Nacho Cheese

Game day snacking just got a whole lot more delicious with our nacho cheese! Make the most of your football games with our delicious cheese sauce appetizer. Grab your chips and get ready to indulge, and don’t forget to grab the Velveeta cheese dip recipe for all this yummy goodness!

Smooth and creamy, with a little zesty kick, this Velveeta Nacho Cheese is so good! And this recipe answers the question, “how to melt velveeta cheese?”

Recipes like my Hot Crab Dip, Oven Baked Ribs, and Mexican Street Corn are great for when you want delicious appetizers. Dips and Spreads make the party more festive and fun, and this is one of my Dip Recipes you’ll want in your recipe box!

I first shared this nacho cheese recipe in 2018. I’ve updated the pictures for you as well as the information. The recipe is so simple and quick but people still have many questions about how to make nacho cheese with Velveeta. I wanted the user experience to be great. If you don’t need the tips and information, feel free to jump straight to the recipe.

This recipe also showed up in my popular recipes of 2023! Check out my Best Recipes of 2023 today!

We appreciate your support

Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

Super tasty appetizer

Ok, no, it isn’t the healthiest recipe in the world. Don’t jump all over me for that. But, sometimes, you just want a super tasty and easy to make appetizer. This is it!

If you’re looking for a vegan nacho cheese or an easy real cheese nacho cheese dip, I have those too!

I make this about once a year, when we have a Super Bowl party.

It’s easy to make and it never fails.

I prefer it with the can of Ro-tel. Don’t drain the can of tomatoes, just mix it all together. Use the mild or regular spicy – your choice.

In a pinch, I’ve made it with salsa instead of Ro-tel. It’s good, but not as classic. Use about 1 and 1/4 cups of salsa (of course, feel free to use more or less as you see fit).

Now where’s that recipe?

For this year’s party I went to grab my recipe and I couldn’t find it.

So, I decided I needed to get it up on the blog, despite the fact that it may not be my normal ingredients or healthy-ness. It’s just that good. And, it is a sometimes treat.

You can lower the sodium content by using no salt added Ro-Tel tomatoes as well. And, on the plus side, Velveeta is 50% lower in fat than cheddar cheese. So, there’s that.

Maybe this post is more for me; so I can find this easy recipe.

I may have it memorized already, but since I only make it once a year I like to make sure I remember it correctly.

The full Super Bowl menu

Oh, and speaking of Super Bowl parties, here’s what I served.

Every year we have a nice gathering (even if it’s just the immediate family) to celebrate all things football and the Super Bowl! Here’s this year’s menu of what I served.

This Nacho Cheese Sauce
Stuffed Mexican Potato Skins
Vegetarian Crock Pot Chili
Air Fryer Mozzarella Bites
Salsa Negra
Onion Soup Mix Dip made with homemade onion soup mix
Ruffles classic potato chips and tortilla strips.

That’s the whole menu. It was easy and simple! I loved it and we were so full from snacking all day!

Be sure to scroll down for the recipe card with all the ingredients and amounts for how to make nacho cheese with Velveeta.

How to make

The full printable Velveeta nacho cheese sauce recipe with ingredients and instructions is available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks in the post.

There are three ways to make this Queso. And all are super easy!

As a side note, I’ve seen some recipes say that you need to grate the Velveeta before you can melt it. But, no, you don’t have to grate Velveeta!

Velveeta melts nicely when cut into chunks. About 1 inch, but really, you don’t need to worry about the exact size of the cubes. Just chopped into cubes so it melts more quickly.

And chopping into cubes is so much easier than grating!

Microwave

Place the three ingredients into a microwave safe container. Microwave in bursts, stirring after each burst so the cheese doesn’t burn, until it’s soft and melted.

I don’t bother to cover the dish while it’s in the microwave. Just pop it in and microwave. It doesn’t seem to spit and make a mess. If you prefer, you can cover it with a dinner plate, waxed paper, parchment paper or a microwave safe lid.

Serve the melty cheese in the same container you microwaved it in, or scoop it into a new serving bowl.

Stove top

Pop the three ingredients in a saucepan and heat on low, stirring as you heat. Pour the melted cheese into a serving bowl to serve.

Crock pot

Place the ingredients into the bowl of a crock pot or slow cooker. Cover and cook in the crockpot on high for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. 

When all of the cheese is melted, turn the slow cooker down to the warm setting. Guests can spoon out the melty cheese and it stays nice and warm.

serving suggestions

Serve this nacho cheese sauce with lots of chips for dipping. You can even put out an assortment of tortilla chips like Doritos, Tostitos, or your favorite brand. You can even make your own Air Fryer Tortilla Chips or Homemade Potato Chips.

Serve the cheesy sauce with soft pretzel bites. Serve it over fries.

Make nachos supreme with it by topping chips with cooked ground beef or chorizo, beans, fresh tomatoes, onions, salsa, sour cream, and jalapenos.

It’s also delicious on a burger. all that ooey gooey cheese sauce – just luscious!

Do you add milk to Velveeta for nachos?

I find cream cheese to make a better Velveeta nacho cheese sauce recipe than milk. It adds more flavor and texture to the cheese.

But you could definitely use milk in the final dish if you want to thin the cheese at all.

If you want a thinner drizzly cheese, stir milk or water into the melted cheese until it reaches the desired consistency.

How do you keep Velveeta cheese dip creamy?

Velveeta will form a skin on top, and will eventually thicken if left at room temperature. It’s intended to be solid at room temperature.

The cream cheese will help slow the process.

You can serve it out of a slow cooker to keep it warm and creamy.

It’s also super easy to simply pop it back in the microwave to re-soften it.

How to store:

If you have leftover nacho cheese, simply pop it in the fridge, tightly covered for up to 4 days.

Be sure that the cheese hasn’t sat out for longer than a couple hours. Food safety experts with the U.S. government say that 2 hours is the max that cream cheese should sit at room temperature. Other experts recommend no more than 4 hours.

Reheat it in the microwave or on the stove.

FAQ

What’s the best cheese for nachos?

Well, this Nacho Cheese Sauce with Velveeta and Rotel is! In my opinion!

It’s smooth and creamy. You can pour it over your tortilla chips for great nachos. Dunk your chips directly into the bowl. You can add it to a great sandwich for a cheesy flavor.

You’ll get a way better nacho cheese than anything from the movie theater!

And, it’s super easy to make!

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