Ever found yourself dreaming of a cheese lover's paradise where nacho cheese flows endlessly like a golden river? Well, dream no more! With a few simple tweaks, you can transform your chocolate fountain into a nacho cheese fountain, perfect for your next dinner party or game day celebration.
Imagine the look on your guests' faces as they dip chips, tacos, and appetizers into a cascading fountain of warm, velvety cheese.
We'll guide you through the steps to create your very own nacho cheese fountain, turning an ordinary gathering into an unforgettable cheesy extravaganza. Get ready to impress and delight with this ultimate party centerpiece!
Can You Put Cheese In A Chocolate Fountain?
Yes, you can put cheese into a chocolate fountain, but in our tests, liquid nacho cheese works far better than swiss cheese based fondue recipes. We do not recommend bechamel or roux based cheese fondue or homemade queso for the fountains for these reasons...
- In reality, chocolate fountains for the consumer market (meaning home cooks, not hotels) have weaker motors than commercial-grade chocolate fountains.
- For best results the cheese dip you are using can't be thicker than chocolate syrup or the machine will struggle.
- The fondue fountain will not keep the cheese dip warm, it will gradually cool it as it cascades down the fountain.
Roux based fondue recipes cannot perform well in these conditions. They are much better suited to an electric fondue pot, so we encourage the use of canned cheese in a chocolate fountain for your fondue party.
What is Canned Nacho Cheese?
By nacho cheese, we specifically mean canned cheese products like you might find in movie theaters, concession stands, and tex mex restaurants. Canned nacho cheese has additives that prevent curdling and maintain a thin sauce-like consistency making it the perfect cheese for a fondue fountain.
These canned cheese products have gone far beyond thick, movie nacho cheese, and popular brands offer varieties like white queso, sharp cheddar cheese, and spicy tex mex versions.
The main ingredients in nacho cheese are still real cheese and skim milk but with the addition of sodium citrate. Sodium citrate is a common ingredient in processed cheese products like canned cheese that helps keep the sauce fluid.
Sodium citrate keeps nacho cheese sauce thin and pourable when slightly warm or room temperature, whereas a cold homemade queso dip or cold beer cheese fondue is not appetizing and thickens when cold.
Be advised, if you are serving this at a party and want to keep the dip hot, you will have to heat small batches of the canned cheese and pour it into the machine throughout the party, however, canned cheese won't curdle and clump like homemade cheese sauce.
We will walk you through where you can find these big cans of cheese and how you can personalize the recipe.
Nacho Cheese Fountain Canned Products
If you want to do a cheese fountain at your next party, canned nacho cheese is the way to go. You will need at least one #10 can to fill your cheese chocolate fountain.
#10 cans contain about approximately 6-7 pounds of liquid cheese, so 1-2 cans should be plenty for one fountain. We will also be thinning the nacho cheese with water or evaporated milk as we heat and prepare it for the fountain, so that means a bit more volume.
Canned queso blanco (a white queso dip) and nacho cheese (the bright yellow concession stand cheese dip) can be found at restaurant supply stores like Restaurant Depot, big box stores like Sam's and Costco, and online...
Amazon Canned Cheese
Chef Mate Que Bueno Queso Blanco Cheese Sauce
Walmart .com Canned Cheese
I highly recommend Rico's White Queso Blanco if you can locate it
Rico's Premium Cheddar Cheese Sauce
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Wherever you get your nacho cheese sauce, just ensure it's one of the BIG CANS. It should be about 107 ounces or 6-7 pounds of quality cheese dip.
Troubleshooting Common Issues with Your Nacho Cheese Fountain
- The feet of the chocolate fountain can be altered up and down to level the machine. Level before you add anything to the bowl.
- Preheat the machine so it can begin warming.
- The best method is to heat the hot cheese dip on the stovetop and add it to the fountain hot. The fountain will keep the dip somewhat warm, but not hot.
- Add half the amount you think you need, turn on the machine, then add more cheese sauce as needed. This allows you to get to know the machine.
- Expect some splatters, it even happens at expensive buffets. A wet bar rag can be kept nearby for cleaning splatters.
- Put tomatoes, salsa, chiles, and meat on the side. All of these items will clog the machine and break the motor.
What Chocolate Fountain Was Used In Your Pictures?
I used the Wilton Pro Chocolate Machine. I reached out to Sephra Chocolate Fountains to review their product, but haven't had the chance. Both chocolate fountain companies will ship to your home.
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Can I Make Additions To The Nacho Cheese Mixture?
You can make some substitutions to the recipe but avoid any ingredients that add chunks to the thin cheese sauce.
Some ingredients to avoid include:
- Any kind of fresh or canned vegetable, such as green chiles, cilantro, pico de gallo, or canned Rotel tomatoes
Instead, serve these on the side so that your guests can top their dish with these accompaniments.
Some ingredients that you might try adding:
- Switching up the enchilada sauce with another thin chile-based sauce, such as a red enchilada sauce
- Adding a splash of dry white wine or Mexican beer
- Adding a bit of your favorite thin bottled hot sauce (not salsa)
- Adding powdered chile powder blends, garlic powder, or smoked paprika
Above all, keep the mixture thin, about the consistency of chocolate syrup.
What Can Be Served Along With My Nacho Cheese Fountain?
- Tortilla Chips, Taco Meat, Sour Cream, Jalapenos, and Various Salsas For A Nacho Bar
- Flautus and Taquitos, Guacamole
- Barbecue and Flour Tortillas with Fixins like Pico De Gallo, Corn Salad, and Jalapeno Cream Sauce
- Traditional Canned Cheese Sauce Can Be Served With Hard Pretzels, Soft Pretzels, Cherry Tomatoes, Bread Cubes, Broccoli Florets, and Bell Peppers
Cheese Fountain Recipe With Nacho Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
- We used a Wilton Pro Chocolate Machine available here
- #10 can white queso blanco or canned nacho cheese sauce approximately 107 oz. or 6-7 lbs.
- 14 oz. Green Enchilada Sauce We used Las Palmas brand. More of the can be used, but it gets spicy for kids
- About 2 cups water or evaporated milk to thin.
Instructions
Preheating the Cheese
- 1. In a large stock pot (as big as you have available) pour the entire can of cheese sauce in. If you can't fit the entire can in your largest pot, cook the cheese dip over low heat in two batches starting with only half the can. Remember we will be thinning it out and it will increase in volume.
- 2. Add in half of the can of green enchilada sauce first. You can always add more if you like. The green enchilada sauce provides spice and zip, while thinning out the cheese sauce. It can provide too much spice depending on the brand. Use your best judgment for your party.
- 3. Heat gently over medium heat until hot. You can thin the sauce with water or evaporated milk. The viscosity should be somewhere between chocolate syrup and heavy cream.
Adding To The Chocolate Fountain
- 4. Once the cheese dip is hot, pour it into the chocolate fountain... Fill the machine bowl halfway full, turn on the machine, and then add more hot cheese dip from your stockpot as needed.
bilbo says
you should do lb instead of #. confusing.
Sarah Penrod says
That's literally what the cans are called. They are called "Number Ten Cans". You should be able to ask for that anywhere in the United States and they will know what you are asking for.