Cheese Fondue | Wisconsin Cheese (2024)

Making fantastic cheese fondue

There's only thing better than cheese – melted cheese. That's why a grilled cheese is clearly the best sandwich on earth. It's why homemade mac and cheese is the stuff of dreams. And it's why cheese fondue – a warm, bubbly pot of melted cheese – is nothing short of culinary heaven.

Can you imagine a more perfect meal? Just the thought of dipping bread, broccoli, bacon, or roasted potatoes into a big pot of cheese fondue is enough to make your taste buds think they've won the lottery.

In Wisconsin, we've invented lots of ways to enjoy cheese fondue. We love the Old World recipes with emmenthaler and gruyere cheese. But you also find Wisconsin fondues with Monterey Jack, butterkäse and blue cheese. We'll fondue a young cheddar or smokey gouda any day. Basically, any cheese that melts is a fondue cheese in Wisconsin.

Take a spin through our website to meet more cheeses that can make a fantastic cheese fondue, or discover the best cheeses for a cheese board or a wine and cheese board. Search our recipes for instant pot mac and cheese ideas. Or scroll down for more tips on making cheese fondue at home.

Top tips for making cheese fondue

Keep these tips in mind for a foolproof cheese fondue recipe.

  1. Use the highest quality cheese. Buy the best gruyere cheese, emmenthaler, comte, raclette, or fontina you can find.
  2. Be a super shredder. Shredding your cheese quite finally will help it melt more easily.
  3. Use the stove. Melt your fondue in a pot on the stove top and transfer it to your fondue pot only when it's ready to eat.
  4. Go slow! Be sure to heat your cheeses slowly so they don't get rubbery.
  5. Get adjusted. If your fondue is too thin, mix ½ teaspoon of flour or cornstarch with the same amount of wine and stir it into the fondue until it thickens. If the fondue is too thick, add a little wine and stir.
  6. Branch out. In addition to bread, you can enjoy your fondue with lightly steamed broccoli or cauliflower, boiled or roasted potatoes, bacon, sliced apples, or pears.

Why choose a Fond du Lac or Fitchburg fondue?

In Wisconsin, it takes a village to a raise a cheese. Or more accurately, hundreds of villages, farms and cheesemakers. From Fond du Lac to Fitchburg and Shawano to Sheboygan, there are thousands of farmers and 1200 cheesemakers all dedicated to one thing: making the best, tastiest, most award-winning cheese on the planet. Nine of every 10 gallons of milk produced in our fertile dairy land winds up in a Wisconsin cheese. We make one-quarter of all the cheese in the nation, and nearly one-half of all the artisan cheese. Rock

When you work that hard at something, you're bound to get good at it. That explains the 5,552 cheese awards in our trophy case – more than any other state or country in the world.

So, next time you're fixing a cheese fondue, make sure it's a Wisconsin cheese you're melting. Your taste buds and your dinner guests will thank you.

Craving award-winning aged cheddar, pining for parmesan, or searching for a new cheese to try? The world’s best cheese is just a click away! Explore our directory of Wisconsin cheesemakers and retailers who offer online cheese shopping and get cheese shipped right to your door. What are you waiting for?

Cheese Fondue | Wisconsin Cheese (2024)

FAQs

What type of cheese is best for fondue? ›

The best all-around cheeses for fondue are fontina, Gruyère, and gouda. If you aren't sure what to pick, use even amounts of these three. Together are lush and complex. For classic Swiss cheese fondue (meaning one like what you would find in Switzerland), a mix of traditional, firm mountain-style cheeses is best.

What is a substitute for Kirsch in fondue? ›

This traditional cheese fondue recipe features both Emmental and Gruyère cheeses as well as a type of brandy called Kirschwasser (also called Kirsch), which is made from cherries. If you can't find Kirschwasser, you can substitute brandy or cognac. But don't use cherry liqueur — it's too sweet.

What material is cheese fondue? ›

A ceramic pot is best for cheese fondues, as this material absorbs heat very slowly. This allows the cheese to melt gently. With the caquelon from Spring, you are perfectly equipped for the traditional cheese fondue, which originated in Switzerland.

What cheese is best for melting? ›

What is the best melting cheese? Cheeses with more moisture and lower melting points - cheddar is one of the most popular choices, but Swiss and Gruyère are also terrific options. Which melts better, mild or sharp cheddar? Mild cheddar melts more smoothly than sharper (more aged) cheddar.

What is the best substitute for Gruyere cheese in fondue? ›

What Are the Best Gruyère Substitutes? There are plenty of other premier cheeses that can serve as good substitutes for Gruyère cheese. Depending on whether you're melting cheese or adding more variety to your charcuterie board, you might consider Beaufort, Comté, Jarlsberg, Emmental, or Fontina.

What do Swiss eat with cheese fondue? ›

Bread is the main accompaniment, although boiled potatoes, charcuterie, and cornichons or other pickles can also be served. Veggies, fruit, and boiled eggs are not traditionally used in Swiss fondue. Take a piece of bread and spear it firmly on your fondue fork so that the crust is on the outside.

What is the best fuel for cheese fondue? ›

Usually fondue fuel is methyl hydrate, also known as methanol, methyl alcohol, or wood alcohol. Most fondue burners have a fiberglass batting inside them to soak the alcohol up and act like a wick, you do not want to overfill the burner because you do not want to spill burning alcohol and start a fire.

Why do you put alcohol in cheese fondue? ›

The fondue pot, caquelon, absorbs some of the direct heat and lets the cheese melt at the correct temperature. The more aged the cheese, the better it melts, and the addition of acid in the form of wine and lemon juice keeps the proteins apart and helps the cheese melt evenly.

Is cheese fondue healthy? ›

Fondue is a casual and social way to celebrate. The trouble is, fondue — especially cheese fondue — can be incredibly unhealthy. A classic fondue starts with rich cheeses blended with a little spice and some white wine to create a thick, savory sauce for dipping chunks of bread and other morsels.

What type of bread is best for fondue? ›

Bread is the most popular dipper for cheese fondue. There are many excellent options to choose from. French bread, breadsticks, and croutons are always favorites, but also consider multigrain bread, rye, sourdough, pumpernickel, and even bagels.

What are the three types of fondue? ›

There are three main types: cheese fondue, oil or broth fondue and chocolate fondue. Cheese fondue Mixing a variety of cheeses is best when serving a cheese fondue. Before you start, rub a garlic clove inside the pot for added flavor. Shred all cheeses that will be used to create the fondue before melting it.

Why is my cheese fondue rubbery? ›

If the fondue has been over-cooked and the cheese is turning into hard lumps then adding a teaspoon or two of lemon juice should help to restore the texture. If the cheese has split and looks greasy but not lumpy then adding extra cornflour (cornstarch) will help to re-emulsify the mixture.

How do you keep cheese fondue runny? ›

Wine is also an important ingredient because its acids encourage the softening of cheese. In addition, wine has a lower boiling point than water, allowing the cheese to melt at a lower temperature and helping prevent it from becoming stringy. (The wine you use doesn't have to be expensive.)

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