Serve it alongside some Chicken Wings, Buffalo Chicken Dip, and Soft Pretzels and you have a full spread perfect for watching sports and having friends over. Follow the instructions above. Whisk gently until it melts and smooths out into a creamy, wonderful sauce: It should have a flowy texture that runs and drips off the spoon in an even ribbon: If at any point the nacho cheese gets too thick and doesn’t “run” off the spoon, just add more water or milk, and whisk to combine. Next whisk in some milk, and season with salt and cayenne pepper: I like the heat that the cayenne gives, but you could also add paprika if you prefer. Thank you! Learn how your comment data is processed. 139 comments. **A few people have reported a gritty/grainy texture, which is usually a result of cheese being overheated. It will smooth out again beautifully. Once the milk heats through, the mixture should be thick and bubbly. Nacho Cheese is easy to make yourself from scratch, and is the perfect melty sauce to pour over tortilla chips. Heat the leftover nacho cheese in a skillet over medium low heat until melted and warm. My very first experience with nacho cheese sauce was of the Velveeta variety. Add 2 tbsp of water and whisk until the cheese looks smooth and creamy again (adding moisture should restore that creamy smooth texture). My favorite brand cheddar is Cracker Barrel. Add the cheese and gently stir, allowing the cheese to melt. It only takes a few minutes. Everything else was perfect! I recommend a crockpot, a fondue pot, or a saucepan over a warming plate. If the sauce is still too thick and doesn’t “flow” well, add more liquid and whisk again. Whisk until it combines into a smooth blond paste and starts to bubble around the edges. Those will make your sauce grainy, so make sure you actually buy a block of cheddar and grate it yourself. Yes, but it will definitely separate, so you’ll need to reheat and whisk again to smooth it out, and probably add moisture. Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes. It was good at the time, but now I generally stay away from things called “cheese product.”. The mystery of nacho cheese is solved (kind of). Start by melting some butter in a skillet: Whisk in an equal amount of flour until combined: This is called a roux, and it will thicken our sauce. Once the milk has reached a boil, quickly lower the heat and reduce to a simmer. Because the ingredients are natural and chemical-free, know that the nacho cheese firms slightly as it cools. For more game day food, try these incredible baked Chicken Wings, Buffalo Garlic Knots, Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip, or Garlic Parmesan Wings. Your email address will not be published. I added a large spoonful each of canned diced green chilis and canned diced tomatoes. I have added this step of removing the skillet from the heat, especially if you have an electric stove, so the cheese does not overcook. It does reheat just fine though and I’ll include instructions for that after the step-by-step. … Here you'll find 700+ tested approachable recipes from scratch, plus posts about my favorite things, lifestyle, travel, and more! You can also keep it warm in a crockpot, fondue pot, or other warming dish if you’re serving this at a party. You definitely don't want the cheese to bubble. And of course, you can keep it simple, or you can jazz it up however you want. Whisk until it combines into a smooth blond paste and starts to bubble around the edges. Required fields are marked *. This method takes less than 10 minutes, and riffs on how you’d make a roux and a béchamel sauce for mac and cheese. *Be sure to buy a good quality block of sharp cheddar cheese, then grate it yourself. Heat the cheese in a skillet over medium low heat until melted and warm.