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.
perfect, simple, fast cheese dip!
The best way to avoid the floury taste is to use cornflour instead of wheat flour. Also you can just put the butter, flour and milk in the microwave, cook for a minute at a time until it’s thick enough, then add the cheese and other stuff then briefly nuke again. No risk of burning it in the microwave. A little bit of English or french mustard really brings out the cheese flavour. And there’s no reason to ever use pre-grated cheese for anything ;)
It is a nice base recipe, but I add more seasonings and taco meat for more flavor. Its a hit in my house even with the 5 year olds.
I’m planning a party. Do you think this will be ok left on a low heat on the buffet table?
Hmm, honestly I’m not sure how this will hold up over prolonged heat.
Very good base! I added more spices and a can of drained Rotel, and it was delicious on our burritos! Nice and creamy, even with sharp cheddar. So excited to add this to our tex-mex arsenal
I tried this cheese dip.. It is grainy and flavorless.. I used the remainder with noodles and its no better..Guess the only way to make cheese dip is with velveeta.
Mine is never creamy. Always a little lumpy or grainy texture. I’ve tried so many things. The roux is smooth before I add the milk but after adding the milk and cheese at some point it fails. :(
How many calories are in this??
New family favorite. Super simple to make. Love it!
this is so good! even my most picky eater loves it
Hi! I tried out the recipe(minus the chili powder, not big on spices) and I am very happy with it. However, there are some parts of it that have a bit of a more powdery taste to them, which I think may be due to not mixing the flower right early on. Is there any way to get rid of that?
I don’t think there is any way to get rid of that flavor after the sauce is already made. Another thing that can cause a powdery flavor is using pre-shredded cheese, which is often coated in cellulose to prevent sticking. That cellulose can have a powdery flavor and can not be cooked out.
Ah, I see! That may be the case then, as the cheese I’m using is pre-shredded. Thank you for the advice!
Can you add this tip to the beginning of the recipe, or is it too late?
I’ll add it in a paragraph above the recipe box. :)
Can you use 2% milk in this or does it have to whole milk
2% would probably work, it will just be less creamy.
This cheese dip is delicious! Thanks for the recipe. YUM!
I am looking for great dinner ideas slow cooker , Dutch oven, grill , stovetop thank you and good job on your cheese dip congrats on your success
Can you reheat this sauce at all if you store it properly in the fridge or freezer? It looks absolutely delicious and so easy I’ll try it either way, but I’ll certainly make more if you can!
This one doesn’t reheat so well, but if you do a cheese sauce with evaporated milk instead of a butter and flour roux, it reheats great. You can find a recipe for that type of cheese sauce here: Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce.
Love the real ingredients, and that they are available everywhere!!!