Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Yield
- approximately 650 g sauce
October 2, 2026 · Version 1 · Sauce
Smooth, pourable cheddar sauce stabilised with sodium citrate for clean reheating
Preparation
Scaling basis: Cheddar · 400 g
PHASE A — BASE
Ingredient Uses
-
- Quantity
- 250 g
- Scaling
- 62.50%
-
- Quantity
- 10 g
- Scaling
- 2.50%
Method
- Combine milk and sodium citrate in a saucepan.
- Heat to 75 C–80 C, whisking until the sodium citrate dissolves.
Phase Outputs
| Key | Phase Output | Description |
|---|---|---|
| heated-milk-base | Heated milk base | Prepared intermediate for a later Phase. Use all. |
PHASE B — EMULSION
Ingredient Uses
-
- Quantity
- 400 g
- Scaling
- 100.00%
-
- Quantity
- 25 g
- Scaling
- 6.25%
-
- Quantity
- 2 g
- Scaling
- 0.50%
-
- Quantity
- 1 g
- Scaling
- 0.25%
-
- Quantity
- 0.5 g
- Scaling
- 0.13%
Method
- Add cheddar in four additions, blending or whisking each addition smooth before adding the next.
- Blend in jalapeño brine, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne.
- Hold at 60 C for service, or cool rapidly and refrigerate.
Phase Outputs Used
| Phase Output | Use |
|---|---|
| Heated milk base | Use heated-milk-base. Use all. |
Phase Outputs
| Key | Phase Output | Description |
|---|---|---|
| cheese-emulsion | Cheese emulsion | Prepared intermediate for a later Phase. Reheat the prepared sauce gently if cooled; otherwise serve at the stated holding temperature. |
PHASE C — REHEAT
Method
- Reheat gently to 65 C while stirring. Add 10 g–30 g milk if the sauce is too thick.
Do not boil after adding cheese or the emulsion may become grainy.
Recorded alternatives (no separate variation-specific testing observations were supplied):
- No sodium citrate: Replace it with a roux made from 25 g butter and 25 g flour; the sauce will be less fluid when reheated.
- Hot: Blend in 30 g minced pickled jalapeño.
Phase Outputs Used
| Phase Output | Use |
|---|---|
| Cheese emulsion | Use cheese-emulsion. Reheat the prepared sauce gently if cooled; otherwise serve at the stated holding temperature. |
FAILURE MODES
| Symptom | Likely cause | Corrective action |
|---|---|---|
| Grainy sauce | boiling after cheese addition | reheat gently |
| Thick sauce | insufficient liquid | add recorded adjustment milk gradually |