Quick And Easy Nacho Cheese Recipe

This nacho cheese sauce is sharp and creamy, and everything you ever dreamed of smothering over nachos, veggies, or a giant pretzel.

Hey, friend, you ever marvel at that super creamy nacho cheese sauce you get at restaurants and movie theaters and wish you could make it at home? I have just the recipe for you.

Photo of nacho cheese being poured into a white bowl next to tortilla chips. - 1

Photo of nacho cheese being poured into a white bowl next to tortilla chips. - 2

This nacho cheese sauce is sharp and creamy, just as spicy (or not) as you want it to be, and everything you ever dreamed of smothering over nachos, veggies, or a giant pretzel (<–my fav).

To make it, you just need 5 minutes, AND my secret creamy cheese sauce weapon: evaporated milk.

And I know this might not be something you keep in your pantry. If that’s the case, and you need cheese sauce NOW, no worries, go make my classic Homemade Cheese Sauce . It’s made with butter, milk, and flour, so you probably have the ingredients, and it’s GREAT.

But if you have evaporated milk in your pantry or are going shopping before making this, grab a can and give this recipe a try. You will not be disappointed.

What’s the Deal With Evaporated Milk?

Evaporated milk is just milk that’s been simmered over low heat until more than half of the water content has evaporated , so it’s extra creamy. It’s perfect for giving you extremely creamy cheese sauces without the heaviness of using half and half or heavy cream .

When heated together with cheese and a dash or two of hot sauce, you get something pretty magical.

Image of nacho cheese in a white bowl with tortilla chips. - 3

Image of nacho cheese in a white bowl with tortilla chips. - 4

How to Make Nacho Cheese Sauce

Toss shredded cheese and cornstarch together so your cheese gets coated and you don’t end up with any big cornstarch lumps in your sauce. The cornstarch will help thicken your nacho sauce and prevent it from curdling.
Heat evaporated milk over medium heat until milk just begins to simmer.
Remove the milk from heat and stir in the cheese, a handful at a time, until all the cheese has been incorporated and it has completely melted into the sauce.
Add hot sauce, salt, and cayenne, and then taste and add more if needed.
And the final, most important step: drizzle your homemade nacho cheese over something delicious, and try not to eat the entire pot. 😉

Can I make this in advance?

Yes. Unlike a lot of cheese sauces, this sauce reheats pretty well (though it will get a little lumpy if reheated too hot and as it cools). It will solidify in the refrigerator but returns to its pourable state when reheated. To reheat:

On the stove: Transfer sauce to a small saucepan and reheat gently over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Do not allow to come to a boil.
In the microwave: Microwave in a microwave-safe dish, stopping to stir sauce every 10-15 seconds as needed until just heated through. Heads up, the sauce will pop and sizzle in the microwave.

Nacho Cheese Sauce for Parties

This recipe makes a little over 2 cups of sauce, but if you would like to make an even bigger batch, the recipe doubles with no preparation changes.

You can transfer your prepared nacho sauce to a slow cooker and keep it set to warm for a couple of hours. Fair warning, it will do that cheese sauce thing where the top sets and gets kind of sad and ugly looking, but if you give it a quick whisk, it returns to looking smooth and beautiful.

Picture of tortilla chip being dipped into homemade nacho cheese. - 5

Picture of tortilla chip being dipped into homemade nacho cheese. - 6

What to serve with nacho sauce?

Looking for more things to drizzle nacho cheese over? Try:

Steamed Broccoli
Steamed Cauliflower
Carnitas Nacho Fries
Chili Baked Potatoes

Nacho Cheese Recipe Notes

You should be able to find evaporated milk in the baking aisle next to the condensed milk. Double check the can that you’re putting in your cart and make sure that you’re getting evaporated and not condensed milk, because the two CANNOT be used interchangeably. (Though you can and should use condensed milk to make dulce de leche …)

Ingredients

▢ 3 cups ( 12oz ) freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese *
▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
▢ 1 12-ounce can ( 1 1/2 cups ) evaporated milk
▢ 2 teaspoons hot sauce optional
▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt
▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper plus more as needed

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine shredded cheese and cornstarch and toss to coat.
To a medium saucepan, add evaporated milk. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until milk just begins to simmer.
Remove the milk from heat and stir in the cheese, a large handful at a time, until all the cheese has been incorporated and it has completely melted into the sauce.
Add hot sauce, salt, and cayenne, and then taste and add more if needed. Serve over nachos, fries, or steamed vegetables and enjoy!

Notes

One bowl, 5 minutes prep, and 8 ingredients are all you need to make these super quick, easy, and delicious small-batch brownies.

That’s right, I said brownies. (We’ll try fugu some other time, you crazy adrenaline junkies.)

Why are these cute little triangles of chocolate goodness so dangerous? Because they are completely irresistible and way, way, WAY too easy to make.

Picture of small-batch brownies cut into triangles. - 8

Picture of small-batch brownies cut into triangles. - 9

Quick and Easy Small-batch Brownies

These are my current favorite brownies in all the world, dense and incredibly chocolatey, with lightly crispy edges and fudgy centers. (Depending on the level of fudginess you prefer, you can under-bake them for max brownie gooeyness, which is always an excellent option in my book.)

This small-batch brownie recipe makes just four to eight brownies depending on how you want to cut them, so you can go wild experimenting (or not!) knowing that you’re making just enough to indulge without over indulging.

Ingredient Notes

Melted and slightly cooled salted butter: I call for salted butter here, but if you typically use unsalted butter, not a problem, just add 1/8 teaspoon table salt. After melting your butter, be sure to let it cool slightly so it’s no longer hot to the touch. Butter that’s too warm can scramble your eggs and leave little eggy bits in your brownies.
Not a lot of all-purpose flour: Yes, this recipe really does call for just 1/4 cup of flour. It’s not a typo. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but for this recipe, it’s plenty. Your brownies will come out beautiful and perfect, I promise.

How to Make a Small-batch of Brownies

Start by greasing and lining a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. I like to use a loaf pan and get thinner brownies because it makes me feel like I’m getting more brownie for my caloric buck, but if you don’t own a loaf pan, you can also bake them in a 7×5-inch baking dish and just extend the baking time a little.
In a medium bowl, mix butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla until well mixed.
Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, and stir until just combined.

Photo of small-batch brownie batter mixed and in a loaf pan. - 10

Photo of small-batch brownie batter mixed and in a loaf pan. - 11

Transfer the mixture to your baking dish and bake until done.
Slice into squares or triangles and enjoy!!

Brownie Variations

And good as they are on their own, these brownies are also a perfect blank chocolate canvas to throw other things at.

Frost (cooled) brownies with Chocolate Frosting, Vanilla Frosting , Cream Cheese Frosting , or maybe Oreo Frosting , and top with sprinkles.
Add some peanut butter and make Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies .
Top still-warm brownies with a scoop of ice cream and Chocolate Sauce , Caramel Sauce , Fudge Sauce or Peanut Butter Sauce and Whipped Cream to make a brownie ice cream sundae.

How to store brownies?

Store brownies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days.

Can I freeze these brownies?

Yes! Brownies freeze very well. Store them in the freezer in an airtight container or freezer bag for up two months. They can be eaten frozen right out of the freezer or set them on a plate at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before eating.

Can I double this recipe?

Yes. You can double this recipe and bake it in an 8×8-inch pan. Simply extend the baking time as needed (start checking on them at around 23 minutes). To change the recipe yield, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.

For a really large batch of brownies, check out my Frosted Brownies . It’s this same recipe but quadrupled and topped with a fabulous chocolate frosting.

Small batch brownies stacked on parchment paper. - 12

Small batch brownies stacked on parchment paper. - 13

More Small-batch Favorites

Small Chocolate Cake
Small-batch Vanilla Cupcakes
Small-batch Chocolate Cupcakes
Small-batch Peanut Butter Cookies
Small-batch Sugar Cookies

Small batch brownies stacked on parchment paper. - 14

Equipment

9x5-inch loaf pan
Parchment paper, optional

Ingredients

▢ 1/4 cup ( 2oz ) salted butter melted and slightly cooled
▢ 1/2 cup ( 100g ) granulated sugar
▢ 1 large egg
▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1/4 cup ( 30g ) all-purpose flour
▢ 3 tablespoons ( 15g ) unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
▢ 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
▢ 1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and line your loaf pan with parchment paper (if you don’t care about lifting the brownies out of the pan, you can skip the paper).
In a medium bowl, combine slightly cooled melted butter and granulated sugar and whisk until well combined. Add egg and vanilla and mix well.
Add flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir until just combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth it out so it covers most of the bottom. Bake for 18 to 24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. For fudgier brownies, bake for 16-20 minutes and pull them.
Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!

Notes

These Slow Cooker Tri-Tip Sandwiches are made with fall-apart tender tri-tip on toasty bread and topped with cheese and sweet, tangy BBQ sauce.

Tri-tip is a great cut of meat, and when you make it in the slow cooker, it comes out fabulously tender and perfect for making into sandwiches.

It’s also incredibly simple to make. In the morning, you just rub your tri-tip with seasoning salt and then let the tri-tip hang out in your crockpot on low for 8 hours.

At the end of the day, your house will smell amazing, and you just shred the meat and pile it onto sandwiches topped with BBQ sauce and cheese. With almost no effort, you get to enjoy homemade BBQ without ever having to step foot outside. And that’s living the BBQ dream if you ask me. 😉

Slow cooker tri-tip sandwich on a white plate. - 15

Ingredient Notes

Tri-tip: Unlike my Oven-baked Tri-tip , I recommend using a trimmed tri-tip roast in this recipe but if untrimmed is all that’s available, that will work too. Just roughly (it doesn’t need to be beautiful) trim away and discard the fat cap (the thick layer of fat over one side of the meat) before cooking. While fat is usually delicious, in the crockpot it does nothing but make a blobby mess.
French rolls: A good-sized soft French roll is my favorite for tri-tip sandwiches, but any soft white bread will do. Hot dog or hamburger buns are great as is sliced French bread or even plain, sliced sandwich bread.
Seasoning salt: If you don’t have seasoning salt, not a problem. Mix together 2 teaspoons each of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and use it in place of the seasoning salt.

A Note on Tri-tip: Tri-tip is most popular in California and along the west coast. If you are outside of California and having trouble finding tri-tip in the store, you might find it under other names like “The California Cut” or “Bottom Sirloin Tip.”

Tri-tip in a slow cooker, shredded. - 16

Tri-tip in a slow cooker, shredded. - 17

How to Make Tri-tip Sandwiches

Sprinkle seasoning salt over the entire tri-tip. Place tri-tip and water or broth in the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 6 to 8.
Assemble sandwiches with mayonnaise, cheese, and cooked tri-tip.
Bake until bread is toasted and cheese bubbly.
Add BBQ sauce and enjoy!

Can I freeze tri-tip sandwiches?

You don’t want to freeze assembled bbq sandwiches (they will get soggy), but the cooked tri-tip is a great candidate for freezing. Just store portions of cooked meat in freezer-safe plastic bags with some of the juices and freeze for up to 3 months.

Slow cooker tri-tip sandwiches on a baking sheet. - 18

Slow cooker tri-tip sandwiches on a baking sheet. - 19

How many sandwiches will this make?

A standard 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 pound tri-tip is enough meat to make about 5 to 8 sandwiches. If you’re a small household, and that’s too many for you, freeze the extra tri-tip. You can also use it in salads, burritos , or burrito bowls .

Can I sear the tri-tip before cooking it in the slow cooker?

Absolutely. If you’d like to brown your meat before slow cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and brown both sides before transferring to the slow cooker.

This step is optional as it does deepen and improve the beefy flavor, but isn’t super noticeable when being eaten in a sandwich and requires you to wash another dish.

Slow cooker tri-tip sandwich with BBQ sauce. - 20

Slow cooker tri-tip sandwich with BBQ sauce. - 21

What to serve with tri-tip sandwiches?

Microwave Corn on the Cob
Butter and Garlic Green Beans
Small Macaroni Salad
Smashed Red Potatoes with Garlic Aioli
Baked Potato Salad

More Slow Cooker Favorites

Slow Cooker Beef Ribs
Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas
Easy Barbacoa
Crockpot Hot Chocolate

Slow cooker tri-tip sandwich on a white plate. - 22

Ingredients

Special Equipment

▢ Slow cooker

Slow Cooker Tri-Tip Sandwiches

▢ Seasoning salt *
▢ 1 trimmed tri-tip *
▢ 1 cup water, beef, or chicken broth
▢ 5 french rolls sliced open
▢ 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
▢ 1 1/4 cup ( 5 ounces ) shredded cheddar cheese
▢ 3/4 cup barbecue sauce warmed in the microwave if desired

Instructions

Sprinkle seasoning salt over the entire tri-tip. Place tri-tip and water or broth in the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low 6 to 8. The meat is done when you can easily pull it apart with a fork. Use two forks to shred the meat in the slow cooker.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spread mayonnaise over the inside of the rolls and top with the shredded tri-tip and shredded cheese. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes until bread is toasted and cheese bubbly.
Add BBQ sauce and enjoy!

Notes

This nacho cheese sauce is sharp and creamy, and everything you ever dreamed of smothering over nachos, veggies, or a giant pretzel.

Hey, friend, you ever marvel at that super creamy nacho cheese sauce you get at restaurants and movie theaters and wish you could make it at home? I have just the recipe for you.

Photo of nacho cheese being poured into a white bowl next to tortilla chips. - 23

This nacho cheese sauce is sharp and creamy, just as spicy (or not) as you want it to be, and everything you ever dreamed of smothering over nachos, veggies, or a giant pretzel (<–my fav).

To make it, you just need 5 minutes, AND my secret creamy cheese sauce weapon: evaporated milk.

But if you have evaporated milk in your pantry or are going shopping before making this, grab a can and give this recipe a try. You will not be disappointed.