Can You Freeze Nacho Cheese?

How to freeze nacho cheese

Nacho cheese usually contains a blend of different types of cheeses, which is what turns it into the iconic sauce for use on chips and other foods that so many of us love.

However, this means it’s even trickier to freeze, as there’s a risk that the ingredients will separate and that the consistency and flavor will be off once defrosted.

Of course, if you follow the correct procedure and freeze your nacho cheese right, you’ll be able to defrost it at a later date and consume it with it being just as nice as it was before freezing. 

Here is the step by step guide for you to freeze nacho cheese. 

Step 1:

First of all, you need to make sure that the nacho cheese has had enough time to cool down.

If you freeze it while it’s still warm, there will be too much condensation and moisture when you defrost it.  

Step 2:

Split up your leftover nacho cheese into portion sizes. This way, you can defrost nacho cheese while leaving the rest of the amount in the freezer for yet a later date.

The smaller portions also help with the defrosting process later on. 

Step 3:

Place the nacho cheese into sealable freezer bags. These are very easy to find in supermarkets, and come in extremely handy for the kitchen and for freezing other types of food.

When closing them up, make sure you squeeze out as much air as possible and then seal tightly shut. 

Step 4:

Label and date your bags of nacho cheese. This is a good habit to get into, as it keeps your freezer organized and it ensures you don’t leave anything in the freezer for longer than it should be. 

Once labeled and dated, place your bags of nacho cheese into the freezer, horizontally, and on a flat surface. 

How to defrost nacho cheese

Defrosting nacho cheese is a very important step that needs to be done carefully and well, so as to ensure a good result in consistency, texture, and taste.

It’s important that you plan when to consume your nacho cheese a day beforehand, as it will need to thaw overnight. 

It’s also important that you do not defrost nacho cheese in any other way, as it could very easily grow bacteria and be deemed unsafe. 

Here is the step by step guide for defrosting nacho cheese. 

Step 1:

Retrieve the bags of nacho cheese from the freezer.

If you have portioned the nacho cheese in different bags, you can retrieve as many as you want or need, and leave the rest as they are (as long as they’re still safe to be left in the freezer for more time). 

Step 2:

Place the nacho cheese in the refrigerator and let it thaw overnight.

It’s important you leave it in the refrigerator, and not at room temperature, because nacho cheese could very easily grow bacteria and go off if left at room temperature for too long. 

Step 3:

You will notice that the nacho cheese now has a different color and texture. This might make you think it’s gone off and is not safe to be consumed, but the reason this happens is that the fat separates from the water when cheese freezes. 

To get the nacho cheese back to normal, place it in a bowl, and stir thoroughly. Stirring will mix the fat and water back together so that it regains its texture and color. 

Step 4:

Reheat the nacho cheese, in the microwave or over the stove.

Stir it often to avoid it burning. Then you can simply enjoy your nacho cheese!

Factors to consider before freezing nacho cheese

The first thing you should consider before freezing nacho cheese is that it will last around 4 to 6 months while frozen before going bad. You should correctly label your nacho cheese with the date, and ensure you consume it before that amount of time has gone by. 

However, if the nacho cheese is store-bought, it might last beyond that 6 month period while frozen, but we don’t recommend you wait that long to consume it, just in case. 

You also need to remember that once frozen, you will have to defrost it overnight and in the appropriate way, or else the texture and flavor will be negatively affected and it will all have been for nothing.

Summary

Can you freeze nacho cheese? We now know that the answer is yes. However, as it is a dairy product, it is trickier than other foods when it comes to freezing and later on defrosting appropriately in a way that doesn’t damage the quality. 

It can be frozen by being placed in sealable freezer bags and then defrosted in the refrigerator overnight. To regain the normal color and texture of the nacho cheese, once thawed, you need to stir it thoroughly, and then reheat it carefully. 

It’s important that you remember that the nacho cheese will last up to 6 months while frozen and that you should consume it before that time is over.