An easy Homemade Cheese Sauce for appetizers, cooked vegetables, pasta, and baked potatoes. It's ready in 5 minutes with just 3 ingredients.

A bowl of cheese sauce with tortilla chips on a platter.
Table of Contents
  1. Recipe ingredients
  2. Ingredient notes
  3. Step-by-step instructions
  4. Recipe tips and variations
  5. Homemade Cheese Sauce Recipe

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for homemade cheese sauce.

Ingredient notes

  • Shredded cheese: It's okay to use pre-shredded cheese here. Although they are tossed with agents to prevent the cheese from sticking together, it will still melt and thicken up fine.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, combine cheddar cheese and cornstarch. Toss until cheese is evenly coated.

Shredded cheese tossed with corn starch in a sauce pan.
  1. Stir in evaporated milk and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Heat over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until cheese is melted and smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and keep warm until serving time. Or, transfer to a slow cooker on the "warm" setting for serving.
Cheese sauce in a sauce pan.

Recipe tips and variations

  • Yield: This recipe makes about 2 cups.
  • Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Slow cooker: Make the recipe as directed below, on the stove, and then transfer it to your favorite slow cooker (I used one of the "mini sizes" and there is room for a double batch of this cheese sauce recipe). I've left it on the "warm" setting for a few hours and all it ever needs is a little stir. It works really well!
  • Spicy: You can stir in a can 4-ounce of diced green chiles, drained, for some extra flavor and heat. You can do that on the stove or in a slow cooker. If you add them to the slow cooker, just be sure the cheese sauce is back to "hot" before serving (the chiles might cool it down temporarily).
Drizzling cheese sauce over broccoli.

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Homemade Cheese Sauce

An easy Homemade Cheese Sauce for appetizers, cooked vegetables, pasta, and baked potatoes. It's ready in 5 minutes with just 3 ingredients.

Cook Time 5 mins

Total Time 5 mins

Servings 8 (¼ cup) servings

Course Appetizer, Pantry

Cuisine American

Calories 118

  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (see note 1)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • In a small saucepan, combine cheddar cheese and cornstarch. Toss until cheese is evenly coated.

  • Stir in evaporated milk and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper). Heat over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until cheese is melted and smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes.

  • Reduce heat to low, cover, and keep warm until serving time. Or, transfer to a slow cooker on the "warm" setting for serving.

  • Shredded cheese: It's okay to use pre-shredded cheese here. Although they are tossed with agents to prevent the cheese from sticking together, it will still melt and thicken up fine.
  • Yield: This recipe makes about 2 cups.
  • Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
  • Slow cooker: Make the recipe as directed below, on the stove, and then transfer it to your favorite slow cooker (I used one of the "mini sizes" and there is room for a double batch of this cheese sauce recipe). I've left it on the "warm" setting for a few hours and all it ever needs is a little stir. It works really well!
  • Spicy: You can stir in a can 4-ounce of diced green chiles, drained, for some extra flavor and heat. You can do that on the stove or in a slow cooker. If you add them to the slow cooker, just be sure the cheese sauce is back to "hot" before serving (the chiles might cool it down temporarily).

Serving: 0.25 cups Calories: 118 kcal Carbohydrates: 1 g Protein: 7 g Fat: 9 g Saturated Fat: 6 g Cholesterol: 30 mg Sodium: 176 mg Potassium: 28 mg Sugar: 1 g Vitamin A: 283 IU Calcium: 204 mg Iron: 1 mg

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