I'm hosting a fondue party next month and I need some help. Do I serve ONLY fondue?

Question

I will be having a cheese fondue party.

I read somewhere that I should have a salad too, kind of after the meal.

I have never been to a fondue party, so this is kinda new to me. What do you think? Have you ever been to a fondue party? Any details would help

Answer 1

dont just have cheese fondue.....have a fruit fondue too with chocolate in the pot....ie strawberries, melon pieces etc

Answer 2

Who's bringing the wine.? It is customary to add a little wine to the fondue for flavor ..It is also customary to have wine on hand, no beer, or you could have guests each bring a litro. Of course only the wines of the white varieties are compatible with Fondue. All of the sudden I'm desiring some Fondue ! A lite salad dressing would be all you would need with your salad at a Fondue Party.
It is the centerpiece , everything else would be exorbitant, and uncouth. Veggies and dips should not be available at a real Fondue Party, nor meat or any of that........OK here is the bottom line what is involved at a real Fondue Party:
1. Wine , of the white variety only (no red wines)Chardonnays are good etc.
2. Cheese , Swiss is great and faux similar to Swiss are all good, American if you must , may be co-mingled in also.
3. French bread , Not just any old stale stuff, but the freshest available, served and warmed on the spot is preferable.
That's it, the rest is overindulgence, and a no, no!

Answer 3

Fondue party does give your guests a hint - as in cheese-tasting - not a four-course meal. It's a fun party later in the evening, after they've already eaten - with snacks provided by your good self. And if anyone loses their piece of bread in the cheese dip, there's a forfeit : )

Yes, you should have salad also, with dips, and possibly some fresh bread. And - cheese & garlic or tomato is fine but some might have only tried fondue with chocolate. To avoid disappointing them, why not have both?

I think you could also borrow a second fondue pot and have a sweet course. All you need to do is to:

Organise another heated fondue pot.
Break large chocolate bars into it.
Add a few spoonfuls of cream.

Have fresh berries or same-sized portions of fruit on skewers ready to dip.

OK, hope you and your guests have a brilliant party : )

Answer 4

I agree with the others who have said, don't just have cheese fondue, have others too. Fondue is one of those things you need to eat at the source, so don't put your fondue all in one place, or you will have all the people fighting over one spot. THis can be frustrating if your guests are hungry, not to mention a real killer for mingling.

My suggestion is to have several different types of fondue set up at different stations thruout the party: a white cheese with peppers for mexican dippers, bbq fondue for little smokies or chicken pieces, yellow beer cheese fondue for bratwurst slices and brown bread dippers, a dessert fondue made from chocolate with fruit and angel food dippers, etc

Answer 5

Fondue parties can be messy. I would have a variety for people to choose from. Perhaps 2 different types of cheese fondu-Keep in the kitchen in a crock pot-to avoid a huge mess. I think it would be a good idea to decide if you want it to be a Fondue and Appetizer party before you start thinking about a salad. For salad would require plates and utensils. Usually people like to sit when they eat something which requires a fork and a knife. Think about your guests, think about what is easy for you and easy for them. Do you have enough seating to accomodate people needed to sit down? Do you have enough counter space. Appetizers and finger foods are nice because they generally don't require a lot of effort on your guests side. Fondue-youmight want to go to a catering supply warehouse and pick up some disposable dip bowls, so your guest can put the fondue into the bowls and load their plate up with bread and meat. Since you are having a fondue party, try having a chocolate fondue with a largeassortment of fruit to choose from. Those are just some of my tid bits-speaking from experience of course-Good Luck and Have Fun!!

Answer 6

I've been to a few and trust me you want to have something else. You also must have a chocolate fondue. The last thing you need it to have people lining up for the washroom to pull an "Exorcist" move in your bathroom due to over consumption of cheese. Try looking at the cheese fondue as a main course, you still need side dishes, preferably something undippable, salad in a great idea, try something with a vinaigrette, also maybe a few others without cheese or potato...Trust me and good luck!

Answer 7

I've never been to a fondue party either but you should defeantly serve somethin else. People will get bored of just fondue and will not be einteraly full. Salad is a good idea.

Answer 8

All sorts of things go with cheese Fondu. You serve those items in seperate trays ie different breads...meats (that are complimented by the cheese) fruits, veggies, all cut up nicely so they may be put on a scewer. In Italy I think a salad is served after the meal to help the digestion. Hope this helps.

Answer 9

Some French bread and soft cheeses for some other choice besides chocolate fondue items. And a good Bordeaux for a dessert wine. Have fun.

Answer 10

Hi! My husband is French, and loves fondue. We have fondue parties often in the fall and winter.
At a traditional fondue party, you'd serve 3 types of fondue, but of course you'd need 3 fondue pots (ideally the 3 different types of pots as each cook differently, but don't worry about that!!)
And if you want to stick with just cheese fondue, then do, it's heavy enough to be a meal on it's own.

First I'd serve some small appetizers - nothing big, there's enough coming!!! Try pita wedges & hummus, or veggies & dip, or just some salted roasted nuts.

Then the cheese fondue as a starter. First, rub the inside of your fondue pot with crushed garlic. Then start by adding a little white wine (or some good quality blonde beer if you prefer) to your fondue pot. Bring it to a boil and gradually add your grated cheese while stirring, or your paket of stuff if that's what you're using. (If you do use a packet, I recommend adding a handful of real grated cheese to it, it will improve the flavour a little.)
One it's come to a boil, place it on your fondue burner.
Have some nice french bread cubed up for dipping. If it's for the main course, have boiled new potatoes, dishes of sour baby gherkins, sour pickled onions, some olives and other pickles also if you like. Traditionally the only meats you'd serve with a cheese fondue are dried or cured meats, like salami, prociutto-type cured ham, that kind of thing. You can also have some marinated mushrooms on the table for dipping, and whole cherry tomatoes.
To avoid indigestion, the only drinks you should serve are white wine (or the fancy beer you used in the fondue pot!) or sparkling water - flat water and cheese don't mix too well!! If you have guests who don't drink, you could also serve a non-alcohlic sparkling apple cider.
Okay, if this was just an entree, you can serve all the sides with it (in small quantities of course!) or you could go with just the bread and a couple little dishes of pickles, up to you.

Traditionally as the main, we'd serve either a bouguignon fondue where it's hot oil in the pot that you dip into to cook your meats & veggies, or a broth fondue where you make a beef or onion broth with red wine in it for dipping & cooking. (I normally do broth as it's healthier, cheaper, and easier to clean up!)
You'd serve this with a variety of meats (in 1" cubes if you're doing oil, or in paper-thin slices for the broth) like beef, pork, chicken, you can even add shrimps or cubes of fish such as salmon or tilapia (don't worry, the flavours won't really mix in the pot).
Also provide a plate of cut up raw veggies to dip & cook, I usually do onion, green & red peppers, mushrooms, and zucchini.
If this is your main, serve the boiled potatoes now rather than with the cheese! You also need a selection of sauces to dip in. I usually make an aioli (garlic mayonnaise), green goddess sauce or garlic-herb butter, honey mustard, and either a curry mayonnaise or a BBQ-sauce type one....you can buy these in jars at the store, or even just look there for ideas for ones to make!
Serve this with red wine.

Then for dessert, if you want to be ALL fondue, make a chocolate fondue. Melt good quality chocolate in a double boiler, add a bit of whipping cream to keep it from hardening. Serve with cubed pound cake, oatmeal cookie pieces, marshmallows, cut up fruit (bananas, strawberries, grapes, pineapple, pear, apple, etc....whatever's in season!).
Yummy with champagne, or a dessert porto, or an ice wine or ice cider, or even with a good hot cup of coffee.

Oh, yah. For your salad, if you serve the whole full-blown crazy fondue party, go with a very simple, very light green salad with a simple vinagrette dresing. I'd probably serve it between the cheese and the meat fondues so people get a bit of a break, and to give me a moment to clear and re-set the table!
If you're just having cheese fondue you could go with a more substantial salad - even a caesar salad as long as you keep the dressing light. Serve it after the fondue before you do dessert, people will be wanting a bite of something lighter after all the cheese!

Whichever way you go, have a great time! Most everything for a fondue party can be prepped well ahead so you can really enjoy yourself, only having to do the final heating of the fondue pot and putting the plates & serving dishes out on the table as you go.