Nacho Cheese Sauce
The BEST Nacho Cheese Sauce is creamy, flavorful and made with real cheese! You only need 5 ingredients and 10 minutes to make this recipe, and it's so much better than anything store-bought in a jar! It's gluten free and easy to make. Perfect for making nachos, topping tostadas, or as a dip for pretzels, veggies or chips.
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounce block cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 ounce block pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, or 2 tablespoons flour
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- 2 teaspoons hot sauce
Instructions
- Shred the cheddar and pepper jack cheese, then toss with cornstarch in a medium saucepan.
- Place the saucepan on the stove over medium heat.
- Pour in the evaporated milk and hot sauce.
- Stir consistently until the cheese melts into a creamy sauce.
- Remove from the heat immediately after the cheese is melted and serve with chips, or your favorite recipe.
Notes
- If you want to keep the cheese sauce warm for serving, transfer it to a slow cooker set to warm. The cheese sauce can stay in a Crock Pot on warm for up to 8 hours without burning, but while staying warm for guests at a party.
- Always shred your own cheese! For the smoothest, creamiest texture of the sauce, shred your own cheese at home using a box grater, hand grater or KitchenAid grater attachment. Pre-shredded cheeses contain anti-caking agents, which can leave a powdery taste in your cheese sauce.
- This recipe is gluten free. Always make sure that the hot sauce used is gluten-free. Most major brands of hot sauce are, but it never hurts to check the label, just to be sure.
- You can use flour instead of cornstarch, but you will need to double the amount, so 2 tablespoons flour, instead of 1 tablespoon cornstarch. This will also mean that the cheese sauce is no longer gluten free.
- The spice level of this nacho cheese sauce is mild. If you’d like to make it with no spice, replace the pepper jack cheese with Monterrey jack cheese and omit the hot sauce. If you’d like to make it spicy, use a spicy cheddar cheese and add an additional 2-3 teaspoons of hot sauce. You can also stir in a 4 ounce can of diced green chilies, or diced jalapenos, at the end for more heat.
- Store any leftover nacho cheese sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days.
- To reheat the cheese sauce on the stove, transfer it to a saucepan on the stove over medium heat. Heat the cheese sauce for 5-10 minutes, stirring until the cheese sauce is hot.
- To reheat the sauce in the microwave, transfer it to a microwave safe bowl. Cover and microwave for 60 seconds. Stir, then microwave for an additional 30 seconds, or until warm.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 77kcal (4%)Carbohydrates 2g (1%)Protein 4g (8%)Fat 6g (9%)Saturated Fat 3g (15%)Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 18mg (6%)Sodium 114mg (5%)Potassium 55mg (2%)Sugar 1g (1%)Vitamin A 165mg (3%)Vitamin C 1mg (1%)Calcium 139mg (14%)Iron 0.1mg (1%)
Did you make this recipe?Tag @WhitneyBond on Instagram and hashtag it #WBRecipes!