New Year's Eve Fondue Party

A Festive New Year’s Eve Fondue Party






New Year’s Eve is the perfect excuse for one last celebration to end the holiday season right! As I have gotten older, my preference is to host an intimate New Year’s Eve party at home with close family friends and neighbors. What’s not to love—no driving, delicious food and being able to share laughter and champagne with friends at midnight!


When planning my New Year’s Eve party, the first thing I did was head to my local Heinen’s Grocery Store to come up with a theme for the menu to serve my guests. I wanted something a bit nostalgic, yet easy to prep and serve a crowd, so I decided to put together a fondue bar. Fondue famously hit the American culinary scene in the 60’s and 70’s and this interactive, cozy meal option is making a come-back in a big way. Fondue is an fairly inexpensive way to feed a crowd and makes for a more relaxed dinner party.

Fondue Party Menu

Especially for holiday entertaining, fondue is such a great menu option. It allows guests to gather around a warm pot of melted cheese to dip bread, vegetables, fruit, meats and more. It also keeps things a more informal since there is no plated meal and guests can help themselves throughout the party.
When shopping for the menu items for this party, I made sure to include most food groups to ensure my guests had plenty of options for dipping. For those who wanted a heartier meal, they could pick from grilled steak, roasted potatoes, sausage and soft pretzel bites. And for others who may have wanted some healthier options, they could enjoy shrimp, veggies, fruit and wheat crackers.



I made two different types of cheese fondue for the party, including a quintessential cheese fondue and a beer cheese fondue. Each fondue had a very different flavor profile based on the types of cheeses melted and whether it was combined with wine or beer. I loved that the fondues could be made well ahead of time and simply kept warm on the lowest setting of my fondue pots.

Quintessential Cheese Fondue Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 garlic clove
  
• 1 lb. Emmi or European Farmhouse Gruyère cheese, shredded (I used the pre-shredded fondue blend cheese from Emmi)
  
• ½ lb. Emmentaler cheese or other Swiss cheeses, shredded (I used the pre-shredded fondue blend cheese from Emmi)
  
• 1 cup of dry white wine (I used a Pinot Grigio)
  
• 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp of cornstarch
  
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 ½ tbsp. kirsch
  
• Freshly ground pepper
  
• Freshly grated nutmeg
  

Directions

[*]Rub the inside of a fondue pot or medium enameled cast-iron casserole with the cut side of a garlic clove; discard the garlic.

[*]Combine the shredded Gruyère and Emmentaler with the wine, cornstarch and lemon juice in the fondue pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the cheeses begin to melt, about 5 minutes.

[*]Add the kirsch and a generous pinch of black pepper and nutmeg and cook, stirring gently, until creamy and smooth, about 10 minutes; don’t overcook the fondue or it will get stringy. Serve immediately.