Nacho Cheese Sauce
Easy to make from scratch, this nacho cheese sauce is perfectly melty and creamy. It's made with natural ingredients (no processed cheese) so it has the real cheesy flavor that is so good.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8 ounces) heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- 2 cups (8 ounces) freshly grated colby jack cheese see note
- 1 4-ounce can green chilies undrained, see note
Instructions
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In a small saucepan whisk together the heavy cream, cornstarch, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and ground mustard. Then heat over medium heat, whisking constantly until bubbles form on outside of pan.
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Add about a quarter of the freshly grated cheese and whisk to combine. Repeat with next quarter and so on until all the cheese has been incorporated and melted and sauce is creamy.
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Stir in the green chilies. You can serve the sauce at this point (with the chunky texture of the green chilies). But my preference is to blend it with an immersion blender or a food processor until it's really smooth. Return to pan and heat until warmed through and serve hot.
Recipe Notes
1. You can switch up the type of cheese, but we prefer milder cheese in this sauce. I wouldn't recommend anything aged as it will tend to be drier and not give you that creamy texture, plus the flavor will probably be too strong.
2. Keep in mind that pre-shredded cheese is coated with a powdery substance to keep it from clumping which may adversely affect the consistency and texture in this sauce.
3. We like mild green chilies, but feel free to use spicier if you enjoy the heat.
4. The prepared cheese sauce can be reheated slowly at low temperature, stirring often. Whisk in a little milk to thin, if needed. Do not microwave (the temperature is too hot) or you will be left with an oily mess.