How to Melt Velveeta Cheese

Velveeta® cheese is versatile and tasty, but melting it down is more difficult than you might initially suspect. You need to work with it carefully to prevent the cheese product from burning or becoming lumpy.

Ingredients

1 lb (450 g) Velveeta® cheese
2 Tbsp (30 ml) butter (optional)
7 Tbsp (105 ml) milk (optional)

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Stove (Saucepan)

1
Cube the cheese. Use a sharp kitchen knife to cut the Velveeta cheese into 1/2-inch to 1-inch (1.25 to 2.5 cm) cubes.
- Smaller cubes will melt quicker and more evenly than larger cubes. Regardless of what size exactly you make the cubes, try to make sure that all the cubes are roughly the same size. Cubes that are unevenly sized will melt at different rates, and as a result, some of the cheese may burn before the rest melts down.
2
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add 2 Tbsp (30 ml) of butter to a small saucepan and place it on your stove. Heat the butter on a medium-low, stirring it frequently with a wooden mixing spoon, until the butter has completely melted and spread over the bottom of the pan.
- You should not skip the butter when melting Velveeta using this method. The butter prevents the cheese from coming into direct contact with the bottom of the pan, acting as a thin barrier to prevent the Velveeta from burning.
- Do not use a heat higher than medium-low at any point throughout the process.
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3
Heat up the Velveeta. Add the Velveeta cubes to the saucepan, spreading them out evenly across the bottom. Stir the cubes into the melted butter, coating them thoroughly. Continue heating and stirring the Velveeta for several minutes or until the cheese is halfway melted.
- You must stir the cheese constantly as it melts. If you do not stir the cheese, parts of it could end up burning.
- As you stir, make sure that you scrape the bottom of the pan.
4
Add milk, if desired. Velveeta cheese can turn into a burnt, lumpy, and thick mess when you melt it using this method, but you should be able to prevent all of that from happening by adding up to 7 Tbsp (105 ml) of milk to the pan when the cheese is only partially melted.
- You may not need to add the milk; Velveeta can melt on the stove without it. The addition of milk is strongly recommended because it makes it much easier to melt the cheese product evenly and thoroughly without trouble.
5
Melt the cheese product down completely. Continue heating the Velveeta mixture on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it melts down into a smooth sauce.
6
Serve warm. Use the melted Velveeta as a sauce or dip, or in another recipe, as soon as you melt it down and while it still feels warm. If you wait too long, the cheese could thicken up again.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Stove (Double Boiler)

1
Cut the Velveeta cheese into cubes. Cut the brick of Velveeta cheese into cubes that are roughly 1/2-inch to 1-inch (1.25 to 2.5 cm) around.
- Cut the Velveeta into evenly sized pieces to make sure that it melts down at an even pace.
- Smaller cubes will melt faster than large cubes.
2
Boil water in the bottom part of a double boiler.^{[1]
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Research source} Fill the bottom half of a double boiler with 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.6 cm) of water. Place this portion on the stove and heat it on medium-high for a couple of minutes, or until the water starts to boil.
- If you do not have a double boiler, use a large saucepan for the bottom portion and a stainless steel bowl capable of resting around the mouth of the saucepan for the top portion.
- Make sure that the water level is not high enough to touch the top half of your double boiler.
- After the water boils, you should reduce the heat as needed to keep the water at a steady simmer.
3
Melt the butter in the top part of the double boiler. Add the butter to the top half of the double boiler and place the top half over the bottom. Stir the butter using a wooden mixing spoon, heating it indirectly until it melts down completely and spreads over the bottom of the pan.
- The butter is not strictly essential for this method, but it is still strongly recommended since it gives the Velveeta an extra layer of protection against the heat and helps prevent the cheese product from burning.
4
Add and melt the cheese. Toss the cubes of Velveeta into the top part of the double boiler, as well. Mix them continuously with your mixing spoon until they melt down into a thick, creamy sauce.
- Note that you do not need to add milk to this version, so the resulting sauce will be thicker than the melted cheese sauce produced by the saucepan method.
- You still need to stir the cheese continually as it melts to make sure that it does not burn or otherwise melt unevenly.
5
Serve warm. If you let the melted Velveeta sit out at room temperature for too long, it can start to solidify again. It is best to use the Velveeta cheese while it is still warm and freshly melted.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Slow Cooker

1
Cut the Velveeta into cubes. Use a sharp kitchen knife to separate the cheese product into 1/2-inch to 1-inch (1.25 to 2.5 cm) cubes.
- Cut the cubes so that they are all roughly the same size. Also keep in mind that small cubes tend to melt faster than larger cubes.
2
Cook the cheese for 30 minutes. Place the cubes of Velveeta into your slow cooker and cover the machine. Heat the cheese using the low setting for a total of 30 minutes, then open the lid and stir the partially melted cubes.
- Stirring the cheese at this time helps promote even melting.
- You should not need to add butter or milk to the Velveeta when you use this method. Since a slow cooker uses such a low, slow heat, there is very little chance that the Velveeta will burn or become lumpy. As such, there is no real need for the addition of other ingredients.
3
Cook for an additional 1 to 2 hours. Replace the lid on your slow cooker and continue cooking the cheese until it melts down into a smooth, thick sauce. This can take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.^{[2]
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- Try not to stir or remove the lid of the slow cooker during this time. The steam that builds up inside the machine is partially responsible for the melting process, so that process may take longer if you frequently lift that lid off.
4
Serve warm. If you need the Velveeta to remain warm for a long time, switch the setting of the slow cooker to “warm” and serve or use the melted cheese directly out of the slow cooker.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Microwave

1
Cube the Velveeta. Cut the Velveeta cheese brick with a sharp kitchen knife. The resulting cubes should each be about 1/2 inch to 1 inch (1.25 to 2.5 cm) in every dimension.
- Make sure that the cubes are all evenly sized to ensure even melting.
- Small cubes are better than large ones since they melt quicker.
2
Combine the milk and cheese in a microwave-safe dish. Arrange the cubes of Velveeta cheese in a medium to large microwave-safe dish and pour up to 7 Tbsp (105 ml) of milk over them. Cover the dish with a lid or a piece of microwave-safe plastic wrap.
- The use of milk is strongly advised for this method since it prevents the cheese from burning in the microwave. Furthermore, the milk creates a much smoother sauce.
3
Microwave in 30 second intervals. Place the dish in the microwave and cook the mixture on high for 30 seconds. Stir the contents of the dish, then microwave it again for another 30 seconds. Repeat as needed until the cheese melts down into a smooth sauce.^{[3]
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- You may need to microwave the Velveeta for up to 2 or 3 minutes total.
- Frequent stirring is necessary if you want to prevent the cheese from burning as it melts.
4
Serve warm. The Velveeta cheese product should be served or otherwise used as soon as it comes out of the microwave. If you let it sit out too long or attempt to refrigerate it, the Velveeta will start to solidify again.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I use diced Velveeta cheese in place of brick-style?

Community Answer

You cannot use Velveeta in place of recipes that call for brick-style cheeses like cheddar, but there are plenty of recipes that call for Velveeta.
Question

How many cups of melted Velveeta will 2 pounds yield?

Michele

Top Answerer

A pound of sugar yields approximately 4 cups. By volume, melted cheese should be about the same.