Description
Make this restaurant-style nacho cheese sauce in under 10 minutes. It is smooth, velvety, and perfect for dipping chips, topping nachos, or dressing up fries.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded
- 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, freshly shredded
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
- Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute, stirring constantly, to create a roux.
- Slowly whisk in the whole milk until the mixture is smooth. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens slightly, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper, if using. Mix well to combine the spices.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the shredded cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese in small handfuls, stirring constantly until each addition is fully melted and smooth before adding the next batch. Do not boil the sauce once the cheese is added, or it may become grainy.
- Continue stirring until you have a perfectly smooth, velvety cheese sauce.
- Serve immediately as a quick appetizer dip or a cheesy topping for fries and tacos.
Notes
- Shred your cheese from a block for the best, smoothest melt. Pre-shredded cheese often contains anti-caking agents that can make your sauce gritty.
- If the sauce becomes too thick while sitting, whisk in a splash of milk until you reach your desired consistency.
- This recipe makes a fantastic copycat Taco Bell cheese sauce for your next taco night dip.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 5 min
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 350
- Fat: 15
- Saturated Fat: 9
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Trans Fat: 0.5
- Carbohydrates: 3
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 10
- Cholesterol: 45