Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce
This from-scratch Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce is made with only five all-natural ingredients (trust me, it doesn’t need more), and takes 10 minutes to make. Perfect for football snacking.
Meet my newest obsession, Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce!
I can very easily remember my first experience with nacho cheese sauce.
I was at my friend Angelina’s house and she took out a box that said “Velveeta” on it and popped it into the microwave. I was in middle school at the time and I’m sure I thought it was good enough, but now I generally stay away from things called “cheese product.”
It’s perfectly possible to make smooth, creamy nacho cheese with natural ingredients, though it won’t stay smooth forever.
As it cools, it firms up a bit, but as long as you keep it warm you’re fine.
Let me show you how to make nacho cheese sauce!
Start by melting some butter in a skillet:
Whisk in an equal amount of flour until combined:
Whisk in some milk, then season with salt and cayenne pepper:
Last but not least, turn off the heat and add in freshly grated cheddar cheese:
Whisk gently until it melts and smooths out into a creamy, wonderful sauce:
The sauce will stay smooth and creamy as long as it’s warm:
(Since I’ve been asked so many times, this is the mini-cast iron skillet picture above).
Pour over chips and devour!
Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce
This is the BEST Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce! Made with only five all-natural ingredients (trust me, it doesn’t need more), and takes 10 minutes to make. Perfect for football snacking.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 8oz block sharp cheddar cheese*, grated
Directions:
- Melt the butter in a medium size skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted add the flour. Whisk until it combines into a smooth blond paste and starts to bubble around the edges.
- Add the milk to the skillet and continue whisking. Once the milk is incorporated, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once the milk has reached a boil, quickly lower the heat and reduce to a simmer. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Add the cayenne pepper and salt and whisk to combine.
- Add the cheese and gently stir, allowing the cheese to melt. When the cheese is completely melted and the mixture smooth in consistency, the nacho cheese sauce is ready to serve. Enjoy immediately, as the sauce will get firm as it sits.
Recipe Notes:
*Be sure to buy a good quality block of sharp cheddar cheese, then grate it yourself. Those bags of pre-shredded cheese have additives in them that are specifically there to prevent clumping, so if you don’t shred your own cheese, the sauce won’t be smooth. My favorite brand cheddar is Cracker Barrel.
To reheat: ONLY reheat on the stovetop in a pan (no microwave here). Heat the cheese in a skillet over medium low heat until melted and warm. Add 2 tbsp of water and whisk until the cheese looks smooth and creamy again (adding moisture should restore that creamy smooth texture).
Nutrition Information
Yield: Serves 4-6, Serving Size: 1/4 of total
- Amount Per Serving:
- Calories: 305
- Total Fat: 23g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Cholesterol: 77mg
- Sodium: 574mg
- Carbohydrates: 7g
- Sugar: 3g
- Protein: 16g
More Game Day Food:
Blue Cheese Dip for Buffalo Chicken Wings
Products used in this recipe:
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My husband and teen boys love that nasty jarred cheese sauce or even the stuff that you can get from a convenience store 8shudders* and I HATE when they eat it. This however, I’d be totally fine with making for them. it looks delicious and not full of 12 days worth of sodium, chemicals and fat
hahaha, jarred cheese sauce does seem off-putting, doesn’t it!
I need this!! Will be making this soon! 🙂
Thank you. Have a great Sunday and week.
You too, Liz!
OK – all 4 of my children now LOVE you! I rarely let them eat the orange stuff served at the baseball field…….. which, of course, they LOVE. Now, they can have the orange dip without the chemicals. Awesome!
LOL really happy to hear this, Candi!
I really appreciate this recipe, thanks for sharing, I’m going to pass this along to my family/friends
Hope you enjoy!!
This looks so amazing – and EASY to make! I love the simple ingredients list. I think I’ll have to put this on my Superbowl Sunday snack list. 🙂
Thanks, Crystal! Have fun watching the game =)
Think you could make it with gf flour?
Hi Erin, I unfortunately don’t have any experience with gf flour so I don’t know. What’s in it?
I did, due to allergies, and it was perfectly fine
Thanks for sharing this, Lauren. Very helpful for other readers!
Erin, maybe try using some arrowroot powder? I think I may experiment with some too.
Just made this. It really is as easy as you make it look and very good! I will definitely make again but use a milder cheese as is was a bit too strong for my kids. Would go great over broccoli too! Thanks so much for this recipe!
SO happy the cheese sauce turned out well! Enjoy!
i am partially intolerant to lactose, i can eat dairy products but can’t drink milk. Is there a substitute i can use instead?
Hm, you could probably do water, it just wouldn’t be as creamy.
You could use lactose free milk. My son has the same issue, he can east most dairy, but milk messes him up. I usually cook with his milk instead of mine.
This looks incredible!! Love that it is completely homemade too!!
Thank you
I use this same exact recipe for cheese sauce on cauliflower and mixed veggies. My kids love it!
Just made it. My husband, teenage daughter, and I loved it. Delicious! Have not had nachos in forever because we have changed to organic eating. Thanks for the wonderful recipe. Only change I made was to use medium cheddar because that is what I had in the fridge.
After cooking it, could it be kept warm in a crockpot. Want to make this for pot luck at work. Sounds Delish!
This looks and sounds really delicious. I definitely prefer to use fresh ingredients. I can’t wait to try this for the big game.
In for cayenne! This looks amazing. Nice picture-taking too, BTW.
Perfect!
Thank you for sharing! GBU!
Do you think this would keep okay in a small crockpot? I wanted to do it for a superbowl party.
Cant wait to make this! Have you tried chopping jalapeños and mixing it in? How long does this last in the fridge?
If I make this can I then freeze and reuse at a later date 3 days later ????
This looks and sounds amazing! I’d love to make it for the office but I don’t have a crockpot or anything to keep it warm. What happens if I microwave it?
Hi Tony, microwaving doesn’t go well, I’ve tried 🙁 Is there a stovetop?
I made this for a Bachelor Finale party with half sharp cheddar and half pepper jack cheese. It tasted fantastic, great recipe!
Put this in a taco/quesadilla tonight. Delish!
SO YUMMMY
Just made this … It’s super creamy and sooo much better than store bought! Thanks!!
I made this for dinner this evening. My kids and husband loved it. I will be using it on Nacho’s and broccoli and anything and everything else that you can put cheese sauce on! Thanks!
Have you used a crockpot to keep this warm? Just wondering if the sauce remains a nice consistency. Thank you!
Can a double boiler be used to keep warm and creamy or would water still need to be added. is there a particular chip used or any tortila ?