Four Cheese Tomato and Basil Fondue

There aren’t a lot of traditions that I’m adamant about. Those that I do stick to revolve around Christmas. My Christmas decorating tradition is fondue. Snacking on it while decorating kind of makes it less boring (you know, setting up the tree, stringing lights – that’s the boring part). I got the inspiration for this while my husband and I were on our 2nd anniversary trip and went to a fondue restaurant. We loved it and I was determined to find a way to make fondue at home. Public Service Announcement: you don’t need a fondue pot to enjoy fondue at home. You can serve it in a warmed bowl (heat a bowl filled with water in the microwave, dump out the water, dry it, and then fill with fondue) or if you have a mini Crockpot this is the perfect use for it. The warm bowl gives you a few extra minutes before the cheese starts to cool and thicken, but the mini Crockpot is really the perfect vessel. This keeps it warm while we decorate and I usually unplug it when there’s about a third of the fondue left so it doesn’t burn or start to separate. Overheating cheese too much or too quickly will cause the fat to separate from the proteins and create a weird, oily concoction. I typically cook some smoked sausage and warm a loaf of bread to serve with this. I like sourdough or ciabatta, but you can chose whatever kind of bread you like. This tradition has been going strong for 4 years now and I just can’t let this one go.

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Four Cheese Tomato and Basil Fondue
Serves 4
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min

• 1 c dry white wine
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 oz Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 4 oz Fontina cheese, shredded
• 4 oz Asiago cheese, shredded
• 4 oz Smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
• 1/2 tbsp basil pesto
• 1/2 tbsp minced sun-dried tomato (the kind packed in oil)

• Heat the lemon juice and wine in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat.
• Let the alcohol cook out for about 3 mins and reduce heat to low.
• Slowly add the shredded cheese, whisking constantly. Add just a small handful at a time, letting it melt before adding more.
• Once all the cheese is melted and fondue is smooth, add the basil pesto and sundried tomato and mix well.
• Serve immediately in a warm bowl or keep warm in a mini Crockpot.
• Serve alongside sourdough bread, sausages, or apples.