I grew up in a family that did fondue, and we have continued the fun with our kids! There is nothing quite as engaging as dipping delicious foods into a pot of hot stringy cheese on a special little fondue fork. Not only is it amazingly tasty and filling, but it provides an opportunity to interact with your family at dinner in a different way. Yes, it may lead to fondue fork fights, stealing someone's stretchy cheese, or dropping your food into the pot, but for the most part, the conversations are fun and everyone learns to cooperate so maximum cheese dipping can be had. The foods to dip in this flavorful cheese is entirely up to you, though I do recommend some good gluten free bread, olives, steamed broccoli, smoked sausages, and apples. Start out the new year with a fun new way to do dinner with your family!
Our Favorite Cheese Fondue
Serves 4-6
8 oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)
6 oz. Swiss cheese, shredded (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Dash of paprika, optional
Place both shredded cheeses in a gallon-sized resealable bag with the cornstarch and shake until evenly coated. In a fondue pot (or saucepan) add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and garlic. Bring to a simmer. Add the cheese, a handful at a time, stirring constantly until smooth and melted. Add the remaining spices and move to the table. Keep turned on low while serving to keep the cheese nice and melted. Serve with your favorite foods to dip!
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients. You will need Gruyere cheese, Swiss cheese, cornstarch, chicken broth, lemon juice, minced garlic, pepper, fresh nutmeg, and paprika (optional).
Shred cheeses and add to a gallon-sized resealable bag. To get the right cheese amount, since it's hard to know what a cup of shredded cheese is (do you pack it?), I always just shred the amount in ounces. The Gruyere cheese I buy comes in a 6 oz. block, so I compensate and do more Swiss. Just try to have a total combination of 14 oz. cheese, shredded. Add the 2 tablespoons cornstarch to the bag, seal it, then shake to coat all the cheese.
In your fondue pot (or saucepan if you don't have one - but I highly recommend it!), add 1 cup chicken broth, 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Bring to a simmer, then start adding cheese, one handful at a time, stirring between each until smooth.
You don't need to whisk or stir quickly, just evenly and consistently with a wooden spoon.
Once all the cheese is added and melted, add 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg (you can use regular nutmeg found in the spice section, but I think having it freshly ground makes a lot of difference in the flavor!), and a dash of paprika if desired.
The cheese fondue is ready to go to the table and be devoured by hungry dippers!
You can serve this fondue with countless things. Experiment to figure out your favorites. We love chunks of gluten free bread, steamed broccoli, L'il Smokies, black olives, and apples.
It's no surprise that my favorite is bread!
Keep the fondue pot at a good temperature to let the cheese remain hot and melty. I have to mess with the temperature throughout dinner to keep it just right. You don't want it boiling, but you need it hot enough to keep it the consistency of honey. I keep a wooden spoon handy to stir it every once in a while.
This cheese fondue is heavenly! It's stringy, flavorful, and just perfect. It really is the best recipe we have found, and we've tried quite a few over the years.
Your kiddos will love dipping, eating bite-sized food, playing with the stretchy stringy cheese, and having FUN at the dinner table with the whole family gathered around a simple pot of cheese.
Recipe Source: Recipe from my favorite blog Mel's Kitchen Cafe
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