Frugal Cheese Fondue

Ever since I was introduced to cheese fondue I was hooked.  Who wouldn’t love this hot, yummy, cheesy goodness, all in a pot?!   If you’re all about low carbs or low fat, you’ll need to look elsewhere.  For years, I spent a lot more money to buy Gruyere cheese, but I came up with this much more frugal version.  Plus it’s easier to make with these shredded cheeses.

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Back to the recipe!

Here’s our favorite cheese fondue!  This is right before I begin adding the cheeses.

And here it is, just before serving.  Yum!

To keep the fondue hot when we’re eating, I use a plug in electric burner rather than hassling with the traditional flame heat.  Mine is old, but looks similar to this one.

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Frugal Cheese Fondue

Rating  5 from 1 reviews

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon squeeze garlic paste - optional for those garlic lovers like us!
• 8 oz. bag of Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (Target, Market Pantry or Crystal Farms)
• 6 oz bag of shredded parmesan cheese (Crystal Farms)
• ⅔ cup chardonnay (Sutter Home)
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 loaf Costco Roasted Garlic Bread or other artisan-style bread of your choice

Instructions

1. Cut bread into 1 inch cubes with an electric knife.
2. Pour the two bags of cheese into a large bowl, add cornstarch, then mix cheeses to distribute cornstarch.*
3. Peel and cut garlic into halves and rub the cut sides on inside of heavy fondue pot. Leave the garlic in the pan.
4. Place fondue pot on stovetop and turn on heat to med-high.
5. Pour in wine and bring to bubble.
6. Add cheese ¼ cup at a time and mix. Wait until it melts before adding more.
7. If too thick, add HOT water to desired consistency (like gravy)*.
8. Serve over low heat using fondue forks to dip the bread. I use a plug in electric burner rather than hassling with the traditional flame heat. Mine is old, but looks similar to this one.

Notes

Over the years, I've had a couple of times that the cheeses have separated, leaving my fondue gooey and lumpy in some places and watery in others. Ever since I've done the two steps with asterisks, that hasn't happened again.
Helpful tip: If you're like me and always freeze the second bread loaf from Costco, you can thaw it out and pop it in a 350F oven for 8 to 10 minutes to make the crust crispy again.

3.5.3226