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.
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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 ($0.28)
- 2 Tbsp flour ($0.02)
- 1 cup whole milk ($0.19)
- 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
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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.
Easy weekday nacho cheese recipe! I’ve purchased just about every brand of canned nacho sauce and they are all too spicy for my kids. They absolutely loved this recipe! Using this recipe for years to come. Thank you!
classic. make it all the time.
Made this in a large batch (24 servings) and it turned out okay. Need about an extra half cup of milk and was a little bland but not bad at all
Made this sauce but didn’t have the block cheese and had no choice but to make it with pre shredded cheese and it didn’t taste yucky at all but really good! I have tried making this cheese before and it never turned out right but you explained easy enough to understand that I was able to make it with no problems! Thank you!!!!
A question: Can I make this ahead and reheat it later?
We’ve found this one is best eaten asap!
This was the best recipe I’ve read in a long time, it instructs clearly and concisely while also providing the reason for each instruction. Easy to follow and even better tasted delicious! Thanks for making my nachos better!
Did not come out tasty or look like yours once I added cheese. Only regret is wasting money on ingredients. Might try again when I get paid . Thanks for recipe
I agree. Adding more milk and salt saved this recipe for me. It was a little chalky too. But that could have been the cheese (pre-shredded). I also added pickled jalapeno a rotel to help.
Can you make this with almond milk?
We haven’t tried it! If you do try it, I’d say you need to add a bit more fat and maybe flour to make sure that it’s rich and thick enough, as almond milk would make it a bit more thin. I’ve seen other readers do this with success, just be aware that no matter what it will probably not be quite as rich as the original.
is it supposed to be very salty?
No, not overly salty! If you use salted butter and a saltier cheese it could end up too salty.
Shredded cheese, packed or not packed?
I’d say loosely packed!
Very tasty cheese sauce! Thanks for sharing!
So it was really grainy! Any idea what I might have done wrong? I used already shredded cheese but I followed the instructions I thought to a T.
The pre-shredded cheese could definitely be the culprit! Pre shredded cheese is coated in an anti-caking agent, so it makes it much more difficult to melt as well, and that anti-caking powder can make sauces grainy. If you prefer to use pre-shredded you can rinse it off in cold water and drain before using!
I’m so grateful, no pun intended, to have just read this! I wouldn’t have ever ever thought to rinse my shredded cheese before cooking it! That’s the best thing I’ve heard today. Thank you! And this nacho sauce is so super easy, quick, and addicting lol. I’ll come back for more recipes for sure.
Can I make the cheese sauce without the chili?
Definitely!
excelente , sencilla reseta.
This is going to be great!!!! I am about to maje some now.
Thank you!!!!