What game day spread is complete without a tray of loaded nachos? Well-suited for a snack or full meal, this no-silverware-required dish is a favorite for its lava-like, smooth-as-silk cheese sauce. When cheese is heated it often turns into a curdled mess with pools of grease. How can a full-flavor, liquid cheese sauce be made at home? The secret is in the melting properties of cheese, including the temperature of its melting point. Bring it on, cheddar!
The basic building blocks of cheese are milk protein (casein), water, fat, and salt. When heated, the protein molecules break apart and become fluid. Melting, a phase change from a solid to a liquid isn’t really happening, the cheese becomes fluid, much like what happens to plastic when it’s heated.
Apply Some Heat: At about 90°F (32°C) the fat in cheese begins to soften and melt. Increase the temperature by about 40-60 degrees and that’s when the activity starts with the protein. The molecules begin to break apart and disperse throughout the fat and water. In order for the cheese to stay beautifully stringy and melty, the protein needs to stay evenly dispersed with the rest of the moisture and fat (an emulsion). Thing is, once cheese is heated too far beyond its melting point, the proteins firm up and squeeze out moisture—the same way protein does in meat. When this occurs you’re left with rubbery, clumpy bits of cheese protein that separate from the fat and moisture. Case in point, the greasy slick on the top of pizza, and the puddles of grease on your nachos.
But Not Too Much Heat: The melting point of classic cheddar cheese used to make nachos is about 150°F (66°C). In an article titled The Rules of Melting Cheese, Fine Cooking points out the importance of melting the cheese slowly and gently to yield the loosey-goosiest results. When exposed to high heat—especially for extended periods of time—that’s when the proteins seize up and become firm–squeezing out moisture, then separating. To help keep your cheese stringy, shred it to expose more surface area so the cheese will melt more quickly, bring it up to room temperature before heating so it doesn’t require as much heat energy to melt, and use low, gentle heat.
Good Melters vs Bad: The best, most meltable cheeses are ones that are young and high in moisture. The longer a cheese is aged, the more of its moisture is lost, and the more rigid the proteins become—they resist breaking apart and becoming fluid. Think about shredded parmesan and how it reacts when heated alongside mozzarella in making lasagna. The mozzarella melts beautifully and is stringy when a slice is served; but the parmesan holds its shape. The protein in the older, drier cheese becomes a bit stubborn and will never be a melter like mozzarella. Examples of good melters are: cheddar, colby, Swiss, monterey jack, and mozzarella.
Make it Saucy: How does all of this translate to a sauce? We need to create a fluid, pourable sauce without separating the cheese. Moisture is going to have to be added—but adding milk to cheese alone isn’t going to do it. We need something to hold everything together in a smooth emulsion, and we found a few different methods that work well.
Over time, the texture and flavor may degrade. Safety: Always check the cheese for any signs of spoilage, such as an off smell, mold, or unusual color, before consuming it, even if it has been frozen.
Before you indulge in another helping from that jar of queso thats been lingering in your fridge, youll want to make sure it passes the smell test, which is the easiest — and safest — way to tell if the dip is past its prime. Open the jar and give it a whiff; If youre getting a rancid or sour, ammonia-like scent, Chef Reader explains its time to toss whats left.
Theres nothing quite like digging into a mountain of mouthwatering nachos during a gameday gathering. And lets be honest, the star of this savory show is the rich and gooey, glorious queso that perfectly cascades off of every chip. Store-bought queso is rooted in convenience and deliciousness, making it a popular addition to party spreads, dips, and recipes.
For general guidance beyond the expiration date, some brands — like Frito Lay, which is the parent company of Tostidos, and Pace — will give storage directions to follow after opening. Of course, you probably already know to store open jars of dip in the refrigerator, but both companies also include recommendations for how long you should keep the jars once opened. In general, store-bought queso can be stored in the fridge for about a week or two before it starts to go off. By keeping track of when you opened the jar and giving any leftovers a sniff before plating up a new dish, you can avoid spoiling your next queso-centric meal with expired cheese.
While you could also taste your dip, this could result in a bout of food poisoning, so we suggest just following your nose. Queso will also eventually begin to mold if left for too long, but you should stop eating the dip well before it gets to that stage.
Made with processed cheeses and preservatives, you may think store-bought queso has an unlimited shelf life. However, processed cheese is still cheese, and once you pop the lid, the clock on freshness starts ticking quickly. While it may be tempting to hold out for every last drop of the queso in your fridge, eating even a little bit of it after its gone bad is never a good idea — and store-bought queso spoils quicker than you might think. Luckily, there is one simple way to check if your queso has gone off without risking food poisoning.
Cheese Sauce, Take 2: Both Melting Salts, Sous Vide
The sous vide recipe keeps the ingredients (sharp cheddar, milk, and melting salts) at 167°F (75°C). Part of the beauty of sous vide cooking is that you cannot overcook your food. We monitored the temperature in the water bath using a ThermoPop®. Our sous vide circulator’s temperature reading was off by 2 degrees, so we set it to 169°F (76°F) to keep our cooking temperature accurate. It cooked for just fiftteen minutes and was finished in the blender.
Our nachos were loaded with smoked brisket, black beans, green onions, tomatoes, olives, salsa, sour cream, and freshly made guacamole.
The Mistakes Everyone Makes When Making Nacho Cheese
FAQ
Does nacho cheese go bad?
How can you tell if queso dip is bad?
How can you tell if cheese sauce is bad?
Why does nacho cheese get watery?
Does nacho cheese taste good?
Nacho cheese made with a perfectly constructed roux and a blend of four cheeses will taste amazing, but so will cheese product mixed with pickled jalapeño brine and/or canned tomatoes. At the end of the day, all nacho cheese is good nacho cheese.
Is cheese bad for you?
Cheese is wonderful food! It is a source of protein, calcium, a vitamin B12 and brings important health benefits. It is useful in regulating intestinal transit, weight management, and strengthening bones and teeth and is very important in human development. This food deserves to be present in a healthy and balanced diet, but be careful, avoid those fatty cheeses, full of dyes, and that does not give you confidence that they are healthy food.
How do you know if a cheese has gone bad?
The cultures or molds that give cheeses their distinctive flavor are living organisms that can die and start rotting. But whereas it’s easy to tell that a weird smell or a fuzzy patch on a fruit means it’s no longer safe to eat, it can be tricky to determine if a food has gone bad when it’s already kind of stinky and moldy.
Are graters bad for Nacho Cheese?
We’ve got bad news for the grater-averse: When it comes to making nacho cheese, it’s best to avoid this convenience food. If you’ve ever used pre-shredded cheese, you’ve probably noticed that each tiny shred is coated in something.