Fondue is a Swiss melted cheese dish served in a communal pot over a portable stove or now also in an electric pot, and eaten by dipping bread and more into the cheese using long-stemmed forks. My family loves having fondue, especially in the cold months, it’s memories I deeply cherish. We sit and talk while dipping our favorites, like baby potatoes and mushrooms into melted cheese. One in particular, is being the first to get the fork color of my choice. This cheese fondue recipe is family-friendly since it’s made without wine. The star of this recipe is the cheese so make sure you use the best cheese you can get. It is so easy to make so don’t worry about it. I highly recommend making it when you have friends or family over and it will be so much fun. Maybe this can be your new thanksgiving or holiday tradition. You can customise all the things to dip and have something for everyone!

For an Indianized fondue recipe, click here.

Happy Cooking!

Servings: 6-9 servings

Prep Time: 30-40 mins

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients: 

Fondue:

• 1 cup & 1 tbsp Vegetable stock 

• 1/2 tsp Lemon juice 

• 220g Gruyère cheese grated (about 2 cups)

• 105g Fontina cheese (about 1 cup)

• 65g Emmentaler cheese aged 18 months (about 1/3 cup)

• 50g Scharfe maxx extra cheese (about 1/2 cup)

• 24 g Cornstarch (2.5 tbsp)

• 1 clove garlic minced

• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked Pepper

• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder

• 1/4 tsp Paprika

• 1/8 tsp clove powder

Suggestions of things to Dip:

• Baguette bread or something crusty cut into cubes

• Steamed broccoli florets

• Boiled baby potatoes

• Crackers of your choice; I used these flatbread sourdough crackers

• Gerkins/Cornichons

• Sauteed whole mushrooms

Directions: 

1. Prepare all the toppings as you like before making the fondue.

2. Grate all the cheese and transfer it to a large bowl or a ziplock bag. Add the cornstarch and mix it together coating the cheese.

3. Start the electric fondue pot or a traditional fondue pot on the stove. Keep it on medium-high heat.

4. Saute the minced garlic in the pot till fragrant, about 2 mins.

5. Add vegetable stock and lemon juice and mix. Stir frequently and bring it to a low simmer.

6. Once it comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to low medium. Add about 2 handfuls of cheese and use a spatula to mix till the cheese melts.

7. Keep adding handfuls of cheese and stir. Make sure it melts before adding more by stirring frquently.

8. Once all the cheese has been added the consistency should be thick and creamy.

9. Add paprika, clove powder, nutmeg powder, and freshly cracked pepper. Mix it all together and let it come to a soft bubble.

10. Serve immediately with the toppings of your choice.

Notes/Tips:

• Use the best quality cheese. It makes ALL the difference in the final product! I got my cheese at Murray cheese.

• Do NOT skip the lemon juice, that helps give the cheese its consistency.

• If you don’t have Emmental or Scharfe Maxx you can use Gruyere and Fontina. Do not skip on gruyere as that is the main base of the fondue.

• Be sure to keep stirring the cheese as it melts to help an even melt and so that it doesn’t burn.

• You can serve it with anything, you can’t go wrong with it melted cheese!