Winter Fondue

On Christmas Eve I hosted a small fondue dinner for my family. I wanted to try a meal that is a little different than what we normally do — a traditional roast or spiral ham. I thought a fondue would be a fun novelty for everyone to enjoy. Last winter Kiel and I experienced an amazing fondue on top of a mountain in Utah, and a few weeks ago we had a beautiful fondue dinner at the Ocean House to celebrate the opening of the Veuve Clicquot Fondue Express. Both experiences were very enjoyable and inspired me to prepare a fondue at home. It’s a wonderful way to spend an evening with loved ones. Like putting together a cheese board, you almost can’t go wrong with a fondue.

For my fondue I included home-made mini meatballs, Kielbasa, steamed broccoli, cherry tomatoes, roasted potatoes, honey crisp apples, proscuitto, and quartered pieces of French bread. You could also try small pieces of steak, sausage, mushrooms, and an assortment of vegetables. I used 1 cup of Sauvignon Blanc wine, fontina cheese, gruyere cheese, gouda cheese, and a little garlic. The cheese was cut into tiny slices to make everything easier to melt together. All of my food was prepared and covered before I added the cheese and wine to the fondue pot. I melted the cheese for 5 minutes on medium low heat while continuously stirring. Once the fondue was ready Kiel lit a sterno to keep the cheese melted and everyone dug in. I recommend stirring the fondue every few minutes to keep a good cheese consistency.

Our first fondue was a hit and I’m hoping to enjoy more of them this winter. If you are planning on staying at home for New Year’s Eve, it would be a really fun way to usher in the New Year with a group of friends. Assign each guest a different dipper to prepare and the food prep for this would be really easy. I should note that this fondue dinner was for 6 people. I had the table set up for both Christmas and Christmas Eve.

Side note: The beeswax candlesticks on my table were gifted to us a little over a year ago and they remain one of my favorite gifts. The brand Apis Cera has the most beautiful line of pure beeswax candles and organic honey soaps. They have a faint, delicious smell and the honeycomb detail on each candle is exquisite. Each candle set comes in a beautiful box, wrapped in the prettiest paper. I was very impressed with this line.