I know, it seems kind of weird that I’m posting this homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce recipe the day after the super bowl. But, the reason I made this nacho cheese sauce has nothing to do with the super bowl and everything to do with the fact that I have just had a crappy week. :) After a series of unfortunate events and two recipe flops, I had an, “Ugh, I give up. Just give me some chips and nacho cheese.” moment.
Don’t judge. Nacho cheese dip is powerful stuff.
NO Processed Cheese, Please
Rather than going totally off the deep end and buying a gelatinous block of Velveeta, I decided to try to make the nacho cheese sauce myself, with real, simple ingredients. To my surprise (and probably to my detriment), this homemade nacho cheese recipe made with real cheddar cheese is extremely fast and easy to make.
Spice it Up!
The nacho cheese recipe below is the very basic version of nacho cheese, which you can customize or embellish in many different ways. Try substituting half of the cheddar with pepper jack, or stirring in a 4oz. can of diced green chiles. Experiment with the seasonings by adding a pinch of garlic powder, cumin, or even cayenne pepper. Stir in a few sliced green onions, or a can of Rotel tomatoes (drained). You can really have fun with this one.
Tips for Cheese Sauce Success
Here are a few tips to help make sure your homemade nacho cheese recipe 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.
New to cheese sauce? Try making our no-roux Easy Cheese Sauce that melts together smoothly in minutes and is absolutely fool-proof!
5 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce
Servings 6 (1/4 cup each)Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.22)
- 2 Tbsp flour ($0.02)
- 1 cup whole milk ($0.30)
- 6 oz. medium cheddar, shredded (about 1.5 cups) ($2.25)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp chili powder ($0.02)
Instructions
- Add the butter and flour to a small sauce pot. Heat and whisk the butter and flour together until they become bubbly and foamy. Continue to cook and whisk the bubbly mixture for about 60 seconds.
- Whisk the milk into the flour and butter mixture. Turn the heat up slightly and allow the milk to come to a simmer while whisking. When it reaches a simmer, the mixture will thicken. Once it’s thick enough to coat a spoon, turn off the heat.
- Stir in the shredded cheddar, one handful at a time, until melted into the sauce. If needed, place the pot over a low flame to help the cheese melt. Do not overheat the cheese sauce.
- Once all the cheese is melted into the sauce, stir in the salt and chili powder. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. If the sauce becomes too thick, simply whisk in an additional splash of milk.
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Nutrition
Video
How to Make Nacho Cheese – Step by Step Photos
Start by placing 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp flour in a small saucepot.
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 (whisking frequently). Because the small volume, it should come to a simmer very quickly (about a minute).
When it reaches a simmer, the milk will thicken. When it’s thick enough to coat a spoon like in the photo, turn off the heat.
Whisk in 6oz. (or about 1.5 cups) 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 nacho cheese sauce with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp chili powder.
Taste the nacho cheese sauce and adjust the seasonings if needed. And that’s it! Now you have a real ingredient, really delicious, homemade nacho cheese dip.
This post either just ruined your life or made your day. Or maybe both.
Super easy n simple to make… Tastes amazing… thanks alot for sharing
can you make the cheese sauce in the microwave will it give you the same product?
No, you need to do this one on the stove top to make sure the flour roux cooks correctly doesn’t end up tasting like glue.
When reheating, can you use the microwave, or does it have to be over the stove?
You could probably do it on the stove as long as you keep the heat low and stir often. You may want to add a splash of milk if it gets too thick.
I tried this yesterday and OMG it was soooo good. The best cheese sauce recipe!!
Made it at 1 in the morning after a bottle of wine. Didn’t take 5 mins, but added garlic and lots of pepper. Tastes amazing! Thanks for this!
This recipe is horrible I tried it and my cheese turnt out thick like puddly.
I would try it again Ali. It’s a pretty basic recipe,
Hi! I have a question… I can’t find cheddar in the country where i live. Which kind of cheese can i use? Thanks :)
Hi Vanessa, unfortunately I don’t know what is available in your country that might be comparable to the cheddar.
You could try any hard cheese, really. Typically Gouda or Swiss cheeses will work.
How will this hold up if I make it earlier in the day and reheat it a couple hours later??
I reheated my leftovers over a couple of days and it smoothed right out upon reheating.
Can’t wait to try this recipie. My children r gonna love it.
Just tried this simple tasty recipe. Really enjoyed it, so glad I found you. Very best wishes with your inspirational, innovative site. 😊
Thanks for the awesome simple recipe. I’m obsessed with it now. I made it with several different cheeses. My favorite is with pepper jack. So delicious!
This recipe tastes like shit.
Thanks for leaving such a constructive review.
Looks like you don’t know how to cook!!
wow, so simple and quick to make! i swear ill never buy canned nacho cheese again
i made it with the bagged processed shredded cheddar bc thats all i had, lol. im sure if i used better quality cheese itd taste even better
Made this Gluten-free, as I have celiac disease, & I successfully subbed Ottos cassava flour for the AP flour. :) Now playing around with the spices to get the heat I want.
I’m gonna follow the recipe, but probably put a few spoons of salsa into it. Wish me luck!