It can also be thinned out simply by adding a bit of milk (ordinary or evaporated). And when it is refrigerated, it is a spreadable consistency, like peanut butter. ( UPDATE: I just got a great tip from a reader to use this over tots! Never thought of that – that’s a step up from fries!!) When it is cool, it thickens up to a thick dip consistency. It is pourable over nachos, chips or whatever else takes your fancy. When warm, it is quite loose, like a thick sauce. It keeps perfectly in the fridge for at least a week (it has never lasted longer in my house) ħ. Doesn’t use processed “plastic” cheese ĥ. Increase, decrease or remove the spice factor, add your own flavourings Ĥ. So cutting to the chase, here are 7 reasons why I am obsessed with this Nachos Cheese Dip / Sauce:ġ. It is ridiculously easy (5 ingredients, < 10 minutes) ģ. Easily adjustable to your own taste. Bit of corn starch / corn flour to thicken it, plenty of cheese (it is a Cheese dip!) and some additional flavourings to make it a nachos cheese dip. I was making an Alfredo Sauce using evaporated milk when the thought occurred to me that it might work for a dip too. This dip is made with evaporated milk which makes all the difference. That’s how this stays creamy – warm or cold.”
“The secret ingredient in this is evaporated milk. So maybe the internet is flooded with non-congealing warm cheese dips now! Mind you, this was about 5 or so years ago. I was actually quite amazed that every recipe I looked at had a fairly similar base to the ones I had already tried, so I knew they would not achieve what I was after. And when the dip was reheated, the dip would split (the oil would separate).īeing a Cheese Loving Snack Monster, I went on a mission to create a warm cheese dip/ sauce that would not harden as it cooled and was not made out of processed cheese. And I tried quite a few of them (the ones without processed cheese), but the thing that I found inconvenient was that as the dip cooled, the cheese in the dip would harden. I know there are loads of cheese dip recipes “out there”. Place this with a pile of corn chips in front of me and I stand no chance. Therefore, this Nachos Cheese Dip is pretty much all my weaknesses bundled into one bowl. If there’s something to nibble on within reach, it’s like my arm is on auto pilot.
Plus I have a weakness for all things snacky. Because I love cheesy dips, and I wanted one that did not harden or congeal as it cooled.” “This Nachos Cheese Dip was an invention out of necessity.
It takes just over 5 minutes to make and is great to make ahead as it reheats well. When warm, it can be used as a cheese sauce to pour over nachos, chips or whatever else takes your fancy. Easy does it!” For more kitchen wisdom, check out Jean’s many cookbooks at your local bookstore or on line.A silky smooth Nachos cheese dip that doesn’t harden or congeal as it cools!! It is just as good served warm, at room temperature or cold. Overheating cheese will curdle and/or “string” it every time. Rule of Thumb: Add cheese only after a sauce has thickened, use lowest heat, stir constantly, and remove from the heat the instant the cheese melts - but if the sauce is bubbling before you add the cheese, pull the pan off the heat altogether, add the cheese, and stir until smooth. Something else: Grate the cheese yourself instead of using pre-grated - in my experience, these rarely melt smoothly.
I also like the Italian Fontina and Parmigiano Reggiano. Well aged, unadulterated top-quality Cheddars melt smoothly if NOT overheated. READ THE LABELS and if the list of additives is long, avoid that particular cheese. I would urge cooks to use top-quality cheeses, PURE CHEESES and NOT “CHEESE FOODS” that glut supermarkets. Some cheeses are improperly aged and in addition, contain emulsifiers or coagulants that break down when heated causing a gritty texture. “I think some kinds of cheese just do this but it could be that overheating the cheese has denatured the protein. What causes this?” I thought perhaps it was caused by overheating but wasn’t sure so I asked my friend Jean Anderson for some help. Pam recently e-mailed the Kitchenshrink to ask, “When I make a cheese sauce starting with a roux of flour and butter then adding milk and cheese it sometimes gets a gritty texture.