How To Host A Fun Fondue Party!

When the weather is cold out, sometimes nothing beats getting together with your friends or family and enjoying a cozy night-in over food. One fun and creative way to bring loved ones together is by hosting a fondue party. When prepared properly, fondue can be a low maintenance interactive way to host a fun dinner party. In this guide, I will share helpful tips on how to host a fun fondue party!

Fondue originated in Europe, tracing back to the Alpine regions of Switzerland, France, and Italy. The word “fondue” is actually French, deriving from the word “fondre,” which means “to melt.” So in turn, fondue is traditionally a communal dish of melted cheese, served with a variety of dippable of items such as bread. Here are a few tips to host a memorable fondue experience of your own:

40 Second Video Summary to Fondue Party Hosting Tips:

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1. Determine How Many Guests You Want To Host

Fondue parties are best hosted in smaller intimate settings. It’s a great way to interact with friends or family, catch up, play games, drink and enjoy each other’s company. With that said, I don’t recommend inviting more than 8 persons for a fondue party. Large groups take away from the intimate experience with fondues, and it becomes very difficult for people to reach and dip into the fondue pot when too many are involved.

2. Select Your Fondue Party Food

Fondue parties are a very engaging for guests, especially if you provide a variety of food items and fondues. To start, I recommend deciding which fondue variety you wish to serve. You could always go with the classic cheese fondue or other choices such as:

• Classic Cheese Fondue:
  • Ingredients: Garlic, Gruyère, Emmental, or other Swiss cheeses, dry white wine, lemon juice, cornstarch, nutmeg, and Kirsch (cherry brandy).
  • Dippables: Cubes of crusty bread, roasted vegetables (potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, sweet peppers), apple slices, and meats (precooked beef, bacon, ham or cured meats).

• Chocolate Fondue:
  • Ingredients: Dark, milk, or white chocolate, heavy cream, milk, pinch of salt, and optional liqueur (such as Grand Marnier, Irish Cream, or amaretto).
  • Dippables: Apple slices, strawberries, orange slices, banana slices, pineapple chunks, bacon, marshmallows, cookies, pretzels, or cubes of pound cake.

• Oil or Broth Fondue:
  • Ingredients: Cooking oil (for oil fondue) or broth (for broth fondue) seasoned with herbs, wine, and spices.
  • Dippables: Thinly sliced meats (beef or chicken), seafood (shrimp, scallops), and vegetables. This can also be served with a variety of dipping sauces such as mustard, garlic aioli, teriyaki, and more
• Beer Cheese Fondue:
  • Ingredients: A blend of your favorite cheeses (cheddar, Gruyère, Gouda) with beer, mustard, nutmeg, garlic, and Worcestershire sauce.
  • Dippables: Cubes of crusty bread, roasted vegetables (potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, sweet peppers), apple slices, and meats (precooked beef, bacon, ham or cured meats) or Pretzels.
• Maple Bacon Bourbon Fondue:
  • Ingredients: Garlic, Gruyère, Swiss cheese, maple syrup, bourbon, nutmeg, bacon bits, pinch of cayenne pepper.
  • Dippables: Pretzel bites, cubes of crusty bread, roasted vegetables (potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, sweet peppers), apple slices, and meats (precooked beef, bacon, ham or cured meats).
• Low Country Boil Fondue:
  • Ingredients: Melted butter, lemon juice, hot sauce, seafood seasoning, dried parsley, garlic powder, onion powder.
  • Dippables: Shrimp, crab meat, cubes of crusty bread, baby potatoes, small cubes of corn on the cob, sausage.
• Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Fondue:
  • Ingredients: Gruyère, Fontina cheese, pesto sauce, sun-dried tomatoes.
  • Dippables: Breadsticks, blanched ravioli, vegetables (potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, sweet peppers) or cherry tomatoes.

Be creative and have fun with your fondue recipes! You can create a fun fondue soirée, by simply finding anything that melts into a sauce! However, it’s important to keep in mind the type of fondue pot you select as well.

Short Video Summary of What Food to Serve at a Fondue Party:

@elicitfolio

Here’s what I served with cheese and chocolate fondue! 🫕 #fondue #girlsnightin #girlsnight #fondueparty #datenight #fyp

♬ original sound – Elicit Folio

3. Use the Correct Fondue Pot:

There are a variety of fondue pots on the market, but not all are created equal. Different pots are meant for different food temperatures. The most common type of pot sold in the market are ceramic pots. These a great for cheese and chocolate, but do not produce enough heat to cook raw meat. As a workaround for this, I recommend pre-cooking or roasting any meats ahead of guests arriving. Not only does it add flavor, but it avoids the pressure to own so many fondue pots. Below you will find examples of different fondue pots and their uses:

• Ceramic Fondue Pots:
  • Description: Ceramic pots best used for cheese or chocolate fondues, not raw meats. They are great for even heat distribution and can be stovetop friendly (always reference manufacturer’s heat recommendations)

• Metal Fondue Pots:
  • Description: These pots are typcically made of stainless steel or aluminum. They are great heat conductors, perfect for cooking oil and broth fondue types.
• Cast Iron Fondue Pots:
  • Description: Cast iron fondue pots are perfect for cooking meat fondues since it can hold high temperatures. These types of pots can also be used on top of stoves for even heat distribution.
• Electric Fondue Pots:
  • Description: These types of fondue pots have built-in heating elements, which is great for anyone afraid of open flame fires. Electric fondue pots can be used for cheese, chocolate, or broth fondue types. The only drawback is you may run into challenges with cables and cords being in the way.
• Mini Fondue Pots:
  • Description: Mini fondue pots are convenient for individual servings and are a great take home surprise gift for guests! Given their small nature, these fondue pots are best used for chocolate or cheese fondues.

As part of your hosting experience, you may also want to consider having at least two fondue pots – one for dinner and one for dessert. You could always stop and wash the one pot after everyone is done eating the main course, but just be aware that this will take you away from your guests while hosting.

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Shop My Favorite Fondue Pots on Amazon:

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4. Create a Cozy Fondue Atmosphere

Fondue experiences should feel fun, warm, and interactive. To create a cozy and inviting atmosphere, I recommend setting up your table ahead of time with a combination of rustic and creative items to make your fondue area(s) pop. You can do this by selecting a nice table cloth, contrasting table runners, napkins, candles, flowers, dim lighting, or utensils with varying textures. Here’s a brief video tutorial of one of my table setups:

Fondue Tablescape Tutorial Video:

@elicitfolio

Set the table with me for a cozy friends & fondue night in! #fondue #girlsnightin #girlsnight #fondueparty #datenight #fyp

♬ original sound – Elicit Folio

I also found that nice background music sets the mood as well. You can find a lot of the items from the tutorial above in the following Amazon links:

Shop Fondue Tablescape Items

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5. Prepare Dippable Items:

Hosting a fun fondue evening is so easy since intensive cooking is not needed! After you select the type of fondue you wish to serve, I also recommend collecting any food allergies from your invited guests and determine how to prep any food items in advance. I’ve seen a lot of people simply wash, chop, and place their dippable items on a food tray. However, I like for my food to have flavor and this can be achieved with very little prep!

For any vegetables (potatoes, peppers, broccolli, cauliflower, aspareguys or more), after washing and chopping these items, elevate them with seasoning and a simple oven roast. I seasoned my vegetables with olive oil, melted butter, onion powder, garlic powder, herbs de provence, and a dash of salt. Afterwards, I simply tossed all vegetables in this mixture, and allowed them to roast in the oven for 10 – 15 minutes.

After roasting, simply place these on a serving tray with alternating colors so your food presentation pops! Lightly seasoned roasted vegetables pair beautifully with melted cheese and will delight your guests at the same time.

Since I did not use a stainless steel fondue set, I decided to precook my meat by sautéing it in a teriyaki sauce and oven baking slices of bacon. The bacon was definitely the star of the show since we could use it for our cheese and dessert station!

6. Prepare Beverages in Advance

When hosting company, I recommend preparing a crowd pleaser cocktail in advance, mocktail, or serving a nice variety of wine. One of our favorite brands to enjoy for different crowds is the Charles Woodson Intercept wine collection. Each blend was beautifully balanced, perfect for all wine preferences.

7. Consider Memorable Fondue Party Favors

Send your guests home with a fun memory from your fondue evening! This could be a simple mason jar of chocolate with personalized recipe cards, a bottle of wine, fondue forks, a mini fondue set, or polaroid photos of the evening!

With these tips, you are ready to host an unforgettable fun fondue party! Relax and embrace the warmth, laughter, and cozy flavors that come with sharing an evening fondue-style. If you have any additional fondue party hosting tips, please share in the comments below!

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