Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce
on Apr 03, 2019, Updated Apr 25, 2024
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Cheese is the way to my heart. And then add a tiny kick of spice and melt it? I’m head over heels. This Nacho Cheese Sauce is everything you could want in a cheesy condiment, and it’s a breeze to make.
Dress it up on a pile of sauteed broccoli or dress it down over a plate of chips or sweet potato fries—either way, this Nacho Cheese Sauce recipe will surely be the melty, gooey drizzle of your dreams. I guarantee it.
As a kid, sometimes the only way my parents could get us to eat veggies was if they melted some Velveeta and covered our cauliflower or baby broccoli with it. I’m not saying bribing your kids is the way to go, but sometimes we’ve got to compromise with the little ones, right?
Give it a try next time you’re making Tex-Mex burrito bowls, add it to cooked rice for a cheesy rice dish, or go the skillet-pasta-veggie route. You can’t go wrong, and that’s what makes it so right.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This cheese sauce is a slightly more elevated version of the classic homemade cheese sauce.
- It’s got a small bite of spice from chili powder, paprika, and optional hot sauce.
- And it goes well on nearly everything. Scratch that. It’s great on everything!
- Plus it’s so quick, a true 15-minute recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
- Butter – True butter, please!
- Cornstarch – To create a thick and smooth sauce
- Milk – Low-fat is okay
- Cheese – Cream cheese and sharp cheddar cheese
- Seasonings – Paprika, chili powder, and hot sauce to add spice
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Make a roux: Melt butter in a pan, whisk in cornstarch, and cook for 30 seconds while stirring. Whisk in the milk and continue whisking until well combined.
- Add cheeses: First, the cream cheese and then the cheddar, stirring after each until melted.
- Spice it up: Take off the heat and stir in seasonings for your level of spiciness.
Recipe FAQs
Nacho cheese is kind of like dog breeds—all types are unique but wonderful. My version has a little spice to it, but you can amp it up or down, depending on your palate. This recipe includes butter, cornstarch, milk, cream cheese, sharp cheddar cheese, paprika, chili powder, and optional hot sauce.
Totally! Since this is technically a liquid, it freezes well. I’d recommend portioning it out into the amount you’d like to have for one meal rather than freezing a massive tub of it so you won’t have to thaw the whole batch out and attempt to refreeze any leftovers.
The portions in this recipe really should yield a nice, thick-but-not-too-thick consistency. But if you have problems with it being too thick, whisk in a tablespoon or two more milk until it has a good texture. For sauce that seems too thin, add a bit more cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
Expert Tips
- You will want to get cheese blocks and grate them yourself to get the smoothest texture for this cheese sauce. Pre-shredded cheeses have additives that cause sauces to be clumpy.
- If the sauce is too thick, whisk in a tablespoon or two more milk until it has a good texture. If it is too thin, add a bit more cornstarch and whisk until smooth.
- My version has a little spice, but you can amp it up or down, depending on your palate. Add more or less hot sauce, or omit completely!
More Quick 15-Minute Recipes to Consider
Snacks
Chex Mix Recipe
Pizza & Sandwiches
White Pizza Sauce
Side Dishes and Salads
Air Fryer Frozen Fries
Breakfast
Brown Sugar Syrup
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Nacho Cheese Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3/4 cup milk
- 3 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- hot sauce, optional
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Sprinkle the cornstarch on top, and whisk to combine. Let the butter mixture cook for 30 seconds while stirring.
- Slowly whisk in the milk, and continue whisking until well combined and hot.
- Add the cream cheese, and stir until melted.
- Add the cheddar, and stir until melted.
- Take the pan off of the heat, and stir in the paprika and chili powder.
- Add hot sauce, a teaspoon at a time, until it reaches your preferred level of spiciness, optional.
- Serve while still hot.
Notes
- Shredding your own cheese from a block creates a smoother texture. The pre-grated kind seems to have some anti-caking agents that gum up the nacho cheese sauce a bit.
- This cheese sauce freezes well. Make ahead or freeze leftovers in meal-sized portions.
- Be sure to whisk and slightly cook the cornstarch first, and then whisk in the milk so that it is combined and has a smooth texture.
- Serve while still hot over nachos, on steamed veggies, with oven fries, or dip bread sticks in it.
Totally unrelated to Nacho Cheese but…I just saw a commercial last night for a new TV show called Bless This Mess. How can that be? You are the original and best version of Bless This Mess that could ever be…geesh