The Simple Method For Perfectly Reheated Nacho Cheese Sauce

Creamy cheese sauce is the perfect pairing for crunchy snacks. Whether you're using it as just a dip option or pouring some over-the-top homemade loaded nachos, it offers rich contrast to salty, crispy tortilla chips. But if you have any cheese leftover, it quickly turns into a congealed mass, and reheating it isn't always easy. If you're looking for the best method, Dan Whalen, author of "Nachos for Dinner" and food blogger at The Food in my Beard, tells Chowhound that the best way to do it is using the double boiler method.

"You can put it on low in a pan, but the best bet for me is a double boiler," Whalen says. "I find that it is more gentle to warm the cheese and not cause it to separate or get gritty." The double boiler method takes slightly longer than microwaving or other quick-heat methods, but if you're not in a rush, it's worth the wait.

Cheese sauce can be made in a variety of ways, but Dan Whalen prepares his version with evaporated milk, cornstarch, and shredded cheese like Monterey Jack. The just-prepared result is a smooth sauce, but if it's reheated too quickly from cold, it could separate, which is why the double boiler is the safest method.

If cheese is overheated, its proteins become too firm, which results in those unsightly clumps of cheese that appear separated from the cheese's water content. The double-boiler method heats slowly, ensuring this doesn't happen. You can find double boilers in stainless steel or non-stick versions, like Farberware's Classic 2-Quart Double Boiler or T-Fal's Specialty Nonstick Double Boiler. If you don't have the means or time for this method, though, you can heat the nacho cheese sauce on low in a pan, which is the next best way of controlling the heat to make sure the sauce stays intact.