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    Home » International Cuisine » Appetizers » Healthy Nacho cheese sauce

    Healthy Nacho cheese sauce

    By Khushboo 14 Comments January 25, 2016 February 8, 2018

    573 shares
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    Jump to the recipe

    healthy nacho cheese sauce

    Who doesn’t like nachos and cheese dip. One of our favorite comfort foods to nibble on , on a cold rainy evening. It is a classic beginning to any gatherings. A great way to keep the guests entertained when you are busy setting up the dinner. Cheese dips can be made various ways and I will be sharing with you as and when I make it.  Healthy nacho cheese dip is a nutritious take on the classic one . Hope you like it.

    healthy nacho cheese sauce

    I bet it’s every mom’s story , we are always urged to add nutrition in almost everything we make ,and if you have a kid like I do who doesn’t fancy veggies then we are sailing in the same boat. This dip being my son’s favorite had to get a healthy makeover. After my son started having solids ,my only mission food wise has been how do I successfully make his plate more healthier. He does enjoy his share of chips and cookies , but as a mom I try to balance it out .

    So this time when he had friends over for a play date , I made this dip again and the kids went slurping it till the end. I had served it with some chips , carrots, wheat thins and toasted multi grain breads. I wish I could click a picture of the same but it was made in a jiffy and gone in a jiffy. The mommies were quiet surprised when I told them there was something healthy hidden in there , they found it absolutely delicious  and insisted I share this with you all. I had few pictures of the same lying on my laptop for a while so thought why not post them.

    cheese sauce healthy

    So what’s this healthy cheese dip?

    A classic cheese dip gets a nutritious makeover by ditching butter and all purpose flour. Is it sounding healthy already? Now read this . I have even sneaked it some carrot puree which ups the nutrition without change in taste. Carrots blend in beautifully with this sauce making it delicious in every way.

    I have used medium cheddar cheese which imparts a nice tangy flavor to the sauce.

    This healthy nacho cheese sauce is ready under 15 minutes and requires less than 7 ingredients.

    Below is a quick step by step pictorial followed by the recipe and important notes.

    cheese sauce healthy

    Liked this recipe?Do give it a star rating in the comments !
    healthy nacho cheese sauce
    Print recipe
    3.70 from 20 votes

    Healthy Nacho cheese sauce

    A healthy twist to classic nacho cheese dip which is easy to prepare and a crowd pleaser too. Nutritious and healthy too.
    Course Appetizer, dip
    Cuisine Mexican
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes
    Adjustable Servings -3 cups
    Author Khushboo

    Ingredients

    • 1 tablespoon cooking olive oil / veg oil
    • 1 tablespoon whole wheat/ multi grain flour
    • 1.5 cups full fat milk
    • 1 cup carrot puree
    • 2 cups grated medium cheddar cheese
    • ½ teaspoon red pepper powder / paprika
    • Dash of black pepper
    • Salt to taste.

    Instructions

    • Warm up the milk in microwave or stove top until it comes to a simmer .Heat oil in heavy bottom pot on medium low flame. Once warm , add in the wheat flour and stir it continuously for 30 seconds. Slowly add in the warm milk stirring continuously with other hand. Switch to a hand whisk if desired to get rid of lumps if any. Let the mixture come to a simmer and thicken. Now slowly add in the carrot puree . Add in the salt , pepper, paprika. Give a quick mix occasionally . Let the sauce come to a simmer. Now add in the cheese and switch off the flame. Gently mix the cheese in until it has melted and you have a smooth sauce. Taste test and adjust the spices.

    Notes

    refer to important notes and substitutions below.
    Tried this recipe?Click photo & send it @carveyourcraving or tag #carveyourcraving on Facebook or Instagram to be featured!

    healthy nacho cheese sauce

    Notes and possible substitutions .

    Serve it warm or cold , it tastes great either ways.

    Super creamy silky smooth dip is attained by half and half or heavy cream and full fat milk combination ,feel free to use it.

    Use full fat milk as 2 % milk or low fat milk may result into a grainier dip. Saying this, it’s not much noticeable but I thought of mentioning it.

    I have steamed carrots and pureed , you can boil until tender and puree it , do not use raw as it won’t give you a smooth consistency. 

    I warm up the milk before adding to the flour roux to expedite the process of thickening. 

    Cheese already has salt so use salt wisely. You can always add in later.

    Red pepper powder is optional but I think you should add it in for a nice flavor and kick.

    Use any cheese that melts well , do not use mozzarella  . Possible substitution to cheddar will be swiss cheese , montery jack , amul processed cheese cubes , asiago , colby , fontina to name a few .

    Use freshly grated  cheese and not use pre grated cheese for good results.  

    Feel free to substitute carrot puree for butternut squash, sweet potato, spinach , beets, avocado for fun different colors or totally skip it. 

    Taste and color will depend on cheese and puree used.

    Feel free to add in your favorite herbs fresh or dried . 

    Sauce thickens further after cooling , so keep that in mind. 

    You can always add in some more milk and thin the sauce by warming it on low heat or microwave . 

    This sauce stays good upto 3-4 days in the fridge . 

    I love to toss in some pasta or make skillet mac n cheese in the cheese sauce if left any. 

    healthy nacho cheese sauce

    cheezzzy and addictive !! yumm!!

    healthy nacho cheese sauce

    Hope you like this recipe and do give it a try. I would love to hear from you. If you have tried any of  my recipes do drop in a feedback in the comment section or on my Facebook pagecarveyourcraving in messages section and follow me on Pinterest .

    Happy cooking!

    Do share it with the world!

    If sharing ,please link back to the post as reproducing, distributing or copying pictures or text/ recipes that belong to carveyourcraving is a copyright violation. You can always link back to the website.

    Pin this for later.

    healthy nacho cheese dip

     

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    573 shares
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    Filed Under: Accompaniments, All Recipes, Appetizers, Dips & Dressings, International Cuisine Tagged With: cheese, healthy, kid friendly, mexican, party ideasJanuary 25, 2016

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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    1. Kj

      July 02, 2020 at 2:47 pm

      5 stars
      Omgoodness I was craving cheese sauce and I came across your site. I didn’t have wheat flour so I used regular flour and I used the pre shredded it didn’t taste grainy .. but it was amazing lol I made nachos and my son and hubby love it.. I told our son it has carrots and he was like mom make this again.. we still have leftovers I forgot I added salsa to it., I think I’ll make this again but use it for Mac and cheese

      Reply
      • Khushboo

        July 07, 2020 at 3:17 pm

        Thank you for sharing your experience KJ. I never had luck with pre shredded cheese. Glad it turned out well for you.

        Reply
    2. karyn kellogg

      May 20, 2019 at 8:59 am

      Does it taste like carrot

      Reply
      • Khushboo

        May 20, 2019 at 8:36 pm

        Not really Karyn. My kids love it.

        Reply
    3. Mona

      September 25, 2016 at 6:01 pm

      Khushboo how long before can I make it for a party? Your site is making me change my menu completely . u are awesome way to go !!

      Reply
      • khushboo kothari

        September 26, 2016 at 10:05 am

        Haha Mona, thanks for a lovely comment. You can make this dip upto 3 days in advance. Keep it on a thinner side as it thickens later on. You can always thin it with milk later to adjust the consistency.

        Reply
    4. mamta

      March 12, 2016 at 10:41 pm

      Hi khushboo,
      I am a big fan of your cooking style and blog…would love to have a recipe for perfect crispy nachos from you…hope you will come up with one soon 🙂

      Reply
      • khushboo kothari

        March 13, 2016 at 9:34 pm

        Thank you Mamta , sure will do that 🙂

        Reply
    5. namrata

      March 10, 2016 at 3:22 am

      4 stars
      Hi

      Love your recipes 🙂

      Can I use AMul cheese cube ? if yes .. same quantity ? taste will change ?

      I am new to Mexican cuisine .. originally cheddar is used in a dip ?? you use which brand of cheddar .. sorry too many questions .. ! Thanks in advance

      Reply
      • khushboo kothari

        March 14, 2016 at 9:27 pm

        Thank you Namrata. Yes you can use amul obviously with change in taste but yum as well. Brand of cheese doesn’t matter sharpness does. I use medium cheddar most of the time.

        Reply
    6. Aarti bansal

      January 25, 2016 at 10:54 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for wonderful recipe… do u have healthier baked nachos recipe ?i m looking for one.. but cant find any…

      Reply
      • khushboo kothari

        January 27, 2016 at 6:05 pm

        Thanks for reaching out Aarti , Posting baked nachos is on my list , its a standard process though , you may find many online. I will be doing a post soon.

        Reply
    7. Eena Shaheena Grover

      January 25, 2016 at 6:44 pm

      5 stars
      Khusboo once again congratulations on such beautiful recipe with even more beautiful pics… Wanna give u one suggestion…. Pls watermark all ur beautiful pics…they r so good anyone can take advantage.

      Reply
      • khushboo kothari

        January 27, 2016 at 5:58 pm

        Thanks Eena , I have stopped watermarking my images long back , there is a big debate about it in the blogging world 🙂 thanks for the suggestion , will try to in future .

        Reply

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