Pepper Jack Nacho Cheese Sauce

Put a tasty spin on nachos with a batch of this homemade Pepper Jack Nacho Cheese Sauce! This recipe is great for a football appetizer or a game night with friends.

This Pepper Jack Nacho Cheese Sauce post is sponsored by Cabot Creamery, but the recipe and opinions are entirely my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Spiced!

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When it comes to appetizers, it’s hard to beat nachos. Tortilla chips layered with shredded cheese, salsa, onions, peppers, etc. Yum! There’s a reason why pretty much every neighborhood bar in the country has nachos on their appetizer menu! .

On occasion, we make “cheater nachos” when we’re in the mood for some serious comfort food. I’m sure you’ve made these, too. Tortilla chips. Shredded cheese. Microwave. They’re insanely easy, and they (somewhat) satisfy that nacho craving. However, the other night, I was in the mood for nachos – and I wanted the real thing. No cheater version this time!

Pepper Jack Nacho Cheese Sauce

When it comes to nachos, there are a few key ingredients. Cheese is an obvious one. You need a flavorful cheese that also melts well. Salsa is another one. Jarred salsa is perfectly acceptable, but it’s also fun to make a quick homemade salsa. Guac. Homemade guacamole is hard to beat, and if you combine it with chips, cheese and salsa? Well, you’ve got the makings for a fantastic appetizer!

I have a not-so-secret love affair with cheese. And when it comes to nachos, that cheese means queso. Cheese sauce. Warm, melted cheese just waiting to partner up with a tortilla chip…and then another…and another. I could make an entire meal out of queso and chips!

For these nachos, I put a slight spin on the cheese. Instead of a classic queso, I opted for a combination of pepper jack and cheddar cheeses. The result was pretty fantastic! As we sat and dipped chips into this nacho cheese dip, my wife commented that the cheesy sauce would also be fantastic in tacos and burritos. She’s not wrong. I also added that it could be mixed with rice and/or roasted broccoli to add extra flavor.

How to Make Pepper Jack Nacho Cheese Sauce

It’s surprisingly easy to make this Pepper Jack Nacho Cheese Sauce at home. Just sauté onions and garlic in butter, add a bit of flour then some half-and-half. Once that’s hot, just add the shredded cheese and some spices, and you’re all set. Grab some chips and dig in!

Whenever it comes to anything involving cheese, I always reach for Cabot. The flavor of Cabot cheese will knock your socks off! Whether it’s something simple like sliced cheese and crackers or a recipe like this homemade nacho cheese sauce, Cabot cheese just makes it taste better.

Cabot Creamery is a co-op owned by farm families throughout New York and New England. (It started way back in 1919 as a partnership between farm families in Cabot, Vermont – thus the name.) Now Cabot is synonymous with delicious cheese. (They also make other dairy products. If you ever see their vanilla bean Greek yogurt – grab it! One bite and you’ll understand.)

Co-op stands for cooperative. It’s not a coincidence that Cabot’s farm families cooperate with their communities to give back and be a positive force in their local neighborhoods.

When we lived in upstate New York, I often took our son Robbie over to a local Cabot farm in the area. Farmer Terri was always willing to stop and show Robbie around a working dairy farm, and he still talks about that experience. Those memories and that education are worth their weight in gold…or maybe cheese!

For this Pepper Jack Nacho Cheese Sauce, I used a combination of Cabot Pepper Jack cheese and Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar cheese. I love using these 2 cheeses together in recipes as the pepper jack melts well and brings a slightly spicy kick while the sharp cheddar adds the classic cheesy flavor that you crave.

Cabot’s Pepper Jack is creamy and delicious with a slightly spicy kick. We didn’t find this nacho cheese sauce too spicy. However, if you’re concerned about the heat, just substitute the Pepper Jack with Monterey Jack cheese instead.

For these nachos, I opted to serve the Pepper Jack Nacho Cheese Sauce in a bowl on the side rather than drizzled directly on the chips. That way, the cheese sauce could be reheated easily if needed. (It wasn’t needed here – that cheese sauce didn’t last long enough to cool off!)

If you’re looking for a fantastic (and fun!) recipe for football season, then put nachos on the list! This creamy nacho cheese sauce recipe is delicious, and it’ll be the star of the party. Cheers!

Did you make this Pepper Jack Nacho Cheese Sauce recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a picture and tag me (@Spicedblog) and Cabot (@CabotCreamery) on Instagram – we’d love to see how you used this sauce!

Pepper Jack Nacho Cheese Sauce

Put a tasty spin on nachos with a batch of this homemade Pepper Jack Nacho Cheese Sauce! This recipe is great for a football appetizer or a game night with friends.

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 533kcal

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Ingredients

For the Easy Salsa

• ½ jalapeno pepper
• ¼ cup diced red onions
• ½ tsp minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• ¼ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• juice of ½ lime ~1 Tbsp lime juice
• 2 medium tomatoes cut into quarters

For the Guacamole

• 2 avocados pitted and peeled
• ½ cup diced red onions
• 1 jalapeno seeds and ribs removed, diced
• Juice of 1 lime ~2 Tbsp lime juice
• ½ tsp minced garlic
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp chipotle powder
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

For the Pepper Jack Nacho Cheese Sauce

• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• ¼ cup diced red onions
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1¼ cups half-and-half plus more as needed
• 1 cup shredded Cabot Pepper Jack cheese ~4 oz.
• 1 cup shredded Cabot cheddar cheese ~4 oz.
• 2 oz. Cabot cream cheese softened
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

For the Nachos

• 8 oz. tortilla chips
• 1 cup shredded Cabot Pepper Jack cheese ~4 oz.
• ¼ cup pickled jalapenos
• ¼ cup chopped green onions
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 lime cut into wedges

Instructions

For the Easy Salsa

• Using a food processor, add all of the ingredients except tomatoes; pulse until fully minced.
• Add tomatoes; pulse several times or until roughly chopped.

For the Guacamole

• Add all guacamole ingredients to a medium bowl. Using a fork, mash until well combined; set guacamole aside.

For the Pepper Jack Nacho Cheese Sauce

• Using a large saucepan, add butter and place over medium heat.
• Once butter has melted, add onions. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes, or until onions begin to brown slightly.
• Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute, stirring occasionally.
• Add flour and sauté for 1-2 more minutes, stirring constantly.
• Pour half-and-half into saucepan and reduce heat to medium-low. Heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture begins to simmer.
• Add half of the shredded pepper jack cheese and stir until cheese has completely melted. Stir in remaining pepper jack cheese, stirring until completely melted.
• Repeat with shredded cheddar cheese.
• Add the cream cheese, cumin, salt and pepper; whisk until completely melted.
• If needed, add a bit more half-and-half to loosen sauce to desired consistency.

For the Nachos

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Using a 9”x13” baking dish or rimmed baking pan, spread half of the chips into an even layer.
• Sprinkle half of the shredded cheese and pickled jalapenos on top of the chips. Repeat with the remaining chips, cheese and pickled jalapenos.
• Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until cheese has completely melted.
• Remove pan from oven and sprinkle green onions on top.
• Serve with salsa, guacamole, pepper jack cheese sauce, sour cream and lime wedges.

Notes

The salsa and guacamole can both be made in advance and stored in airtight containers in the refrigerator.  For the guacamole, press plastic wrap directly to the surface and then put the top on the container – this helps prevent the guac from turning brown.

To reheat leftover nacho cheese sauce, just microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring after each interval.

Looking for more cheesy appetizer recipes? Check out these other favorites, too: