Fondue night! Kid friendly activities that you’ll enjoy too

Image by Ernesto Pasini from Pixabay

So you may hear fondue night and think that it’s going to be overly complicated or expensive. But let me tell you - this is one activity we picked up during the pandemic that has been surprisingly simple and affordable to do.

While you will need to make an initial investment in a fondue pot if you don’t already have one, compared to the costs of going to a fondue restaurant this will likely pay for itself in a single meal.

All that’s left from there is buying groceries and doing some basic food prep ahead of time. We’ve done this multiple times now and it seriously takes less than 30 minutes to throw together for an hour plus meal experience that you can share together.

If you’re ready to give this a try, keep reading for my step-by-step prep guide and our favorite recipes to make this as simple and stress-free as possible. It may not be the fanciest fondue you’ve ever had, but it’s still super tasty and a lot of fun!

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Do ahead: Purchase supplies

Before you get started you’ll want to make sure you have the right supplies on hand. You’ll likely have most of these already, save the fondue pot!

• Fondue pot
  The star of the show here! You can really get any one that you like, but the one we use and recommend is the Cuisinart Electric Fondue Maker. It’s electric so it gives a nice even heat without any open flames, and it’s large enough for a family of four to cook together at the same time. It’s also dishwasher safe and comes with 8 color-coded fondue forks!
  

• 1-2 large mixing bowls
  For creating a double-boiler over the fondue pot for cheeses and chocolates. Be sure your pot is wide enough to sit on top of the fondue pot. If you use the pot that we do (linked above) the pot opening is about 8 inches wide in diameter.
  

• Slotted serving spoon
  For fishing out rogue food that falls off the skewer. If you have a non-stick pot use a plastic spoon to prevent scratches.
  

• Towel or machine-washable tablecloth
  For easy clean-up. Fondue can get drippy and messy, so when you’re done you can throw it straight in the wash!
  

• Extension cord
  Optional for pots with very short cords that may not reach. Be sure to follow instructions and only use extension cords approved for your device. The pot we use has a magnetically attached power supply which can detach if the cord is tripped, but you’ll still want to take extra caution if you use a longer cord here! For extra safety, you may choose to gather around only 2 or 3 sides of the table with the cord on a fourth side that you don’t have to walk through and risk tripping over.
  

• Clock
  For timing cooking of meats. Be sure to use a kind that your kids can read, or use this as a learning experience on analog-style clocks if you want! This is also a great way to practice with numbers and simple math.

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Do Ahead: Grocery shop

This will vary depending on your tastes, but I’ll share a few simple staple recipes that you can use to get started. These are by far the easiest I could find when I was first trying recipes for myself, and they turned out great!

I’m including the links below for the full recipes, but for prep purposes here are just the ingredients you’ll need.

Many of these are pantry staples, so while it may look like a lot you’ll likely have a lot of these on hand already, as well. You can also pick and choose which of the dippers you want - you don’t have to buy everything listed!

Appetizer: Beer Cheese Fondue by Marnikins

• 8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 8 oz. shredded swiss cheese

• 1 (12 fluid oz.) can or bottle of beer

• 1 clove garlic (I used jarred, pre-minced garlic and it was fine)

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 dash hot pepper sauce (optional)

Dippers of your choice:

• French or sourdough bread, cubed

• Green apple, cubed

• Baby carrots

• Broccoli or cauliflower florets

• Cherry tomatoes

Main course: Simple broth with meat and veggies

• Your favorite flavor meat or veggie bouillon cubes

Dippers of your choice:

• Chicken breast, cubed

• Steak of your choice, thinly sliced or cubed

• Shrimp, shelled and deveined

• Baby potatoes

• Baby carrots

• Broccoli or cauliflower florets

• Mushrooms

Dipping sauces of your choice:

• Ranch-style dip (store-bought is fine!)

• Teriyaki or soy sauce

• Sweet and sour sauce

• Sweet and spicy sauce

• Sriracha

• Steak sauce

• BBQ sauce

• Curry mayonnaise (mayonnaise of your choice with curry powder mixed in, to taste)

• Whatever else you’d like!

Dessert: Easy Chocolate Fondue by Chelsea's Messy Apron

• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used chips and it was fine)

• 4 oz. milk chocolate, chopped (I used chips and it was fine)

• 1/2 - 3/4 cup whole milk

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

• Flaky sea salt for topping (optional)

Dippers of your choice:

• Bananas, sliced

• Strawberries or other berries

• Green apple, cubed

• Pretzel sticks

• Pirouette style cookies

• Oreos

• Marshmallows

• Pound cake, cubed (store-bought is fine!)

• Rice Krispy Treats, cubed (store-bought is fine!)

Pro tip! Save even more time by making your shopping list with our app Grocery Boss! Grocery Boss helps you store and shop by aisle numbers to make grocery shopping as efficient as possible.

Download for FREE on Google Play or the App Store!

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Day of prep:

1. Prep your table
   To get started, prep your space by laying down a towel or tablecloth and plugging in your fondue pot. Make sure everyone’s place has plates and fondue forks at the ready, plus regular silverware for eating.
   
   Don’t plan to eat directly off of fondue forks as they can become extremely hot and dangerous after being used for cooking!
   

2. Prep your fondue pot with water
   Begin heating your pot at about 375°F per your pot’s instructions, and add about an inch or two of water if you’re starting with a cheese appetizer. This will act as a double boiler to keep the cheese warm and melty later on.
   
   If you’re skipping the cheese dip and going straight to the main course, go ahead and fill the pot about half-way and add the bouillon to make your broth.
   

3. Put together your cheese on the stovetop
   Back in the kitchen, start putting together your cheese appetizer on the stovetop by bringing the beer to a low simmer for about 5 minutes. Then, gradually add in your cheeses and other ingredients, stirring until smooth and creamy.
   

4. Chop up your dippers
   While your cheese is warming up, chop up all of your dippers into bite-sized pieces. Baby carrots, baby potatoes, mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes are great as-is! Feel free to buy pre-cut meats, veggies and fruit if you’d like to save even more time.
   
   Be sure to keep uncooked meats separate from your fruits and veggies!
   

5. Prep for your chocolate course
   The last step will be to measure out your ingredients for your chocolate course and set them aside. You can go ahead and measure the milk and vanilla straight into your mixing bowl for heating, and keep the chocolate in a separate bowl. This way when it’s time for dessert all you’ll need to do is heat your milk and vanilla, then stir in the the chocolate as it’s warming up.

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Meal time!

1. Transfer your cheese over to your mixing bowl and set it over the fondue pot to keep it warm and melty during the first course!
   
   

2. When you’re done with the cheese course just remove the bowl and set it aside. Add a bit more water to your fondue pot so that it’s about half-full, and add your bouillon cubs for the main course! Throw in a handful of potatoes (if you’ve having potatoes) to get started since they take a while to cook.
   
   Once your broth is steaming you can begin cooking your other meats and veggies! Follow these suggested cook times to make sure your food is cooked through. If you’re unsure if something is done, err on the side of caution and cook it longer!
   
   

   • Beef: 30 seconds to 2 minutes (depending on thickness of cut and how well-done you like it)

   • Fish and Poultry: 2 to 3 minutes

   • Vegetables: 3 to 5 minutes
   
   Once each piece is cooked, transfer it to your plate and enjoy with any sauces you’d like. Again, do not eat directly off your fondue forks as they will be extremely hot!

   Use your serving spoon to fish out potatoes and anything else that falls off the fork during cooking.
   
   

3. When you’re done with the main course, it’s time for chocolate! Rinse out any remaining broth from the pot and add an inch or two of fresh water. Heat your milk in your second mixing bowl as a double boiler over the fondue pot. Gradually mix in your chocolate until it’s smooth and creamy and get to dipping!

And that’s it guys! For the same amount of prep time or less that you would have for a normal dinner, you can experience a full evening together just eating and enjoying each other’s company.

This is an experience that we’ve really grown to love, and I hope that you enjoy this with your family too!