Want to make a grocery list before hosting a fondue party, or are you just looking forward to cooking up some cheese fondue for your family? Guess what! You’ve come to the right place.
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Here are a few ideas for your cheese fondue accompaniments to help get you started on your cheese fondue party:
– Bread
– Potatoes
– Roasted or Grilled Vegetables
– Fruits
– Meat
– Seafood
– Mushrooms
– Salad
– Pickles
– Pasta
– Fries
Fondue is not just about food but a great way to party or for a family get-together. It is up to the host/chef to decide what to serve with the cheese fondue, as they probably know their guests’ tastes and preferences and whether their food choice falls under the category that can be served with the fondue.
The following are a few fondue side dish ideas, and you can pick ones that are to your liking and start your prep work. Have fun!
Bread: Bread is one of the classical options for your dipping game. But which one should you choose?
Yes, you might as well stick to the crusty white bread, preferably toasted and cubed (of course!) But if you belong to the health-conscious group, then you can consider a multigrain, a whole wheat, or a rye bread for a change.
Breadsticks, pretzels, brioche, croutons, bagels, sourdough bread, and many more exhaustive bread options are at your disposal, so you can experiment with any of them for your cheese fondue dinner.
Cheese fondue and bread are made for each other. They just gel up so well that you don’t want to miss out on this combo.
So, make sure you add some fresh bread to your grocery cart for your fondue dish.
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Chips and Crackers: Who would pass these by? NO ONE.
Tortilla chips, potato chips, wheat crackers, Graham crackers, pita chips, and even marshmallows go along well with cheese fondue.
Be generous while picking up bags of chips. Who knows, you can always run out of them.
Vegetables: Mushrooms go along well with cheese fondue because of their earthy flavor. Clean the mushrooms thoroughly and slice them. Instead of getting just a single variety, go for a few of the mushroom varieties for a wholesome taste deal.
Feel free to use either raw or roasted mushrooms. The hot fondue not just coats your dish but also cooks what has been put inside the hot cheese pot, combining the flavor and aroma of the dippings with that of the cheese.
Vegetables such as carrots, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, cauliflower, asparagus, celery, and cucumbers are all great dipping options. Air fry, grill, or roast them before serving them. And remember to cut them into bite-sized pieces so they’re easy to dip and eat.
To keep the nutrients intact, you can also choose to blanch your veggies in hot water before setting them around your fondue pot. Wet veggies don’t coat well with the fondue, so remember to pat them dry well with a hand towel before serving.
Serving potatoes alongside your cheese fondue is both an appetizing as well as a filling experience. This traditional dish can be either boiled or roasted – and the possibilities to present them with fondue are endless!
Make sure to cut the potatoes into bite-sized cubes before serving.
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Meat: Who would want to miss out on the charcuterie board? Definitely not me!
Meat dishes are the ultimate dippers for your fondue dinner and pair well with them. Serve filet mignon, cooked ham, meatballs, sausages, bacon, pork, prosciutto, salami, filet mignon, beef, and chicken on your meat platter.
Seafood like shrimp, crab, lobster, salmon, and other hard fish can be slightly roasted before spreading them around the fondue dish.
Pickles: Pickled cornichons or onions, with their tanginess, pair so well with the cheese dips, but don’t be afraid to try your favorite ones here.
Fruits: Delight your tastebuds with the sweet and crunchy taste of fruits complimenting the cheesy treat.
While I love apples and pears with cheese fondue, other fruits also work well, so don’t hesitate to try the ones you love the most.
Adding fruits to your fondue platter increases the nutritional value and can entice people to try them.
While the cheese and meat are heavy on your stomach, adding light foods to the meal, like fruits, can help you strike a healthy balance and help you go easy on your stomach.
Dried fruits like figs and apricots can be a welcome addition to the fondue table as well. You can also consider adding salads, pasta, and fries to your menu.
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1. What Drink Goes Well With Cheese Fondue?
Cheese fondue is a classic Swiss dish, and the drink served with it should be carefully chosen to cut through the richness of this cheesy affair.
- Dry White Wine: For an alcoholic option, try dry white wine.
While sipping through the meal, this beverage both refreshes and cuts through the cheese’s richness, providing a perfect balance of taste.
Swiss Chasselas, German Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, and Vinho Verde are some of the best wine options you can indulge in.
- Tea: Don’t be amazed. They go along truly well.
If you don’t want to serve alcohol, resort to either black tea (Darjeeling tea is a great option) or herbal tea.
The bitterness of the tea helps to cut through the cheese fatness and provides a delicate balance between the two.
It is a famous Swiss belief that drinking anything cold, like coke, cold beer, or juice, can cause the cheese to solidify and form a stiff ball in the stomach, thus causing digestive discomfort.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. Just make sure to choose something that pairs well with the cheese you’re using, which will also complement the other flavors in the dish. There are endless possibilities when it comes to cheese fondue side dishes. So enjoy and have fun, and last but not least, never hesitate to experiment!
