Ooey, gooey, melty cheese, seasoned to perfection and just begging to be dipped into–let’s face it, cheese fondue has to be one of the best appetizers out there. It’s the perfect dip for crusty breads, veggies, even tart granny smith apples!
Yet unless you inherited your mom or grandma’s fondue pot from the ’60s, chances are you might be wondering how to best make this retro but classic dish at home. While using a standard saucepot can do the the trick, no one wants to hover over the kitchen stove while indulging. That’s where an Instant Pot or similar cooking device comes into play.
Easily cook and serve up homemade cheese fondue in this handy tool, which will surely make you the star of your next party or potluck. The Instant Pot makes it easy to keep the cheese at just the right temperature to stay fluid without getting burn-the-roof-of-your-mouth hot.
While there are a number of cheeses and spices you can combine to make a tasty fondue, the following recipe combines swiss, gouda, and gruyère cheese with white wine, garlic, lemon juice, and a few special ingredient that makes it a versatile cheese fondue for just about every dipper.
Instant Pot Cheese Fondue
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 cup shredded Gouda cheese
- 1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Directions
- Pour all of the cheese into one medium bowl. Using your hands, mix the cheese with the cornstarch until the cheese is evenly coated.
- Pour the wine, minced garlic, and lemon juice into your Instant Pot. Set the Instant Pot to the sauté function on the normal setting. Stir the ingredients to combine them.
- When the wine mixture is hot, add the cheese mixture. Allow the cheese to melt, and then stir in the mustard and nutmeg.
- Serve immediately with your favorite dippers.
Recipe Notes
- Use the sauté function to keep the fondue hot enough for dipping. Turn the sauté function on and off while serving this dish to keep the fondue from scorching. Keeping the Instant Pot on the warm function instead of on the sauté function may prevent the fondue from staying at the right consistency for dipping.
What To Serve With Your Cheese Fondue
Bread
Some of the most popular foods to serve with cheese fondue are rustic, crusty types of bread, such as French bread, ciabatta, or focaccia. The durability of these crusty loaves prevents them from falling apart in the warm cheese and makes them the optimal choice for dipping.
Breadsticks and our soft, buttery pretzels would also be excellent additions to your fondue spread.
Vegetables
Assorted raw or roasted vegetables are especially delicious dipped in cheese fondue. However, make sure the vegetable slices are thick enough so that they do not get lost in the pot when they are submerged in the melted cheese. Here are some tasty vegetable choices:
- roasted potato spears
- mushrooms
- broccoli
- asparagus
- bell peppers
- roasted brussels sprouts
Meats
Make your cheese fondue a complete meal by adding a platter of juicy, savory cooked meats:
- sliced chicken breast
- grilled steak
- sausage
- meatballs
- shrimp
- cured meats (i.e. prosciutto, salami, soppressata)
Fruits
It might sound odd, but hear us out–there are some fruits that pair perfectly with a rich cheese fondue. You include fruit on your charcuterie board or jam on you cheese, yes? In particular, tart foods (like a granny smith apple) are a nice contrast to the creaminess of the fondue, while other fruits (like Bosc pears) notes of nutmeg and cinnamon bring out the spices found in many cheese fondues.
- apples
- pears
- grapes