Nacho cheese sauce is a smooth, creamy, and tangy cheese-based sauce, typically made from milk, cheese, spices, and thickeners like flour or cornstarch. It's beloved for its rich, indulgent flavor and smooth, dippable texture, making it the ideal topper for loaded nachos, chips, pretzels, veggies, and more.
Nacho cheese sauce originated in Mexican cuisine but became popularized by Tex Mex cooking in the US, particularly as a movie theater and ballpark concession snack in the 1970s onward. The base components trace back centuries, with cheese-enriched sauces used in European cooking dating back to medieval times.
While die-hard fans love the nostalgic glow of pumped "liquid gold" at stadiums and cinema snack bars, gourmet versions made from real ingredients like aged cheddar and peppers are taking over home kitchens.
How Nacho Cheese Sauce Is Made
The foundation of nacho cheese sauce starts with a roux: equal parts butter and flour cooked together into a thick, pasty mixture. Heating the butter and flour accomplishes a few things:
- It cooks out the raw flour taste for a nuttier flavor
- It kickstarts thickening so the liquids that get added turn smooth and velvety rather than watery
Once the roux has browned slightly, milk and spices are whisked in to form a creamy béchamel sauce base. The milk both thins out the roux back into a pourable liquid, while also lending tangy dairy notes. Many nacho cheese sauce recipes call for whole milk for richer flavor compared to skim varieties.
At this stage, the bubbling milk mixture has body but still needs the signature cheese element. Hand-grated extra-sharp cheddar (or a blend of melty cheeses) gets stirred in until melted and smooth. Since cheese can break or get grainy if overheated, it's important to remove the sauce from direct heat first. The residual warmth is usually enough melt it down sans clumps.
Key Takeaway: Nacho cheese sauce starts with a butter-flour roux, gets thinned into béchamel with spiced milk, then finished with grated melting cheeses like cheddar off heat for a smooth dip.
That covers the basic science to transform ingredients into dippable cheese sauce. But part of nachos' craveability is customization. The cheese blank canvas takes to mix-ins extremely well for lots of customizable flavor. Options like:
- Diced green chiles
- Minced jalapeños
- Salsa
- Hot sauce
- Taco seasoning
- Sauteéd onions/peppers
- Ground beef
- Diced tomatoes
Primary Uses and Pairings
Drizzly, tangy nacho cheese sauce is nachos' trusty BFF for good reason. But its uses extend far beyond tortilla chips into all sorts of snacking and flavor boosting applications across cuisines. Some top pairings include:
Nachos
Housemade tortilla chips and crisp veggies dunked and doused in cheese sauce can't be beat. But the sauce also helps bind together layered nacho piles by gluing ingredients like beans, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, etc into hearty snack platters. The stretchy melted cheese acts as a saucy "grout."
Baked potatoes get a decadent and hearty re-vamp loaded with bacon, scallions, broccoli and an ooey gooey nacho cheese bath.
Baked potatoes get a decadent and hearty re-vamp loaded with bacon, scallions, broccoli and an ooey gooey nacho cheese bath.
Quesadillas & Tex Mex
Nacho cheese makes a saucy middling layer for quesadillas, burritos, chimichangas, and more Tex Mex specialities. It stands up well to other big flavors like fajita peppers and onions, ground beef, refried beans, cilantro-lime rice, etc.
Fries & Tots
Fries, tater tots, and potato skins become next-level vessels for nacho cheese sauce delivering salt, crunch, potato flavor and cheesy richness in one tasty bite. Chili cheese fries/tots are classic bar and diner fare for good reason.
Pretzels & Breadsticks
Obsessed with ballpark stadium snacks? Nacho sauce is right at home with soft baked pretzels for dipping, or making cheese-stuffed pretzel bites. The same goes for cheesy garlic breadsticks and cheese bread.
Wings, Meatballs, Sausages
Nacho cheese sauce pairs excellently with fried foods like wings, meatballs, mozzarella sticks, jalapeño poppers, etc. The creamy cheese helps cool spicy heat while acting as a flavor-packed dip. Try baking chicken wings or meatballs directly in sauce too for extra flavor infusion.
Pasta Bakes
For a shortcut cheesy pasta bake or casserole, stir some cooked noodles into prepared nacho sauce along with vegetables, chicken, or ground beef. Top with more cheese or crispy chips/breadcrumbs before baking until browned and bubbly.
Soup
Thin out refrigerated leftover sauce with vegetable or chicken broth for an easy cheesy soup base. Garnish bowls with crushed chips, crispy bacon, scallions, etc.
Storage Tips
Freshly made nacho cheese sauce is best immediately while still silky smooth and warm. But like any cheese-based sauce, it will firm up upon cooling to room temperature. Proper storage is key for enjoying leftovers.
- Store sauce in airtight glass/plastic containers vs metal to avoid picking up metallic flavors
- Refrigerate up to one week
- To reheat: transfer small portions to saucepan and gently warm over medium-low, adding a splash milk/water to loosen as needed
- Stir frequently until glossy consistency returns
- Avoid microwaving to prevent separating curdling
- Add more spices to perk up older sauce
Freezing is possible for 1-2 months but will lead to distinct separation between the fat and water content. Thaw and stir over low heat while adding liquid to re-emulsify.
Key Takeaway: Enjoy fresh nacho sauce immediately for best results. Refrigerate up to one week, reheat gently with added milk to restore texture. Avoid microwaving.
FAQs
Does it require actual nachos?
While nacho cheese sauce became famous thanks to its compatibility with crispy tortilla chips, the recipe is completely versatile beyond nachos as a dip, topping, binder, and more. Feel free to pair it with anything dippable from fries to wings to sandwiches.
Can I customize the flavors?
Absolutely! The cheese and roux form an extremely adaptable base for infusing other ingredients. Try hot peppers, salsa, taco mix, barbecue sauce, etc based on your tastes. Sauteeing onions and peppers in the roux butter first adds even more dimension.
Is it safe to make dairy-free?
It's tricky because any nacho sauce without actual cheese loses its definitive quality. But for a vegan spin, try substituting the dairy elements. Use oil instead of butter, swap non-dairy milk for the regular, and replace cheddar with a stretchy nut-based cheese shred. Manage heat carefully since non-dairy cheeses scorch quicker.
What's the difference from stadium/movie theater pump cheese?
Mass-produced pump cheeses use thickeners and emulsifiers for smooth consistency but the base is almost always pasteurized processed American cheese food, not real cheddar. They excel at maintaining that liquid state from high sodium and food science tricks. But homemade focuses on quality ingredients for flavor.
Conclusion
Offering indulgent real cheese flavor yet highly customizable, homemade nacho cheese sauce ditches the processed ingredients for simple pantry components like butter, flour, and real cheeses hand-melted into dipping perfection.
Once you realize how easy the roux technique makes achieving that smooth cheesy bliss, the recipe feels way less intimidating. Getting the thickened base right means you can then play with flavors to heart's content from spicy to smoky to veggie-loaded.