We, as a family, love to cook! We love trying out new recipes and planning fun dinners with the kids. One thing we’ve always wanted to try is fondue. It can be pricey to take a family of 6 out for a fondue dinner, so we decided to create our own.

We used our triple crock pot to melt all of the cheeses and chocolate for dipping. The biggest mistake to avoid is making things too hot too soon. It’s better to start low and let things melt over time. If you make it too hot before the cheese has time to melt then the oil separates from the cheese and you’re left with a hard clump of cheese on the bottom and a greasy mess on the top.

We decided to do two cheese fondue with more savory items and one chocolate fondue with a dessert board. Here’s what we did:

Beer Cheddar Cheese Fondue

• 1 cup Boar’s Head white cheddar cheese
• 3/4 cup of light beer (we did Miller, don’t judge)
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste (freshly cracked is best)
• Flour to thicken, start with a tsp and adjust as needed

Start with greasing the pot. I took a stick of butter and coated the whole inside of the pot. Shred or cut cheese into thin pieces and set to the side.

Pour in the beer and turn the crockpot on medium heat.

Sprinkle in the dry mustard, garlic salt, garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper. Stir all the ingredients together and bring beer to a simmer. Once the beer and seasonings are mixed and heated start adding your cheese. Be sure to keep the crockpot from heating it too fast. Slow is better.

Once it starts to melt be sure to stir often to ensure the cheese melts evenly.

Once cheese is completely melted you may add a little flour for thickening. A little goes a long way. Start with a teaspoon at a time. If it gets too thick add a little cream but you don’t want to do this too much because it messes with the consistency.

Play around with different seasonings and cheeses.

Keep warm until you’re ready to serve.

Smoked Gouda Fondue

• 1 cup Boar’s Head Smoked Gouda
• 1/2 cup of Swiss cheese
• 3/4 cup or dry white wine
• 1 tbs dry mustard
• 1 tbs onion powder
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Flour for thickening

Same as above, start by greasing the pot with a stick of butter. Then grate or slice both blocks of cheese. Freshly grated cheese has more flavor than pre shredded cheese so it’s important to use whole blocks. Once the cheese is completely grated set it to the side.

Pour your wine in the crockpot over medium heat. Remember, slower is better. You don’t want the cheese getting too hot too fast. Add in all of your seasoning and stir until the wine is at a simmer.

Next, start adding your cheese in, stirring often. Again, you may add flour to thicken. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Savory Dipping Ideas

• Steak Cubes
• Pretzel Bites
• Brats
• Bacon Wrapped Little Smoakies
• Sourdough Bread
• Tomato Herb Bread
• Roasted Potatoes
• Anything else you’d like to dip

We also decided to do a dessert tray with a chocolate and hazelnut fondue. It was the easiest one to make and obviously the kids’ favorite of the night.

Chocolate Hazelnut Fondue

• 1/2 bag of semi- sweet chocolate chips
• 7 oz of Nutella hazelnut spread
• 3/4 cup of heavy cream

Take a stick of butter and coat the entire inside of the crockpot. Add in the heavy cream and turn the crockpot to medium heat. Add the chocolate chips and stir often. Once the chocolate chips have started melting and there is a nice creamy consistency add in the Nutella and stir well.

This one does not take as long as the cheeses but you still don’t want the chocolate to get hot too fast, so keep an eye on the heat of it. If it’s too thick you can add more cream.

Dessert Tray Ideas

• Marshmallows
• Donut Holes
• Pretzels
• Oreos
• Strawberries
• Bananas
• Etc.

We hope you enjoy this as much as we did!