By:Nagi
258 Comments
A silky smooth Nachos cheese dip thatdoesn’t harden or congeal as it cools!! It is just as good served warm, at room temperature or cold. When warm, itcan be used asa cheese sauce to pour over nachos, chips or whatever else takes your fancy. It takes just over 5 minutes to make andis great to make ahead as it reheats well.
Use this tomake a Ripper Beef Nachos!
“This Nachos Cheese Dip was an invention out of necessity. Because I love cheesy dips, and I wanted onethat did not harden orcongeal as it cooled.”
I am yet to meet a cheese I don’t love. Plus I have a weakness for all things snacky. If there’s something to nibble on within reach, it’s like my arm is on auto pilot.
Therefore, this Nachos Cheese Dip is pretty much all my weaknesses bundled into one bowl. Place this with a pile of corn chips in front of me and I stand no chance.
I know there are loads of cheese dip recipes “out there”. And I tried quite a few of them (the ones without processed cheese), but the thing that I found inconvenient was that as the dip cooled, the cheese in the dip would harden. And when the dip was reheated, the dip would split (the oil would separate).
Being a Cheese Loving Snack Monster, I went on a mission tocreate a warm cheese dip/ sauce that would not hardenas it cooled and was not made out of processed cheese. I was actually quite amazedthat every recipe I looked at had a fairly similar base to the ones I had already tried, so I knew they would not achieve what I was after. Mind you, this was about 5 or so years ago. So maybethe internet is flooded with non-congealing warm cheese dips now!
“The secret ingredient in this is evaporated milk. That’s how this stays creamy – warm or cold.”
This dip is made with evaporated milk which makes all the difference. I was makingan Alfredo Sauce using evaporated milk when the thought occurred to me that it might work for a dip too. Bit of corn starch / corn flour to thicken it, plenty of cheese (it is aCheese dip!) and some additional flavouringsto make it a nachos cheese dip.
So cutting to the chase, here are 7 reasons why I am obsessed with this Nachos Cheese Dip / Sauce:
1.It is ridiculously easy (5 ingredients, < 10 minutes);
2.Perfectly smooth;
3.Easily adjustable to your own taste. Increase, decrease or remove the spice factor, add your own flavourings;
4. Doesn’t use processed “plastic” cheese;
5. Can be made ahead. It keeps perfectly in the fridge for at least a week (it has never lasted longer in my house);
6.Reheats without splitting; and
7. Is a 2 in 1 recipe – a dip and a sauce. When warm, it is quite loose, like a thick sauce. It is pourable over nachos, chipsor whatever else takes your fancy. (UPDATE: I just got a great tip from a reader to use this over tots! Never thought of that – that’s a step up from fries!!) When it is cool, it thickens up to a thick dip consistency. And when it is refrigerated, it is a spreadable consistency, like peanut butter. It can also be thinned out simply by adding a bit of milk (ordinary or evaporated).
Now please excuse me, I need to go and blow my my calorie budget for the entire week. Happy snacking! – Nagi x
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Nachos Cheese Dip & Sauce
Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 2 minutes mins
Cook: 5 minutes mins
Total: 7 minutes mins
Appetizer, Dip
Tex-Mex
4.84 from 68 votes
Servings6 -8
Tap or hover to scale
This dip is great not only because it's a two-in-one recipe, but because unlike most other cheese dips and sauces, it does not separate and congeal as it cools and it is just as good (if not better) served cool or at room temperature as it is warm. It's also a super simple recipe which takes minutes to prepare and only 5 or so minutes to cook.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups / 225g / 8oz shredded cheese (Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, etc), shred your own (Important - read Note 1)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch (corn flour)
- 1 can evaporated milk (375g / 12oz)
- 2 tbsp finely chopped jalapeño peppers (fresh or canned)
- 1 tbsp hot sauce (or adjust to your taste)
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (optional - adds extra flavour)
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional - adds extra flavour)
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
Toss the cheese and cornstarch together in a saucepan.
Add all other ingredients, cook over medium heat, whisking often until the cheese is melted and smooth.
Adjust to your taste if required - with extra hot sauce and salt.
While hot, it will have a sauce like consistency - perfect for pouring over nachos.
As it cools, it will thicken and become a dip-like consistency. Whisk occasionally to mix in the skin that forms on the top.
Stir in additional evaporated (or even normal) milk to achieve the desired consistency if you want to use it as a pourable sauce. Note that when you reheat it, it loosens up.
Recipe Notes:
1.Pre shredded cheese contains additives to avoid clumping. As a result, sometimes they do not melt as well as you'd hope into liquid form, like this dip (melting on toast, on casseroles etc is ok). The end result can be a bit grainy which is not very nice.
Consequently, it's safest to use freshly grated cheese.
Use any melting cheese you want. My favourite combination used to be half cheddar, half Monterey Jack because I thought that made the flavour similar to what you get at Mexican restaurants in the States but for some reason Monterey Jack is no longer sold at my local grocery store. Now I use cheddar and/or Colby.
2. This will keep in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days and reheats well. It's a perfect make-ahead cheese sauce / dip!
3. This needs to be made with evaporated milk. You can't use long life, powder milk or ordinary milk.
**Update: Further to a reader question, I tested freezing it and discovered that this freezes very well. I wasn't sure it would because plain evaporated milk should not be frozen but the addition of cheese must change the physical properties because this freezes perfectly. You would never know this was frozen once thawed.**
3.Pre shredded cheese contains additives to avoid clumping. As a result, sometimes they do not melt as well as you'd hope into liquid form, like this dip (melting on toast, on casseroles etc is ok). The end result can be a bit grainy which is not very nice.
Consequently, it's safest to use freshly grated cheese.
Use any melting cheese you want. My favourite combination for the Nachos Cheese Dip on which this recipe is based used to be half cheddar, half Monterey Jack because I thought that made the flavour similar to what you get at Mexican restaurants in the states but for some reason Monterey Jack is no longer sold at my local grocery store. Now I use cheddar and/or Colby.
4.Nachos Cheese Dip nutrition per serving.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 85gCalories: 209cal (10%)Carbohydrates: 6.3g (2%)Protein: 12g (24%)Fat: 15.2g (23%)Saturated Fat: 9.6g (60%)Cholesterol: 50mg (17%)Sodium: 607mg (26%)Potassium: 180mg (5%)Sugar: 4.9g (5%)Vitamin A: 450IU (9%)Vitamin C: 3.3mg (4%)Calcium: 380mg (38%)Iron: 0.4mg (2%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
PS Watch how easy to this to make in my Nachos Cheese Dip / Sauce VIDEO!
Hi, I'm Nagi!
I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!
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258 Comments
Georgia says
This was a great recipe! I was looking for a cheddar cheese sauce to dip soft pretzels in. I doubled the recipe, used a sharp yellow cheddar, and omitted the chile, tomato, hot sauce and jalapeño. As soon as the sauce was melted and smooth I poured it into a mini crock pot and had it on warm for about 4 hours. It did get a little film if it went untouched for longer periods of time but it stirred back in smoothly. I got no separation by using this evaporated milk method. Thank you for this recipe!Reply
- Rebecca Preston says
Wow! I miss queso sooooo much, but not anymore. Thank you!Reply
- Anne says
This is a fabulous dupe! I stopped eating the jarred queso a long time ago and admittedly I miss it a lot. This is such a perfect homemade option! The whole pan disappeared in the blink of an eye at a family nacho night 😂 I was a little nervous about putting fresh jalapeños in, so I sautéed them for just a couple of minutes. I used both the garlic and onion powder, and it is worth the extra two moments to add those in.Reply
- Peter says
I don’t know how to rate this. I made the one in your recipe book ‘Dinner’ and it was just so wrong. After many tries and adjustments I just removed the cream completely from the recipe and it finally worked OK. This recipe has no cream but different cheese combination. And no added salt needed. Sorry Nagi. I like most your recipes. But I had to say something.
Reply
- Aubrie Hibbert says
This has been my go to cheese sauce recipe for years! love it,Reply
- sandy says
Ummmm Yummmm this is addictively good. On nachos, as a dip, as a sauce, eaten with a spoon lol.
The fact that it freezes is also a bonus (not that there’s ever any left over)Reply
- Melissa says
I made this sauce last night to have with your Crunchy Seasoned Baked Potato Wedges. What a hit!!! The sauce was so smooth and so more-ish, perfect with the wedges 😋😋😋 Thanks Nagi xxReply
- Maureen Ridgely says
This dip is amazing. I used fresh jalapeno pepper, half the salt, and also added smoked paprika!
Reply
- Sandra Maher says
Hi Nagi, if making your nachos cheese sauce and I don’t have on hand hot sauce and jalapeno , what could I sub with please. Love your recipes and tell everyone about your website. TIA. Sandra
Reply
- Rebecca Cardno says
I wanted to leave a comment for the Nachos of Your Dreams but couldn’t as it a cook book only recipe. This cheese sauce is soooo easy but is absolutely amazing!!! My only dilemma is now my husband will be expecting this standard every time we have nachos. Thank alot Nagi!! 😀Reply
- Lindy O'Neill says
This is utterly delicious. I used 1/2 tasty, 1/2 Colby.
I’ve been looking for a cheese dip recipe for years. I’m going to add sweetcorn next time cos I can imagine that’s a perfect fit and I just LOVE corn.
Thanks Nagi.Reply
- Christopher Lewis says
This cheese sauce is outstanding. It is better than any recipe I’ve tried and even anything I’ve had in restaurants. I sometimes use it to make a Chorizo Queso dip. I am regularly harassed to make this for friends and family. I make a quadruple batch and store it in vacuum sealed Mason jars. Thank you so much!Reply
- Esther says
Can I ask a dumb question? Why is evaporated milk necessary? My boy is lactose intolerant so was hoping to be able to use some substitute. Any suggestions?
Reply
- Heidi says
I love using evaporated coconut milk, found it at Amazon. Have you tried that?
Reply
- Christopher Lewis says
The evaporated milk keeps the dip from separating as it is cooled. The article clearly explains the necessity of it.
Reply
- Jane says
Delicious. Only problem I tasted the fresh jalapeño and my mouth is still burning. So I didn’t add any hot sauce. The cheese sauce is yum. Having it as a dip with corn chips and guacamole before MYO burritos. Following your beef burrito recipe Nagi. If there’s any cheese sauce left going to put it in my burrito. Double YUM!Reply
- Iandra Maré says
This is my go to nacho cheese sauce recipe. Bestest estest ever 👌👌😁😁Reply
- Charmaine says
This is easy and so delicious, I have made it many times. I used a combination of Monterey Jack and Sharp Cheddar both of which I found at Costco Marsden Park – very easy to work with and melt beautifully. However they were out recently so I’ve waited for them to bring them back…which they have much to my family’s excitement!
I smother this over white corn strips with some fresh diced tomato, diced red onion and blobs of mashed avocado. Yum!Reply
- Nimah says
For the canned jalapeños, is that like the old El Paso jar of jalapeños? If not, can you let me know which? Thanks!
Reply
- Samantha says
You’re correct. That would be just fine, just don’t pour the juice in the jar out with the jalapeños :p
Reply
- Tracy says
You can’t really make this in a crockpot can you?
Reply
- Nagi says
I don’t see why not Tracy! Just stir occasionally until fully melted! N x
Reply
- Carissa says
YES YES YES! We wanted to try a cheese sauce for a nachos and of course had to see if Nagi had one first. This is so simple yet so yummy! Tried it before adding the garlic and onion powder and it makes suuuuch a difference!Reply
- Nagi says
It’s totally addictive snack food!! N x
Reply
- Kate says
Best cheese sausage EVER!Reply
- Nagi says
I am thrilled that you liked the it Kate!! N x
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