6 years ago Jon and I went out to a fondue restaurant for the first time. Right before we got married we wanted to have one last date before the wedding festivities began and the families came into town and invaded our lives and schedule for a week. Fondue seemed like the perfect meal because it would take us hours to get through the meal. Not because we are slow eaters, but because you dip each bite. So we sat there for 3 hours enjoying each bite and just talking. We still remember that night and look back on it fondly. Since then we have gone back to fondue restaurants probably about once a year. Clearly we love fondue.

What’s not to love? TONS of cheese with whatever flavors you want and loads of things to dip in the cheese. You can dip fruit, veggies, breads, meat. Really, almost anything, Since it was Monday, and we do meatless Mondays, we did tons of veggies and no meat. But sausage, pepperoni, and chicken would be great to dip in this.

Fondue restaurants get creative with their flavors. They add spices and vegetables to their cheese. So why can’t I? Oh wait, I CAN. And I will! Last month I made a bacon and cheddar fondue. Last week I made a mozzarella, spinach and artichoke fondue. And this week, it was pizza fondue. The fondue is the flavor of the sauce and cheese from a pizza. And the dippers are the crust and pizza toppings. Fun, right?! It really was super delicious and perfect for everyone: even kids and husbands.

Enough for 4 people as their meal
1 tsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce (use our favorite kind)
3 cups mozzarella
1 cup cheddar
1 cup parmesan
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup white wine
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

In a medium sized pot, saute the garlic and olive oil over medium/high heat for about 30 seconds. Add the white wine and marinara sauce. Once the mixture starts to boil (about 3 minutes), reduce the heat to medium.

In a large bowl mix the cheese and cornstarch. Add the cheese to the marinara mix. Stir over medium heat until all the cheese is melted and smooth (about 5 minutes). Add the fresh basil.

Pour into your fondue pot and start dipping.


It smells just like pizza and is just ready to smoother over some fresh baked pizza crust.

Did you catch the time on that? Less then 10 minutes of cooking time.

Dippers
pineapple chunks (1 can)
artichokes (1 can)
bell peppers (1)
mushrooms (1 cup sliced)
olives (1/4 cup)
tomatoes (1 diced)
broccoli (1 large head chopped and steamed)
zucchini (1 sliced)
Pizza Dough (3 6 inch pizzas cut into 1 inch pieces)

Fondue is a great dish for a quiet date night at home and perfect when you have a couple people over for dinner. We set up the fondue and the dippers on the coffee table and kick back on the couch. It is perfect!