Velveeta Cheese Sauce {For Pasta & Dipping}

This ultra-creamy Velveeta cheese sauce tastes great on everything! Made with 5 simple ingredients and ready in 15 minutes, the easy cheese sauce recipe is perfect for pasta, dipping, and topping your favorite foods!

The best Velveeta cheese sauce

This Velveeta cheese sauce shows how simple ingredients can combine to create something absolutely delicious and flavorful. It has a perfectly creamy texture and cheesy flavor your family will love. You will be so glad to have this easy cheese sauce in your recipe collection!

Requiring hardly any prep and ready in minutes, this Velveeta sauce is the perfect addition for pasta + mac and cheese and makes an amazing dipping sauce for chips, fries, and veggie sticks. It’s a real crowd pleaser and will elevate any dish.

I know Velveeta isn’t hugely popular, but it really produces the absolute best, creamy-smooth cheese sauce. Give it a try – you will fall in love with the luscious creaminess and mild taste!

We eat cheesy pasta at least once a week. Don’t miss any of our other favorites, including 4 ingredient mac and cheese, evaporated milk alfredo sauce, and this flourless mac and cheese.

Is Velveeta good for cheese sauce?

Yes! Velveeta, a processed cheese product similar to American cheese, is an excellent option for cheese sauce. It creates a super silky and creamy texture that is smoother than any other cheese.

Velveeta melts incredibly well without separating or clumping. Cheese sauce benefits greatly from the superb meltability because Velveeta holds the sauce together and doesn’t clump or split.

When other high-fat cheeses (e.g., cheddar) are heated, they can separate into clumps of protein in pools of liquid fat. Not so Velveeta! It contains emulsifiers that ensure smooth melting and help to retain this smoothness.

That’s also the reason why I use Velveeta for mac and cheese and this cheesy beef stoganoff.

Ingredients

5 basic ingredients you probably already have in your fridge and pantry are all you need to make this tasty cheese sauce recipe with Velveeta. Refer to the recipe card at the end of the post for specific measurements.

• Velveeta cheese: Cut the Velveeta cheese into 1/2 in cubes so it melts quickly into the sauce. You need 8 oz, which is half of a 16 oz block.
• Milk: Any type of milk will work here. Whole milk gives the sauce beautiful creaminess. For a lighter version, try 2% milk.
• Butter adds to the creaminess. I like to use salted butter, but you can also opt for unsalted and add a pinch of salt.
• Cornstarch is going to thicken the sauce. Most cheese sauce recipes use flour, but I find cornstarch yields even better results.
• Hot sauce delivers a nice flavor kick by adding a bit of tang and heat.

How to make Velveeta cheese sauce

With just a few easy steps, you can make a Velveeta cheese sauce that is so yummy that you’ll want to drizzle it on everything. It’s ready in almost no time and tastes so good with pasta, mac and cheese, or as nacho sauce.

Step 1: Dissolve the cornstarch

Add the softened butter and cornstarch into a large saucepan or pot. Mix the butter and cornstarch with a fork until a smooth paste forms. Doing so helps to dissolve the cornstarch and ensures that your cheese sauce will be free of lumps.

Step 2: Heat & thicken milk

Pour the milk into the pot. Whisk continuously and bring the milk to a boil. Once boiling, continue to cook for 30 to 45 seconds to activate the cornstarch. You want the sauce thickened but still pourable.

Step 3: Melt in the cheese

Once the sauce is thick, remove the saucepan or pot from the stove. Stir in the Velveeta cheese until melted.

Step 4: Add hot sauce

Add the hot sauce and mix until everything is well combined. If desired, season the sauce with salt, ground black pepper, and garlic powder.

Step 5: Serve

Enjoy the Velveeta cheese sauce warm and enjoy with cooked pasta, veggies, or tortilla chips.

Helpful tips

• Whisk well: Make sure to constantly whisk when you heat the milk so the cornstarch doesn’t clump.
• Adjust the spices: Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your liking if you aren’t a fan of a particular spice or rather leave out the hot sauce.
• Pasta: If you intend to serve this recipe as pasta sauce, cook the pasta while you prepare the sauce. This way, the noodles and cheese sauce will be ready at the same time.
• Cover with plastic wrap: Since it’s made with milk and cornstarch, this nacho cheese sauce will form a skin after a while. If you plan to serve the sauce later, press a piece of plastic wrap (cling film) directly onto the surface of the sauce. This will prevent skin from forming.

Serving suggestions

Velveeta cheese sauce is so versatile! It’s a fantastic choice for mac and cheese and makes a great cheese dip for chips, nachos, and pretzels. Your family will love this easy Velveeta recipe, especially when you serve it with one of these ideas!

• Pasta Sauce: Try it as a sauce for macaroni and cheese – homemade Velveeta cheese sauce goes with literally any pasta. The recipe makes enough for 8 oz to 10 oz pasta.
• Veggies: Smother roasted/cooked broccoli, zucchini, carrots, or cauliflower in this sauce. It’s so good that even picky eaters won’t be able to resist.
• Dipping Sauce: This recipe makes the ultimate dipping sauce! We love it as a nacho sauce for tortilla chips, crackers, and fries.
• Pretzels: Velveeta sauce is great for dunking soft pretzels, pretzel bites, and breadsticks.
• Sandwiches & Hamburgers: Stuff the sauce into toast for a quick grilled cheese sandwich. Or dollop it onto hamburgers or hot dogs.

Variations

This Velveeta pasta sauce is very adaptive. Here are some ideas to customize the sauce and create different flavors.

• Spices: Add 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper for extra oomph and flavor. Adjust the salt according to your taste.
• Herbs: I like to add some chopped parsley or cilantro from time to time. 2 tablespoons are plenty.
• Mustard: If you love the flavor of mustard, consider adding 1/2 to 1 teaspoon mustard powder or Dijon mustard to your cheese sauce recipe with Velveeta.
• Beer: For a beer-flavored cheese sauce, replace 1/2 cup milk with the same amount of lager beer.
• Thicker Texture: As written, the sauce has the texture and consistency of typical pasta sauce. If you want to enjoy it as a cheese dip and prefer a thicker consistency, prepare the recipe with just 1 cup milk.

Storage & make-ahead instructions

How to store Velveeta cheese sauce

When you store your Velveeta sauce in the refrigerator, it will last for up to 5 days. After the sauce has cooled to room temperature, transfer it into a mason jar or airtight container to maintain freshness.

Reheat Velveeta cheese sauce

You can reheat the sauce in a saucepan on the stove or in a bowl in the microwave until warmed through. When reheating, use the “low and slow” approach. To avoid burnt sauce, ensure not to let the sauce get too hot too fast.

Can I make cheese sauce with Velveeta ahead of time?

Yes! Follow the recipe directions and cook the cheese sauce. Once cooked, place a piece of plastic wrap (cling film) directly on the surface of the sauce to prevent a skin from forming. Let cool to room temperature, then store in the refrigerator.

Can you freeze Velveeta cheese sauce?

No, I don’t recommend freezing this Velveeta cheese sauce recipe because the flavor and consistency will change.

FAQ

What is Velveeta?

Velveeta is a popular processed cheese with a mild flavor, characteristic orange color, and springy, soft texture. It’s a blend of whey concentrate, milk, and other dairy products. Velveeta was first introduced in the 1900s to extend the shelf life of cheese.

Is Velveeta real cheese?

No. According to the FDA, Velveeta is a processed cheese product, but not technically real cheese.

Do I really have to use Velveeta cheese for this?

No, you can use cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack if you are fully opposed to using Velveeta. While the cheese sauce will still be very scrumptious, it won’t have the same creaminess and smoothness.