Step by Step Fondue

Hello all,

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving - I know that I did. I enjoyed it so much that I was remiss in writing a new post before the holiday. But here I am to make it up to you! I've had more than a few requests for recipes on how to make fondue, so I figured I'd do a step by step post so you can have this in your host/hostess arsenal for the upcoming holidays.

First things first - ingredients. For my fondue I use:
1/2 cup Gruyere
1/2 cup Emmenthaler
1/4 cup dry white wine (I use Sauvignon Blanc)
2-3 cloves garlic
Cornstarch as needed

Rub the inside of whatever pot (can be a fondue pot, crock pot or just a little sauce pot) you will be using with a clove of garlic. I like to cut the garlic clove in half and then use that to rub on the inside.

After you have done the garlic rub, pour the wine into the pot on the stove and turn on the heat to medium high.

Once the wine starts to steam, add a handful of each cheese to the pot (don't add all the cheese at once, just a handful at a time). I like to cut the remaining cloves of garlic in half and toss them into the pot because I really like garlic...

Now is the time where you start stirring and basically not stop until it's done. If you leave the cheese unattended, it can burn pretty easily, so pour yourself a glass of wine and stir :).

Once the cheese starts to look like this, you keep adding your shredded cheese a handful at a time until it is all in the pot.

When you have all the cheese in the pot, I like to add a little cornstarch to make sure that the consistency is nice and creamy.

Stir, stir, stir some more and you'll know the fondue is ready when it looks like this:

If you're not getting the consistency you like, try adding a bit more cornstarch. That usually does the trick. Once your fondue is done, you can transfer it to a fondue pot with a little sterno underneath to keep it warm or if you don't have a fondue pot, a crock pot does the trick.

And that's it! I like to dip crusty bread, veggies or even meats into the cheese. Anything is better with melted cheese on it!

Now keep in mind that this is just a basic recipe to get you started. Don't be afraid to get creative! Add some heat by chopping up some jalapenos or adding a little bit of paprika. Green onions and chives are also fun to throw into the mix.

I hope this helps you prepare for any holiday parties you have coming up. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment and I'll try to answer to the best of my abilities. I'd also love to hear what some of your favorite additions are to your fondue.

That's all for now.. I wish you all a speedy recovery from your Thanksgiving food comas. :) Until next time - eat, drink and be happy!