Coffee Table Dinners by Catherine Newman
June 29, 2016
DIY nachos with assorted toppings and a creamy cheese sauce make a fun and satisfying dinner. Photos: Linda Schneider
Heaps of shredded lettuce and leafy cilantro! Black beans and olives! Chopped tomatoes, pickled radishes, and sliced jalapenos! Think of it as a huge salad. You know, the kind that has chips and cheese lurking underneath.
This is what we call “dinner nachos,” and they’re different from “snack nachos,” which are just a handful of chips and shredded cheese melted in the microwave, maybe a little Frank’s hot sauce shaken on top. Dinner nachos are a complete and balanced meal (if you think I’m dreaming, please don’t wake me), and for the occasion I make an actual cheese sauce. Not because regular grated-cheese nachos are broke and need fixing—they aren’t and don’t—but because the sauce guarantees a better-distributed cheesiness to offset some of the healthier ingredients. Also, your plate won’t congeal into that mass of cooled cheese that tears off in a big sheet when you eat the wrong chip. I know you know what I’m talking about.
The cheese sauce is easy and almost foolproof (as long as you don’t use pre-shredded cheese, which will make it inclined to solidify). Plus, there’s none of that disappointing lack of cheesiness you can experience when you make the classic kind of cheese sauce that starts with a béchamel and ends with the feeling that there’s not enough cheddar in the world to make it taste the way you want it to. This one is sharp and tangy, smooth and rich, and, in a word, perfect. Stirred into cooked noodles, it makes a wonderful mac and cheese. Or skip the hot sauce, serve it with cubed bread, and call it fondue.
We do nachos as another of our DIY dinners, because everyone loves it that way. You get a plate of tortilla chips smothered in cheese sauce, and then you help yourself to all the fixings that are out on the coffee table. Most of these are pantry or always-in-the-fridge items, and we don’t always have all of them: slivered romaine or iceberg lettuce; black beans (from a can, drained and rinsed); sliced black olives (from a can, drained); chopped cilantro; chopped tomatoes or chunky salsa; sliced pickled jalapenos (from a jar); sour cream; chopped onions; guacamole or diced avocado (sometimes); shredded rotisserie chicken if I have really planned ahead, which is unusual.
The only thing I actually make, besides the cheese sauce, are pickled radishes, even though I’m the only person who would miss them: Bring to a boil ½ cup white vinegar, ½ cup water, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Pour this mixture over some sliced red radishes—they will turn gorgeously pink—and let sit at least an hour. (You can do sliced red onions the same way, if you like.) Refrigerate leftovers for up to a month.
One last thing: You don’t strictly need to use orange cheddar in the sauce. But if you don’t, it won’t taste quite as cheesy. Don’t ask why. Just trust me.
Get the Recipe: Perfect Nacho Cheese Sauce
Serves 4
Hands-on Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
8 ounces extra-sharp cheddar, grated by you (not pre-grated)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup evaporated whole milk (but keep the rest of the 12-ounce can handy)
1-2 dashes of hot sauce
PREPARATION
1. In a large bowl, toss the cheese with the cornstarch.
2. Put the cheese mixture, evaporated milk, and hot sauce in a medium-sized pot over low heat.
3. Heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is smooth and not quite as thick as you want it to be, since it will thicken as it cools. This will take 5 to 10 minutes, and it will go through different phases as it heats: clumpy, grainy and thin, then glossy and gorgeous. If it gets too thick, you can thin it with additional evaporated milk.
Catherine Newman blogs about cooking and kids at Ben and Birdy. She’s the author of the books Catastrophic Happiness and Waiting for Birdy, and she edits the award-winning non-profit kids’ cooking magazine ChopChop. She lives in Amherst, MA with her husband, Michael, and kids, Ben, who’s 16, and 13-year-old Birdy.
Catherine Newman blogs about cooking and kids at Ben and Birdy. She’s the author of the books Catastrophic Happiness and Waiting for Birdy, and she edits the award-winning non-profit kids’ cooking magazine ChopChop.
FAQs
Sharp cheddar gets my vote for nacho cheese. It melts smoothly without being stringy, while having a nice flavorful punch. You can use mild or medium cheddar if you prefer, but the flavor will be a bit blander. Monterey jack and pepper jack also melt really well into sauces and make a great white nacho cheese sauce.
What makes nacho cheese taste like nacho cheese? ›
The nacho cheese they pump onto tortillas comes from a can and contains only a small percentage of real cheese. It is mostly water, milk and oil thickened with corn starch. The cheese lends flavor to the sauce but accounts for little of the total volume.
How do you keep nacho cheese from hardening? ›
Cheese Sauce, Take 1: Cornstarch, Stovetop
This helps the entire mixture stay smooth and emulsified, resulting in a creamy sauce. He recommends tossing the shredded cheese with the cornstarch before cooking so it is evenly dispersed and does not form clumps when cooked.
What is the difference between nacho cheese sauce and cheddar cheese sauce? ›
While nacho cheese and regular cheese sauce share some similarities, nacho cheese is specifically formulated to have a bolder flavor and a smoother texture. It often includes additional ingredients such as spices and peppers to give it a distinct taste.
What cheese do Mexican restaurants use on nachos? ›
Asadero Cheese
It elicits a subtle tanginess that offers a little more dimension than Oaxaca cheese. Because of its spectacular melting properties, it's an ideal base for queso on nachos, burritos, tacos, enchiladas or any Mexican dish.
What kind of cheese do restaurants use for nachos? ›
Anyway, The most used Cheeses for Nachos are American Cheese, Cheddar, Colby, Monterey Jack, or any other yellow colored cheese if is the melted one, if is the one ones...
What brand of nacho cheese do movie theaters use? ›
Since then, the unmistakable aroma of Ricos Nacho Cheese Sauce has become synonymous with the joyous spirit of entertainment venues, sports arenas, and movie theaters across the globe.
What nacho cheese do movie theaters use? ›
Is the nacho cheese in cinemas actually cheese? The nacho cheese they pump onto tortillas comes from a can and contains only a small percentage of real cheese. It is mostly water, milk and oil thickened with corn starch. The cheese lends flavor to the sauce but accounts for little of the total volume.
What is in gourmet nacho cheese? ›
Cheese whey, water, modified corn starch, vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following: canola, soybean, sunflower), cheddar cheese (pasteurized milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes, annatto), contains less than 2% of salt, monosodium glutamate, jalapeño peppers, sodium phosphate, distilled vinegar, sodium ...
Why did my nacho cheese get watery? ›
Why does my Cheese Sauce become watery once opened and refrigerated? Once a cheese container is opened, the product is exposed to its surroundings where various enzymes can break down the thickness or viscosity of the cheese-based sauce.
If you don't want to use American cheese, you can achieve the same creamy, stabilized texture with the addition of cream cheese — which also has stabilizers added. Use whatever cheese you like (cheddar, Monterey Jack or other cheeses) and then add 2 ounces of cream cheese to the mix.
What cheese melts the best for cheese sauce? ›
What is the best melting cheese? Cheeses with more moisture and lower melting points - cheddar is one of the most popular choices, but Swiss and Gruyère are also terrific options. Which melts better, mild or sharp cheddar? Mild cheddar melts more smoothly than sharper (more aged) cheddar.
What are the best cheeses for a cheese sauce? ›
Cheeses like gruyère, fontina, cheddar, and havarti are best for meltability. Other ideal options, according to AlSawwaf, include provolone, Colby, Swiss, Monterey jack, and muenster. Camembert and brie also melt well but don't forget to remove the rind.
What kind of nacho cheese sauce does Taco Bell use? ›
What is Taco Bell Cheese Made Of? Taco Bell actually gets their nacho cheese delivered to them pre-made or in a powdered form that liquid is added to and heated up. It is labeled something like “jalapeno cheese sauce”.
What cheese melts smoothly? ›
If you follow the tips below, you can count on a smooth sauce when you use Asiago, Cheddar, colby, fontina, Gouda, Gruyère, Havarti, Monterey Jack, or Muenster. Blue cheeses and soft cheeses such as Brie and Camembert also melt well if you remove the rind.
What is a really good melting cheese? ›
For superior meltability, look for a full-fat, high moisture mozzarella, like small balls packed in water. You can substitute other types of mozzarella for the ball form (like stracciatella or burrata), or look to other mild-flavored melting cheeses like provolone or Gouda.
What cheeses are best for melting sauce? ›
Cheeses with more moisture and lower melting points make for mouthwatering, creamy cheese sauces. Cheddar is one of the most popular choices, but Swiss and Gruyère are also terrific options.
DIY nachos with assorted toppings and a creamy cheese sauce make a fun and satisfying dinner. Photos: Linda Schneider
