Best Tasting Canned Nacho Cheese

[cozybug]

Hey all!

I'm hoping to get some feedback on great tasting canned nacho cheese. I have a great recipe for it, but the fam and I are going on vacation and I want to keep cooking extremely simple--it's a vacation, right? I have nachos on the menu but really don't want to destroy our dinner with some bad tasting canned cheese sauce. I've tried tostitos and like it but am wondering about other brands. A little spicy is OK. I hate, HATE velveeta type sauces so just rule suggesting out any of those. Also, I live in the Seattle area and need to be able to find your suggestions locally. Thanks in advance for any input!

[DuffyH]

It needs to be kept cold and heated to serve, but Costco has a queso blanco that's very nice. Restaurant quality. It's in the cold case by the salsas, sold in packs of two 1-lb tubs.

[Janet from Richmond]

I have had the one from Target (Archer Farms brand) and it's better than most. Not homemade, but not horrifying either.

[al b. darned]

I have used Doritos Nacho Cheese Dip in the past and survived. It's not gourmet, but it's not too bad.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

I used to get the big can of Que Bueno from COSTCO. My boxer Hagar liked it. He was looking at me while I was eating it with chips, so I gave him a plain tortilla chip. He took it, and set it down on the floor. I gave him another, and he did the same thing. Dipped the next one, and he scarfed it down.

[Tripeler]

As the old TV commercial went, "Thank God your dog is finally getting enough cheese."

[cozybug]

Thanks for the laugh. I was able to totally imagine a boxer doing this--staring at you with those intelligent eyes with his head tilted to the side.

[BIGGUNDOCTOR]

Boxers are great dogs, unfortunately though they are cancer factories. We lost both of ours at fairly early ages. Hagar was one special pooch.

[DuffyH]

Que Bueno was QUE BUENO! Very tasty. Hagar showed some good sense. :)

[smithareeny]

I 2nd QUE BUENO. I used to work in a restaurant & this is the cheese sauce they used for their breadsticks. Yummy.

[juster]

Agreed. I used to eat bowls of this with chips for breakfast in high school. (I now eat reasonable breakfasts...) BEWARE -- I recently got a can of Que Bueno at a grocery store and it was an entirely different product, just the regular orange goo. I tossed it. I don't know if Que Bueno is still sold at Costco, and if it is, maybe it's a different formulation than the grocery store stuff, maybe it's not, but I'd at least make sure to get it there, or maybe try whatever sauce they have on offer, which is likely good.

[cozybug]

For those of you who requested my fave homemade cheese sauce, you can find the recipe here:

http://www.food.com/recipe/nacho-chee...

No, it's not mine but I've tried it a couple times and loved it. Of course, after reading the reviews that the sauce came out a little thick I did modify it including adding jalapenos and it's juice for a little kick. As others have said that have made it, It's a good base to kick off from and to personalize. Hope this helps!

[Davwud]

I find it odd that it says "Nacho cheese sauce." It's cheese sauce. It can easily go with macaroni or broccoli.

But that's besides the point, as you said, it's a good starting point.

DT

[laststandchili]

I picked up a couple jars of Newman's Own recently when on sale 2/$4.

It's not bad for cheese sauce in a jar. I've never run across a stand out in this area. I usually revel in the low brow aspect of the experience when I go the sauce route with nachos. Anyway, it's passable, and reasonably priced even at full price (About $2.75?), plus the profits go to help kids with three heads and all that charitable stuff.

I do recall a DL Jardine's jarred queso that I tried a few years ago that was positively disgusting. A good quality stinky cheese can be a wonderful thing, but the flavor and odor of this stuff was straight out of a gym locker. I'm still a fan of some of their hot sauces, but no more with the cheese.

[cozybug]

Walmart, right? I also picked up a couple jars of Newman's cheese sauce for that price. To be honest, I wasn't blown away by it and it left a chemical processed aftertaste in my mouth. The other jar sits untouched in my cupboard. However, it does make me feel better that my money did go to helping the kids with extra heads :-D.

[Davwud]

Donate the other jar to a food bank then. Win win.

DT

[CDouglas]

Frontera Kitchens has a great nacho cheese sauce and a couple of quesos under the Salpica label:
Nacho cheese - http://www.fronterakitchens.com/shopping/product/32090/
Quesos - http://www.fronterakitchens.com/shopping/product/32030/
http://www.fronterakitchens.com/shopp...

[cozybug]

Unfortunately, I won't have time to mail order anything as I waited til the last minute to draw up a menu. But I will check your suggestion out in the future. Thanks for responding.

[CDouglas]

Frontera products are available at Whole Foods in my area in case that helps.

[BelovedofIsis]

I'm not sure about the canned stuff but I am greatly interested in your personal great recipe for home made nacho cheese sauce.

[Davwud]

Agreed.

DT