great choice, and so is pepperjack and Monterey jack.
- To bring a bit of extra heat to the sauce, add some more chopped jalapenos.
- Taco seasoning can also be a great addition to this sauce, and can lend it a nice different flavor.
How to Make Nacho Cheese Sauce
Step 1: In a saucepan, heat butter and add in the flour. Cook this on low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.
Step 2: Slowly add in the milk and spices, and continue whisking until the mixture thickens.
Step 3: Add in the cheese and continue cooking until the cheese melts.
Step 4: Allow the dip to cool down a bit before serving.
💭Top Tip
Make sure you don't overheat the cheese sauce. Let it cook on low heat for just until the cheese seems fully melted. Take it off the heat and let it come to a smooth mixture in its residual heat.
How to Store the Leftover Nacho Cheese Sauce
Your leftover nacho cheese sauce can stay fresh for up to 7 days, if not longer. Just transfer it to a clean glass jar or an airtight container and refrigerate it.
To reheat it, simply microwave it with a splash of milk or water, and stir at every 10-second interval.
Avoid overheating the cheese sauce.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- This nacho cheese dip will have a creamy, smooth, and slightly runny consistency when it is super hot- perfect to drizzle over fried chicken and nachos. It will thicken a bit as it cools down though, but it'll have the perfect texture to serve as a dip.
- If the sauce seems too thick and you want to loosen it up, you can add a splash of milk and whisk it again, while it is still on heat.
- For the best result, use medium cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar cheese can make the sauce grainy.
- Opt for a cheese block instead of pre-shredded cheese, as the latter can have anti-caking agents which can lend the sauce a bit of a weird taste.
How to Serve Nacho Cheese Sauce
This nacho cheese sauce tastes insanely delicious when drizzled over some chicken wings or tortilla chips.
I also think it could be great as a dip to go with some veggie sticks, or even with some pretzels.
If you're using it refrigerated, it should have a spreadable consistency, which makes it perfect to slather over your morning toast too!
If you tried this nacho cheese sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Nacho Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 jalapeno chopped
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a saucepan, heat butter and add in the flour. Cook this on low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously.
- Slowly add in the milk and spices, and continue whisking until the mixture thickens.
- Add in the cheese and continue cooking until the cheese melts.
- Allow the dip to cool down a bit before serving.
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