Velveeta Cheese Sauce is the ultimate in creamy, cheesy recipes! This sauce is perfect for serving over pasta, as a dip, or as a topping over veggies or meat!
Wonder how to make the best cheese sauce with only 5 simple ingredients? This Velveeta cheese sauce recipe is your answer!
This is sure to be a hit with the whole family! Plus, it’s a gluten-free sauce, so everyone can enjoy it!
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Why Velveeta Cheese Sauce Is a Favorite
- Beyond simple to make, and quick, too!
Our White Cheese Sauce recipe starts with roux (fat and flour) and takes about 20 minutes to make. But Velveeta cheese recipes like this one don’t need that extra step; This one comes together in 15 minutes! - Just 5 simple ingredients.
Actually, if you don’t count the two spices in our Velveeta cheese sauce recipe, you really only need 3 ingredients to make this recipe! - The absolute creamiest consistency!
Velveeta is my secret ingredient for making a super creamy cheese sauce.
What is Velveeta?
Velveeta is a brand of processed cheese that was originally introduced in 1918. Made from milk, whey, and vegetable oil, and has a smooth, creamy texture. So, is Velveeta really cheese? Not exactly, because real cheese isn’t made with vegetable oil. but it does taste incredible!
Velveeta cheese is perfect for making cheese sauces, because it melts quickly and evenly. This makes it ideal for creating a smooth, creamy cheese sauce like this one!
Plus, this cheese is gluten-free, so everyone can enjoy it!
This cheese sauce is perfect for dipping in your favorite foods, or for using as a topping on your favorite recipes!
You’ll also love this sauce on pasta dishes, and you can even use it as the perfect Super Bowl food! It’s fantastic on nachos, pizza, and the perfect cheese sauce for smoked mac and cheese, too!
Love dips and sauces? Try our 3 Ingredient BBQ Sauce, Spicy Honey Mustard, Roasted Red Pepper Feta Dip, Mango Chili Sauce, and In n Out Sauce (Copycat).
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Milk – Using whole milk makes for the creamiest sauce, but 2 percent works well, too.
- Cornstarch – If you need a gluten free substitute for cornstarch, arrowroot is a great choice.
- Chili pepper paste – We include just a pinch for a little kick of spiciness. Feel free to leave it out if you are serving kids or just don’t like spicy food. If you need a substitute, ground cayenne pepper is a good one.
- Velveeta – We make this cheese sauce with Velveeta original flavor, which comes in a 2-pound loaf/block. If you want to switch the flavor up, consider using one of the other Velveeta cheese flavors.
Note:
I prefer using squeeze-tube chili pepper paste (I ordered one from Amazon) because it mixes easier in creamy sauces, and you won’t see little specks of ground chili pepper in the sauce. Also, a tube in the fridge will last for a while. We also use it in other recipes, like our Carbone Spicy Rigatoni.
Velveeta Cheese Sauce Recipe Tips
- Use cold milk for the slurry.
In a medium saucepan, mix together cornstarch and cold milk using a whisk until it is smooth. Then, bring the milk and cornstarch mixture to a simmer over low-medium heat, whisking frequently.
- Cut the cheese into cubes.
Cutting the Velveeta cheese into cubes or small pieces helps it to melt faster.
When the slurry mixture is nice and thick, add the cubes, along with the chili pepper paste. Stir until the Velveeta melts completely. Remove from heat then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Variations
- For a creamier cheese sauce, use half and half or heavy cream in place of the whole milk.
- If you want a spicy cheese sauce, add more chili pepper paste or cayenne pepper to taste. You could also include salsa, hot sauce, or BBQ sauce to your Velveeta cheese sauce if you’d like.
- Use mix-ins! You can also add in some chopped green onions, roasted garlic, or garlic powder for an extra flavor boost.
- Southwest cheese sauce – Canned chili, diced tomatoes, green chilies, and diced jalapeños can be added for a southwestern flavor. This would be fantastic with Jiffy Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread for dipping!
- Mexican cheese sauce. Add refried beans, diced avocado, and sour cream for a delicious Mexican-style cheese sauce.
- For a thinner cheese sauce, add more milk to thin it out to your desired consistency.
Serving Suggestions for Velveeta Cheese Sauce
This creamy cheese sauce is great with pasta, but also great as a sauce for cooked veggies like broccoli or Instant Pot Green Beans.
Serve it as a dip with raw carrots and celery, or with football food favorites like pretzel balls, tortilla chips, sausage balls, and corn chips.
Of course, the best use for our Velveeta cheese sauce recipe is to make homemade Velveeta Mac and Cheese!
Storing and Reheating Instructions
Place any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge. It keeps for up to 1 week.
To reheat, simply microwave the sauce on 50% power for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through. Stir well before serving.
You can also reheat this cheese sauce on the stovetop over low heat, stirring frequently until warmed through.
Can I freeze this cheese sauce?
Yes! This cheese sauce can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. To thaw, simply place the sauce in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat as directed above.
However, note that the sauce may be a bit thinner after being frozen and thawed. If needed, you can add more cornstarch to thicken it.
Velveeta Cheese FAQ
The white powder is called calcium sulfate, and it’s used as a preservative. It helps to keep the cheese from molding and spoiling. It’s a common ingredient in processed cheese, and it’s perfectly safe to eat.
The best way to melt Velveeta cheese for cheese sauce is to cut it into small cubes and add it to a saucepan over low-medium heat.
The key to melting Velveeta cheese without it getting hard is to cook it over low-medium heat and to stir it frequently. If the cheese gets too hot, it will start to get hard and clumpy.
Other Fantastic Velveeta Recipes
Beefy Velveeta Cheese Soup – This cheesy hamburger soup is a perfect meal for a Super Bowl party!
Velveeta Cheese Sauce
Equipment
- medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups milk (I recommend using whole milk, 2% or non-fat milk will make a less creamy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 8 ounces Velveeta Cheese cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon chili pepper paste (can sub with2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper)
- salt and black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, whisk together cornstarch and cold milk until smooth. Bring the milk and cornstarch to a simmer, over low-medium heat, whisking frequently (about 3 minutes).
- Once the mixture has thickened, add Velveeta cheese and chili pepper paste, stirring until cheese has melted. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste
- Serve cheese sauce over pasta or vegetables. Or use as a dip for raw vegetables, pretzels and pretzel balls, cheese cubes, sausage balls, tortilla chips, or corn chips.
Notes
- Add 1/2 cup of salsa
- Add 1/2 cup canned chili
- Add 1/2 cup of canned green chiles
- Add 1/2 cup of refried beans
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Andrea says
Used the cayanne pepper as I didn’t have the paste and WOW! It was spicy! LOL! I toned it down with more milk, cheese and a bit of sugar. Good recipe! Ill make it again. Thanks for posting!
Don says
We made this a few nights ago for a March Madness party. There were at least 3 different dips besides this one, but we clearly didn’t make enough. This one was gone in the blink of an eye!