You will never guess what my Mom found hidden in the depths of her basement the other day…
Her old-school, 1970’s electric fondue pot!! Look at that color – it couldn’t be anymore 70s if it tried!!
She was telling me that her friends used to throw fondue parties ALL the time in the late 70s and early 80s. Someone would bring a pot full of chocolate for dipping graham crackers or pineapple for dessert, another one full of oil to quickly sear shrimp or steak, while at least one person could always be counted on to bring a big pot of melty CHEESE.
30 years later it’s still fulfilling its purpose, because tonight Ben and I used it to threw ourselves a private cheese fondue party for 2! HA!
There are a TON of cheese fondue recipes out there, most using Gruyere for a really smooth fondue, but I went the ooey-gooey route and made a Wisconsin Cheddar Cheese Fondue.
I started by rubbing the inside of the fondue pot with a clove of garlic. It subtly seasoned the fondue without adding a super strong garlic flavor.
Then I turned my attention to the cheese. Wisconsin cheddar!
I grated up 4oz each of mild & sharp cheddar cheese, then tossed with a Tablespoon of flour so it wouldn’t clump together while melting.
The base for the cheese was 1/2 cup lager beer. Budweiser or any full-flavored one would work.
It’s been decades since this thing was last used, but the electric base still worked like a charm and took the beer from cold to boiling in seconds!
Next I added the cheese in batches, stirring really well in between each batch.
Honestly it didn’t take long at all to get everything smooth. Maybe 5 minutes?
The final step was to consult the seasoning squad. Salt, pepper, hot sauce & worcestershire sauce. Just a pinch/dash of all!
When all was said and done, I set the heat to low, transferred the pot over to the table and got out the dunkers.
Let’s talk about these dunkers!
Clockwise from the top we’ve got: Trader Joe’s Spicy Italian Wine & Cheese Chicken Sausage, French baguette, apples, pretzel bread & steamed broccoli and cauliflower in the center.
Oh, right, there were also tator tots for Ben. Ok I had a million too… ;)
I’ve got to tell you – this cheese! It clung to the broccoli, cascaded over the baguette,
and made the pretzel bread sing!
I’ll admit, Ben was skeptical…
“I just don’t think I get it… Why don’t you just put cheese on top of this stuff and melt it in the microwave?”
“Because it wouldn’t be as FUN!” I informed him. :)
Despite his skepticism, he had no problem demolishing his fair share. ;)
Hey! (ps I got my hair cut last week and my gal chopped it SO short! Still getting used to it!)
Our favorites were definitely the tots,
Followed closely by the pretzel bread (TJ’s – $.99!), apples,
and broccoli!
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Cheese Fondue
Description
Cheese Fondue for Two is fun and retro — enjoy this melty cheesy goodness with your favorite veggies, bread, and meats as dippers!
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 cup lager beer
- 4oz Mild Cheddar Cheese
- 4oz Sharp White-Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- salt & pepper
- Hot sauce, to taste
- Worcestershire sauce, to taste
Directions
- Cut the garlic clove in half and rub the inside of a fondue pot or heavy-bottomed sauce pan with it. Discard.
- Over high heat, add the beer to the pot and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium low, toss the cheese with the flour in a separate bowl, then gradually add it into the pot in batches, stirring well and fully melting each batch before adding the next.
- When all the cheese has melted, add in dashes of salt, pepper, hot sauce and worcestershire sauce, to taste. Serve warm with bread, pretzel bread, steamed asparagus, broccoli or cauliflower, apples or sausage.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Right now it’s clear to both Ben and me that cheese fondue parties are NOT meant for 2. We are in a cheese-induced stupor and I think I just heard Ben yell “I fonDON’T want to do that again!” from the couch. omg I can’t stop laughing. The cheese has gone to my brain!
Salads are already packed for tomorrow. ;)
~~~~~
Cheese or Chocolate Fondue?
Because of my current situation, I’m going to go with chocolate!
Also, unmarried readers: if you have the option to get a chocolate fountain at your wedding – DO IT. People will not remember your flowers 5 years later, but they will remember the cascading chocolate!
Thanks for the great recipe, I modified mine by using white cheddar, swiss, and Blue Moon lager, rubbed the pot with garlic and a bit of orange zest. Turned out great, doubled the recipe (for a cocktail party with Blue Moon as main beverage). Thank you again for the scaled down recipe. A friend gave me a pot that you use with a sterno in classic 70’s Harvest Gold!
[…] adapted from Iowa Girl Eats […]
[…] Iowa Girl Eats shows how she used her mom’s old fondue pot. […]
[…] Mild Cheddar Cheese Fondue Recipe adapted from Iowa Girl Eats […]
Hello!
I was just reading through your blog, its great! I was wondering where you got that picture (black, sage, cilantro etc) that is seen on your wall in your fondue post!?
I love it and I want it for my kitchen:)
[…] Comments « Cheese Fondue for Two […]
oh, and your hair is really cute!
I’ve only had cheese fondue once, and I agree, at first it’s amazing… and then it gets way cheesy. I love cheese, I’m a big fan, but it’s a whole lotta cheese!
I have the exact same fondue pot as yours except in Harvest Gold instead of the Avocado Green. Was my m-i-l’s. Couldn’t get more 70’s if it tried! We use it a lot and its especially good for keeping hot dips hot!
What kind of a workout plan would someone need to get ready for the Fight for Air Climb? I’ve thought about doing it but I picture myself in a pile of sweat and blown out knee sucking air somwhere in the middle with everyone going around me!
OMG! I found one of these at my parent’s house when I was home for the holidays. I think it was my grandpa’s! We made fondue, bread, and your roasted Brussels sprouts{I’m now hooked because of your blog} for NYE:
Whenever I get my hair cut, it always takes me a while to get used to it, but I usually “warm” up to it eventually. I’ve never done fondue before. . . looks like fun!
Love the haircut- Super Cute!
Cheese…definitely cheese. Chocolate is great too but seems like a little of that would go a long way & I’d be sick of it in a hurry. Ya gotta watch those sticky little kids around the choco fountain..they like to stick their grubby little fingers in it, lick it off, and stick em right back in. Gross. I’m gonna be on the hunt for one of those old time fondue pots! I do have an old electric sauce pan that I got for $1. at a garage sale. It’s pretty impressive! Ha! It’s very handy at parties.
This looks like such a fun dinner! I’ve never tried fondue, but I want to now!!! Has anyone ever served this in a crockpot? Maybe I will just have to break down and get a fondue pot….
I agree – get a chocolate fountain for the reception ;)
I have an electric fondue pot too, it is so great for entertaining! My favorite is cheddar-beer, although I usually use half gruyere and half aged cheddar. Broccoli (lightly steamed) is hands-down my favorite thing to dip! The pretzel bread sounds really good too :)
I absolutely LOVE fondue! It’s the best little “date night” in the privacy of your own home!
BTW- I had THE BEST time in Des Moines last weekend! Centro was really great- Mmmm….yummy pizza. We stayed at The Suites downtown. So fun! It was a nice break from the ATL…for sure.
Awesome. My husband and I made a fondue feast for V-day last year. We over indulged so much that we had to skip the rest of our plans and just lay around in a cheese/oil/chocolate coma. I totally get where you’re coming from! Detox time :)
And this post makes me miss the Melting Pot. It was my favorite chain restaurant in Omaha until it closed down last year. Ugh!
This so hard to choose! I love cheese and chocolate fondue but I’m going to have to go with chocolate as my favorite! My co-worker brought in her chocolate fountain before she retired in the summer. It was the BEST time! All day, the office smelled heavenly! I am definitely going to try my hand at making chocolate fondue for Valentine’s Day dinner. :) I can’t wait!
PS. Your hair is super cute!!