How to Make Nacho Cheese Sauce

Nachos aren't the same without the dipping sauce. There are quite a few ways to make a fantastic nacho sauce, and you're bound to have a favorite. Since nachos are all about convenience, a few choices are provided here, including cheesy, meaty and no-cheese, to help you find the one that works for you.

Ingredients

Basic nacho cheese sauce:

2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup (60g) butter, unsalted
1/4 cup all-purpose/plain flour
2 cups sharp-flavored Cheddar cheese, grated/shredded
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Pepper Jack cheese sauce:

4 oz Pepper Jack cheese, shredded/grated
4 oz Cheddar cheese, shredded/grated
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 12-oz can evaporated milk (non-sweetened), halved
2 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce
Pinch salt

Spicy meat and cheese nacho sauce:

2 lbs Velveeta cheese
1 lb ground beef
1 lb hot sausage
1 small onion
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can hot jalapeno relish

Vegan nacho "cheese" sauce:

1 1/4 cups cashew nuts, raw
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon white pepper, ground
3 1/2 cups plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk (soy, almond, oat, etc.)
1 cup/2 oz agar flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup yellow miso
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (approximates to about 1 medium lemon)

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:
Basic nacho cheese sauce

1
Pour the milk into the saucepan. Heat over medium heat. When bubbles begin to form, remove from the heat.
2
Add the butter to the other saucepan. Melt over medium-low heat.
3
Sprinkle flour into the melted butter. Stir to form a thickened paste.
4
Pour the warm milk into the flour paste. Pour in gradually, whisking in the milk as you tip it. The sauce will thicken over 5 minutes, as you continue to stir.
5
Add the cheese to the thickened mixture. Whisk through to help it melt in.
6
Tip in the hot sauce and cayenne pepper. Stir through. Then season with salt and pepper to taste. Do a taste test; add more of any of these seasonings if needed.
7
Serve. Pour the sauce over the pre-arranged nachos.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:
Pepper Jack nacho cheese sauce

1
Place the cornstarch and cheese into the saucepan. Stir together to coat the cheese with the cornstarch.
2
Add 1 cup of evaporated milk, along with the hot sauce and salt.
3
Heat over a medium-low heat. Stir frequently, to combine and prevent lumps from forming. Continue to cook until the sauce thickens.
4
Remove from the heat. When the sauce has thickened and is bubbling, it's ready to take off the heat.
5
Pour in the remaining evaporated milk if necessary. This will help to thin the consistency, so only add small amounts at a time, until you're satisfied with the sauce's texture.
6
Serve. Pour over pre-arranged nachos and serve straight away.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:
Spicy meat and cheese nacho sauce

This spicy and meaty cheese sauce will open up your guest's eyes.

1
Chop the onion in small pieces.
2
Brown the ground beef and sausage. Drain the liquid and add the onion pieces until they look translucent in color.
3
Melt the cheese over a low heat.
4
Add the jalapeno relish and cream of mushroom soup to the cheese mixture.
5
Add the meat mixture to the cheese mixture and stir thoroughly.
6
Serve in a cup as a side item or drizzle the cheese sauce over a plate of nachos.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:
Vegan no-cheese nacho sauce

1
Process the cashew nuts in the food processor. Pulse to finely grind; you don't want them to form a paste. When finely ground, add the nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder and ground pepper. Pulse a few more times to incorporate these ingredients.
2
Pour the non-dairy milk into the saucepan. Add the agar and oil. Bring to a simmer over low heat.
3
Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 10 more minutes. You'll need to stir now and then. Heat until the agar dissolves.
4
Turn the food processor on again and slowly pour the liquid into the cashew mixture. Process for 2 minutes, until it turns creamy and is free of lumps.
5
Add the miso and lemon juice. Process this into the cashew mixture until combined.
6
Pour over the pre-prepared nachos. Sprinkle some greenery garnish on top to complete the effect.

Community Q&A

Question

In the first method, the basic nacho, can I omit the hot sauce?

Qamar

Top Answerer

Yes, you can skip it if you'd prefer the sauce not be spicy.