Dip It: Cheese Fondue

Before I got a fondue pot, I used to think "Wow - that sounds fancy AND complicated. You can't just throw that together." Regardless, I was intrigued, so when I asked for and received a fondue pot as a gift one Christmas, I jumped right in.

I bought a fondue cookbook and perused the ingredients. Kirsch. English dry mustard. Chevre, crumbled with a fork, at room temperature. Huh? Clearly, I was in over my head.

So, the fondue pot sat. And sat. And sat some more. Occasionally it came out for dessert, as sweet fondue (read: chocolate) is typically easier to prepare than savory fondue (read: cheese). Plus, who wants to spend all that money on fancy ingredients you use once? But I still wished I could muster the strength to make fancy cheese fondue.

Then, as across most areas of our lives, innovation & convenience happened, and I found an easy and affordable way to make tasty cheese fondue: fondue in a bag.

Before you get grossed out imagining cheese goo being squirted out of a plastic bag, let me clarify that the fondue is NOT pre-made. Instead, the cheese and base ingredients you need have been conveniently packaged together so all you have to do is pour in the fondue pot, add the liquid of your choice (milk, wine, beer, other) and turn it on.

Open, empty into your hot fondue pot with some liquid and stir.
You just made fondue.

Trader Joe's sells their version of fondue in a bag, and I've also found it in the deli & cheese section of my local grocery store chain. Much easier and cheaper than buying 8+ different ingredients.

A new, standard 3-quart fondue pot is available between $30 - $40. There's really no need to spend more on a fancier version because think about it...it's a heated bowl. That's it. My pot's brand is Rival and has been great.


No double dipping, please.


And, it gets better: you can make a really great looking appetizer in no time. Here's one of my favorite fondue spreads below...Italian bread or a baguette (cubed), green apples and hard salami. Arrange on a platter. Done!

Stick, dip and repeat.

You'll want to cut your apples until immediately before serving, otherwise they brown quickly. To keep them fresh, dip the cut fruit in fresh lemon juice; this trick helps them retain their original color because the lemon juice slows the oxidizing process. (It also works well for pears, which I use on my plated salads.)

Enjoy!