Easy Nacho Cheese Sauce
Lately I’ve had a thing for easy. Summers here, and it’s been a bit crazy with running here and there, trying to do so many things at once! I’ve been craving me some cheesy chips as well. Something easy and fast. This recipe for Easy Nacho Cheese Sauce has easy and cheesy written all over it! Ready in about 5 minutes it’s easy, cheesy and fast! Within a few minutes you’ll have yourself a plate of nachos topped with an easy nacho cheese sauce that will take those yummy chips to the next level!
Chips
I’m pretty easy when it comes to the kind of chips I get. Usually it’s what’s on sale although I have to say I love the hint of lime that Tostitos have come out with. As I was looking online it’s amazing how many brands and types of tortilla chips there are out there! Corn, restaurant style, flour, spicy, baked, thin, round or scooped, chocolate, crunchy, jalapeno…….just to name a few! As I said, I’m not picky because to me it’s all in the toppings. Let’s start with an easy nacho cheese sauce!
Toppings for Nachos
Everyone seems to have their own preferences as to what they top their chips with. Lately I’ve done a few “nacho bars”. You start with some tortilla chips, add some easy nacho cheese sauce and then the fun begins. Here’s some ideas of toppings we’ve used:
- shredded pork carnitas
- sliced olives
- black beans (with a little lime and cumin)
- chopped tomatoes
- chopped red onion
- diced green onion
- jalapeno’s
- sour cream
- guacamole
- salsa
Easy Nacho Cheese Sauce
This easy nacho cheese sauce is full of cheddary goodness. I think that’s a word…I like to use extra sharp cheddar. When you purchase your cheese for the sauce, please get un-grated or block cheese. I’m not sure if you knew but when you buy shredded cheese, it come with an anti-clumping coating on it, you know so it doesn’t stick together in the bag. While it’s great for easy to make, throw on the cheese things, for sauces it doesn’t melt nicely. Using block extra sharp cheddar you get a velvety soft sauce that tastes divine!
If you leave out the spicy aspects of this sauce, it makes a lovely cheese sauce for broccoli or cauliflower, both favorites of mine, and if you use cream instead of milk, without flour to thicken, it makes a very good keto friendly cheese sauce. Instead of thickening with flour, add the butter, cream and cheese and let it cook down to thicken. This cheesy, creamy, easy nacho cheese sauce is a lick the plate clean kind of sauce! Let’s get started making easy nacho cheese sauce
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Supplies
Ingredients
- extra sharp cheddar cheese
- milk (whole is best but any kind will do) I’ve been known to use cream watered down just a bit or 1/2 and 1/2
- butter
- flour
- salt
- pepper
- chili powder
- cumin
- a dash of cayenne (totally optional)
- dry mustard (also optional. I’m surprised how many kitchens don’t have this staple. I bought mine many many years ago and I’m now just using up the tin)
- Franks Hot Wing Sauce (yeah, it gives it nice flavor, color and kick)
Directions
- Grate cheddar cheese
- In a pot over medium heat, melt the butter
- Stir in the flour and wisk
- Pour in milk continuously stirring
- add grated cheddar and continue to stir. If it’s too thick, add a little milk, a tablespoon at a time
- Add in spices
- Add the Franks Hot Wing sauce
- Continue to stir until it’s the thickness you want.
Serving
At this point you can do a few different things. You can pour it into a crock pot and set it for warm. It will sit (you’ll have to stir every so often as a skin will form on top) for hours if you needs be. You can pour over nacho chips or pour into a bowl and with a scoop, ladle out individually. People will want to just dip their chips in over and over again.
When we had this last night, we started with chips laid out on a big plate, poured on cheese, then scattered pork carnitas…..we got the Pork Carnita’s in a package in the deli section at Costco. It’s a two pack and feeds about 6 people with each package. Microwave in a bowl and separate and cook a little longer. Seriously so good:) The pork was topped with chopped tomatoes, red onion, olives and guacamole. It was so good….I had to have a little more pork at the end…with a little cheese sauce. I didn’t lick my plate ’cause I was in the company of others:) Not a sound was made while eating (well nom nom sounds) but we were watching TV!
If you liked this recipe, I’m sure you’ll want to try my Beef Breakfast Nachos as well!
Happy Creating and eating too:)
Cheryl
Easy Nacho Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 TBSP Butter
- 3 TBSP Flour
- 1 3/4 Cup Milk (whole if possible)
- 1 8 oz pkg of Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese - Block
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Dry Mustard (optional)
- Dash of Cayenne Pepper (optional)
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1/2 TBSP Franks Hot Wings Sauce
Instructions
- Grate Cheddar Cheese
- In a heavy saucepan over medium high heat, melt butter
- Stir in flour, whisking constantly
- Drizzle in milk, whisking constantly
- Add cheese and stir
- Add spices (you may want to taste and adjust spices)
- Add Franks Sauce
- Stir over heat until it reaches desired thickness. If it's too thick, add more milk, 1 TBSP at a time.
- Remove from heat and serve....dip, drizzle or smother your chips!
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