Nacho cheese and cheddar cheese are two popular cheese choices used in a variety of dishes.
While they share some similarities, there are key differences between these two cheese types that are important to understand.
What is Nacho Cheese?
Nacho cheese is a smooth, thick, yellow cheese sauce that is a popular topping for nachos and other snacks. It has a tangy, spicy flavor and creamy, gooey texture when melted.
Nacho cheese is made from real cheese, often a blend of cheddar, Monterey Jack, or American cheeses. However, it also contains additional ingredients like whey, milk fat, emulsifiers, thickeners, and spices to create its distinctive creamy and pourable consistency.
While authentic nacho cheese uses real cheese, some commercial varieties use cheese powders or oils to lower costs. Quality nacho cheese should contain no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.
Unlike real cheeses that are made by culturing milk curds, nacho cheese is classified as a processed cheese product. The FDA does not recognize nacho cheese as its own official cheese variety.
What is Cheddar Cheese?
Cheddar cheese is a firm, off-white to orange colored cheese that originated in the village of Cheddar in England. It has a tangy, sharp taste that ranges from mild to extra sharp depending on age.
True cheddar cheese is made by a traditional process called cheddaring. This involves cutting slabs of cheese curd into chunks, stacking them on top of each other, and pressing them together to remove whey and shape the curds into blocks.
Authentic cheddar is made from cow's milk and is naturally colored orange by annatto spice. It contains no artificial additives. The flavor becomes increasingly sharper and more complex as cheddar ages from 2 months to 2 years or longer.
Key Differences Between Nacho Cheese and Cheddar
While nacho cheese uses cheddar as a base ingredient, there are several important ways that it differs from real cheddar cheese:
Ingredients
- Nacho cheese contains additional ingredients like emulsifiers, thickeners, whey, and spices to create a smooth, scoopable texture.
- Cheddar is made from just milk, rennet, salt, and cultures. Quality cheddar has no additives or preservatives.
Manufacturing Process
- Nacho cheese is highly processed by melting shredded cheese and blending with other ingredients.
- Cheddar is made by traditional culturing and cheddaring processes to develop flavor.
Texture
- Nacho cheese has a smooth, thick, and creamy consistency when melted.
- Cheddar has a firm, crumbly texture that ranges from pliable to brittle.
Melting Properties
- Nacho cheese becomes a molten liquid when melted, perfect for dipping chips.
- Cheddar softens but holds its shape when melted. Aged cheddar does not melt smoothly.
Flavor
- Nacho cheese has a tangy cheddar base with spicy, salty flavors.
- Cheddar has a pure, sharp cheddar taste that intensifies with age.
Uses
- Nacho cheese is used as a dip, sauce, or topping.
- Cheddar is an excellent snacking and cooking cheese eaten on its own or added to dishes.
Health Value
- Nacho cheese is highly processed and high in saturated fat and sodium.
- Cheddar is a natural cheese that provides protein, calcium, vitamins A and B12.
Key Takeaway: Nacho cheese relies on additional ingredients to create a smooth melted texture, while cheddar cheese is made purely from cultured milk using traditional techniques.
How is Nacho Cheese Made?
Nacho cheese gets its unique smooth, pumpable texture through an industrial manufacturing process. Here are the main steps:
- Shredded real cheeses like cheddar, Monterey Jack, and American cheese are blended together.
- The shredded cheese mix is melted and emulsified with additional ingredients like milk, whey, and sodium citrate.
- Emulsifying salts like sodium citrate help keep the fats and liquids combined smoothly.
- Thickeners like xanthan gum or cornstarch give nacho cheese its thick, scoopable consistency.
- Spices and peppers are added for tangy, spicy nacho cheese flavor.
- The liquid cheese mixture is packaged into cans, jars, or individual servings.
- Preservatives are added so the processed cheese product can be shelf-stable.
Nacho cheese sold for concession stands, sports venues, or movie theaters often comes in large #10 cans that are pumped out and warmed to serve melted.
Packaged nacho cheese cups or jars require refrigeration after opening. The smooth texture solidifies when cold but liquefies again when heated.
Key Takeaway: Nacho cheese achieves its unique melted texture through a highly-processed emulsification method using real cheese, thickeners, emulsifiers, and spices.
How is Cheddar Cheese Made?
Unlike the industrialized production of nacho cheese, cheddar cheese is made using traditional techniques perfected over centuries:
- Raw cow's milk is the main ingredient in authentic cheddar cheese.
- Rennet is added to set the milk into a gelatinous curd which is cut into cubes.
- Cheddaring stacks the curd cubes on top of each other to press out whey and shape the curd.
- The cheddared curd mass is cut into loaves and pressed into blocks to further expel moisture.
- Salt is added as a preservative and to draw out whey.
- The pressed cheese is stored at cool temperatures to age from 2 months to 2 years or more depending on sharpness desired.
- Annatto adds natural orange/yellow color. Quality cheddar has no artificial coloring.
- The aged cheddar wheels or blocks are cut into smaller pieces for sale.
Traditional cheddar cheese is made by this hands-on, small batch process without added thickeners, emulsifiers, or chemical preservatives.
Key Takeaway: Authentic cheddar cheese is produced through traditional techniques like cutting, cheddaring, salting, pressing, and aging raw cow's milk curds.
Nacho Cheese Flavor Profile
When melted into sauce form, nacho cheese has these characteristic flavors:
- Cheddary tang - made from a base of real cheddar
- Spicy - often contains hot peppers
- Salty - higher sodium content
- Umami - boosted by added whey protein
- Creamy - from oily texture and dairy fats
- Tangy - from lactic acid and vinegary notes
The flavor balance focuses on that quintessential spicy, savory nacho cheese taste. But quality can vary widely between commercial brands based on ingredients used.
Freshly made nacho cheese has a richer, more nuanced cheesy taste before preservatives dull flavor over time. Refrigerated and gently reheated nacho cheese retains better flavor.
Key Takeaway: Nacho cheese has a tangy cheddar base with spicy, salty flavors designed specifically for nachos and dipping snacks.
Cheddar Cheese Flavor Profile
The flavor of real cheddar cheese evolves with aging time:
- Mild (2-3 months) - lightly tangy, buttery
- Medium (4-7 months) - balanced sharpness, nutty notes
- Mature (8-12 months) - robust, fruity tang
- Extra Sharp (1-2+ years) - intense, almost spicy bite
As cheddar ages from mild to extra sharp its flavor becomes more sharp and complex with tangy, nutty, and earthy notes emerging.
The cheddar flavor also varies by color. Many prefer the richer taste of natural orange cheddars colored by annatto. White cheddar has a milder, lighter flavor.
Cheddar made from raw milk has more complexity and grassy, nutty flavors than pasteurized varieties. Artisan farmhouse cheddars have distinct local terroir.
Key Takeaway: Cheddar progresses from mild to tangy, sharp, and complex as it ages from 2 months to 2 years, intensifying its pure cheesy essence.
Nacho Cheese Texture
Nacho cheese is uniquely formulated to have a smooth, thick, pourable consistency when hot and liquefy into sauce when melted.
It should coat chips evenly and cling to snacks without hardening or becoming stringy. Uniform smoothness and creaminess are ideal nacho cheese traits.
The processed texture comes from:
- Melted natural cheese oils
- Added dairy fats - creamy mouthfeel
- Emulsifiers - bind fats and water uniformly
- Thickeners like xanthan gum or cornstarch
- Smooth pureeing into consistent liquid
Nacho cheese retains its viscosity moderately well after cooling but firms up when refrigerated. It returns to liquid state when reheated.
The texture can degrade with extended storage as oils separate. Gentle reheating helps restore creamy uniformity.
Key Takeaway: Nacho cheese achieves an ultra-smooth, pourable texture when melted by emulsifying natural cheese with thickeners, fats, and emulsifiers.
Cheddar Cheese Texture
Unlike pumped cheese sauce, cheddar has a firm, sliceable texture thanks to:
- Low moisture content - expelled during cheddaring
- Firm protein matrix - developed during aging
- Lack of emulsifiers - retains solid fat globules
The texture varies depending on age:
- Young (2-6 months) - smooth, pliable, waxy
- Aged (1-15+ years) - crumbly, drier, crystalline
Mild cheddar is pliable and slightly waxy while sharp, aged cheddar is brittle and crumbly when chilled.
When melted, cheddar softens but still holds its shape well due to protein structure. It becomes oily rather than liquid. The texture gets gritty in aged cheeses.
Cheddar tends to sweat oil when heating but doesn't liquefy uniformly like processed nacho cheese.
Key Takeaway: Unlike pumped cheese sauces, cheddar cheese has an inherent firmer, sliceable texture that softens but doesn't fully melt into liquid.
Melting Properties
The highly processed nacho cheese melts into a smooth, flowing liquid ideal for pumping and dipping:
- Nacho cheese is formulated with emulsifier salts like sodium citrate to keep fats uniformly dispersed when melted.
- The base of real cheese provides meltable dairy fats.
- Thickeners help prevent separation of oils and solids.
- Heating transforms the nacho cheese into a homogeneous liquid.
- The liquid state enables effortless pumping through concession stands or dipping with snacks.
- Nacho cheese retains free-flowing melted texture for several hours after heating.
Cheddar cheese has limited meltability:
- Natural cheese structure causes fats to separate from solids when heated.
- Aged cheddar's low moisture content makes it difficult to melt smoothly.
- Cheddar softens and becomes oily but doesn't achieve cohesive liquid state.
- The protein matrix causes cheddar to maintain semi-solid state rather than flowing when melted.
- Aged cheddar becomes gritty and separates when melted, lacking elasticity.
Key Takeaway: Nacho cheese's emulsified formulation allows it to melt into smooth liquid, while real cheddar cheese retains a semi-solid state when heated due to its natural structure.
Uses
The smooth, liquid melted texture makes nacho cheese perfect for:
- Nachos - defining topping to complement chips, meat, beans, etc.
- Dips - for chips, pretzels, veggies, and other snacks
- Drizzles - over chili dogs, burgers, fries, baked potatoes, etc.
- Movie theater concession stands - pumpable, long holding time
- Appetizers - nachos, quesadillas, cheese fries, etc.
- Sauces - mixing with ground beef or salsa for queso fundido, chiles rellenos, etc.
Cheddar cheese offers versatility as:
- Snacking cheese - cubes, slices, shredded on crackers
- Sandwiches - grilled cheese, burgers, paninis
- Charcuterie - cheese boards with fruits, nuts, cured meats
- Salads - crumbled blue cheese, goat cheese, feta
- Cooking - mac and cheese, soups, casseroles, cheese sauces
- Baking - savory scones, biscuits, cheese straws
Key Takeaway: Nacho cheese's smooth melted consistency makes it ideal for pumping, drizzling, and dipping, while cheddar's firm texture allows it to be eaten on its own or cooked into hot dishes.
Health Considerations
There are some important nutritional differences between nacho cheese and cheddar:
- Nacho cheese is highly processed, meaning it loses some nutrients naturally present in cheese.
- It can have high sodium content upwards of 350-850mg per serving.
- Contains food additives like emulsifiers, thickeners, and preservatives.
- High in saturated dairy fat due to creamy texture.
- Provides calcium but limited other nutrients.
- Cheddar cheese provides a range of vitamins and minerals naturally present in dairy.
- It offers a good amount of protein - around 7 grams per ounce.
- Contains calcium for bone health - 200mg calcium per ounce.
- Provides B vitamins - riboflavin, B12, pantothenic acid.
- Aged, raw milk cheddar has beneficial probiotics.
- Can be high in sodium and saturated fat if eating large amounts.
Key Takeaway: While nacho cheese offers indulgent flavor, cheddar provides more nutritional benefits thanks to its natural dairy origins.
Price Differences
When buying commercially prepared cheese products, you can expect the following price differences:
- Nacho cheese sauce - $3 to $6 per 16 oz jar
- Nacho cheese cups - $0.50 to $1.00 per 2 oz serving
- Bagged shredded cheddar - $3 to $6 per 8 oz bag
- Cheddar cheese blocks - $4 to $8 per 8 oz
- Artisan cheddar - $15+ per pound aged and imported
Keep in mind real cheddar can be very inexpensive when bought in larger blocks rather than shredded. Convenience packaging adds cost.
For food service, #10 cans of pumped nacho cheese cost around $50 to $75 wholesale versus $200+ for a 10 lb block of cheddar.
Key Takeaway: Commercially packaged nacho cheese tends to cost less overall compared to an equivalent amount of real natural cheddar cheese.
Best Uses for Each Cheese Type
Based on their differing properties, some best uses for each cheese include:
Nacho Cheese
- Movie theater concession nachos
- Stadium or concert nacho trays
- Appetizer cheese dips with chips or veggies
- Burger topping drizzled over patties
- Queso fundido or chile con queso cheese dip
- Nacho fries loaded with cheese sauce
- Cheesy chili topping
Cheddar Cheese
- Grilled cheese sandwiches
- Cheese plates with fruit and nuts
- Charcuterie boards paired with cured meats
- Macaroni and cheese baked casserole
- Cheddar biscuits or scones
- Cheddar jalapeno cornbread
- Burgers or paninis with cheddar slices
- Chili or potato soup with cheddar
- Tacos, tostadas, or quesadillas with shredded cheddar
Key Takeaway: Nacho cheese works best as a melted topping, while cheddar's firm texture suits it to cooking, baking, and eating on its own.
Making Your Own
You can easily recreate both cheese types at home:
Homemade Nacho Cheese
- Start with shredded real cheeses like cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby
- Melt over low heat with milk and seasonings
- For smoothness, blend in sodium citrate emulsifying salt
- Thicken with cornstarch slurry if needed
- Adjust flavor with hot sauce, peppers, onions, etc.
Homemade Cheddar Cheese
- Heat milk, add culture, rennet to form curds
- Cut curd, stack, press to expel whey
- Further press curds into blocks, age for flavor
- Can mix in jalapenos, herbs, spices, etc.
- Try quick microwave method for 30 minute cheddar
With some simple ingredients and techniques, you can recreate both cheeses yourself.
FAQs
What's the main difference between nacho cheese and cheddar cheese?
Nacho cheese is a smooth, melted cheese sauce with added ingredients. Cheddar is a natural firm cheese made traditionally from milk.
Is nacho cheese real cheese?
Nacho cheese starts with real shredded cheese but has other ingredients added. It's a processed cheese product.
Why does nacho cheese melt smoothly but cheddar doesn't?
Nacho cheese uses emulsifiers and thickeners so the fats blend smoothly when melted. Cheddar's structure prevents it from fully melting.
What has more nutrients, nacho cheese or cheddar?
Cheddar keeps more of the natural nutrients from milk. Nacho cheese loses some nutrients during processing.
Which cheese is better for nachos - nacho cheese or cheddar?
Nacho cheese sauce is specifically designed to melt smoothly over nachos. Shredded cheddar works too but doesn't melt as evenly.
Conclusion
Nacho cheese and cheddar have different ingredients and textures.
Nacho cheese is made smooth and pourable for dipping snacks.
Cheddar is a natural firm cheese that is good for cooking, eating plain, or on sandwiches.
Cheddar offers more nutrition, while nacho cheese provides indulgent melted cheesy flavor. Both can be tasty choices!