Join Rocking Mama in Flavor Country With 3 Minute Nacho Cheese
It is an often overlooked aspect of the Prometheus mythology that he is widely regarded as a hero for giving us nacho cheese, not fire. Sure, it’s not the healthiest snack unless you go nuts with organic substitutes, but every now and then it’s okay to splurge a little. And it’s difficult to argue the fact that nachos are a delicious alternative to less savory quick meals on the go like ramen. When your teens or college kids get to that age where they seem to become vacuums for unhealthy, Instagrammable foods (like the fancy shakes below), you need to keep pace somehow.
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Now that we somehow danced through the judgement stage tied to any discussion of less than healthy snacks, let’s get into the nitty gritty. We are NOT discussing melting a brick-sized block of Velveeta over some tortilla chips and calling it a day. Using a handful of simple ingredients that are budget-friendly, we’re going to make cheese from scratch. It’s super fast and easy.
3 Minute Nacho Cheese Sauce Ingredients
Flour, 2 Tablespoons
Butter, 2 Tablespoons
Whole Milk, 1 Cup
Medium Cheddar, 6 oz (1.5 cups shredded)
Salt, ¼ Tablespoon
Chili powder, ¼ Tablespoon
A Note On Substitutions
The ingredients list above is your essentials to make the most basic version of nacho cheese sauce. If you want to get creative with it, embellish by substituting half pepper jack instead of all cheddar cheese. You can also incorporate a pinch of cumin or cayenne pepper rather than all chili powder. Some diced green onions can also contribute some amazing texture.
Preparation Steps
- Place your 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of flour to a small sauce pot. Heat contents and whisk them together until it’s a bubbly and foamy mixture. 60 seconds should do the trick.
- Whisk your cup of whole milk into the sauce pot a bit at a time to maintain a smooth consistency (if you’re getting lumps, slow it down). This ensures that the cheese will incorporate well.
- Stir in your shredded cheese a small handful at a time. Pacing this over a low flame ensures that the cheese sauce doesn’t overheat.
- Finally, add your salt and chili powder for taste. If the sauce seems too thick at this point, add a splash of milk and stir.
You should be all set in around 3 minutes with some absolutely delicious nacho cheese sauce! Now either use for dipping or drizzle liberally over your tortilla chips; it’s all golden. We hope that we haven’t permanently ruined your diet with this extremely simple recipe.
Interested in reading about spices you could use to take this recipe up a notch? Read our staff list of the top ten kitchen must-have spices.
