Slow Cooker Cheese Fondue Recipes--a double dip edition!

We had friends over for fondue night, and I was dying to use my cute Little Dippers.

My friend Jennifer loves sundried tomato dip, so I put that in, along with beer and cheddar fondue, and a goat cheese with thyme spread.

We (2 adults, 4 children) pretty much filled up on cheese and we didn't end up ordering take-in for dinner, but instead went out for dessert after the appetizers!

I made crustini out of a loaf of brown rice bread (food for life, pink package) for our dippers, and we also had carrot sticks, celery sticks, and raw cauliflower.

We used all the dipping items, but greatly preferred the crustini for all (the cauliflower got fed to the guinea pigs the next day. they were thrilled.)

yummy crustini:

1 loaf pretty dense bread (I used food for life rice bread because we are gluten free)

olive oil

salt

pepper

---Cut each slice of bread into thirds, and brush olive oil on each side. Sprinkle kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on each side.

Bake on a lined or greased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes on each side, or until nice and toasty.

make fondue at home in your crockpot slow cooker

Beer Cheese Fondue

The Ingredients.

serves 8

1/2 small yellow onion, peeled and finely diced

1 garlic clove, minced

4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (1 cup)

8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated (2 cups)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 (12-ounce) bottle of beer (Redbridge, by Anheuser Busch is gluten free)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

The Directions.

Use a 2-quart slow cooker. This is bigger than a little dipper -- the little dipper only holds 16 ounces.

Put the onion, garlic, and cheeses into your cooker.

Stir in the cornstarch and dry mustard.

Crush the caraway seeds (Jennifer says to use a mortar and pestle, but I don't have one, and instead crushed them in a ziplock with a small mallet).

Add them to the pot.

Pour in the beer.

Cover and cook on low for 2 to 4 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.

Add salt and pepper before serving, adding more to taste if necessary.

Thyme for Goat Cheese

The Ingredients.

serves 4 to 6

1 (11-ounce) package fresh goat cheese

2 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leave, plus more for a garnish

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

The Directions.

Use a 2-quart slow cooker. If desired, place an oven-safe ramekin into the bottom of the cooker that you'd like to use for serving. Otherwise, plan on serving this right out of the crock.

Put the cheese into the pot (or ramekin), and press the thyme leaves into the top. Drizzle olive oil on top and add black pepper.

Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, or until cheese has softened and become easy to spread.

Lift inserted dish (CAREFULLY! use oven mitts!) out of the slow cooker and serve on the table with your favorite dippers.

The Verdict(s).

Fondue night rocks. End of story.

MORE FONDUE FUN, HERE:
chocolate fondue
pizza fondue
fancy cheese fondue
s'mores fondue

It's super fun and easy to make fondue at home in your crockpot slow cooker. Use a little dipper or a larger size to make your favorites at home with your family.

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What they say about this article

Chief Family Officer10/25/2010
Sorry to have a stupid question, but my kids are pretty young and I tend to be cautious so ... I am wondering: Is the beer cheese fondue safe for kids?

Thanks, Steph!
Anonymous10/25/2010
Cheese for dinner followed by dessert?? Sounds like my kind of meal!
Amie10/25/2010
Mmmm....stuff dipped in cheese.... :)
Amy10/25/2010
Cheese fondue always appeals to me, but a whole bottle of beer is a lot for a preggo to use in a recipe. I know the beer won't have a chance to cook off in a crockpot. And I love cheese, so I'd probably end up eating half of the fondue myself. I'll have to save this recipe for after baby's arrival.

I can't bring myself to eat goat cheese. I want to like it, but I just don't. It tastes like I imagine a wet goat would taste. Think wet dog smell and that's how I feel about goat cheese.
corners of my life10/25/2010
I have recently seen the crockpot trio in many stores and would buy one in a flash if storage wasn't an issue. Your cheese fondue will be going along with us on a wine tasting weekend in November.
Toni @ Imperfect Pregnancy10/25/2010
Fondue is a great fancy comfort food. My husband and I got 3 different fondue pots when we got married. He's more of a fan of the dessert fondue like cognac caramel which, admittedly, is amazing.

And now I wish I wasn't going vegan for a couple weeks...
Julie10/25/2010
Sounds amazing...I tried to make fondue once and it was a huge flop. This sounds really good though.
ChiTown Girl10/25/2010
Don't you just LOVE your crockpot trio!?! I also have the double crock pot, and use it every single time I have company. Come to think of it, my crockpot collection may be as large as yours! :)

These all sound delish and I can't wait to try them. I'm having a Pampered Chef party next month, which seems like the perfect opportunity!
Colleen P.10/26/2010
MMMM...an evening centered around cheese. Followed by dessert.

I need a nap just thinking about it!
Delicioulsy Gluten-Free10/26/2010
Also I use Udi's bagels for this, it was really good!
Dana10/26/2010
Man you are a genius! We do fondue all the time but for our family of four as a main meal (we are veggies) my fondue pot was too small. I am SO going to be using my crockpot next time!
Our favorite dippers include: baby steamed brussel's sprouts, baby tomatoes, raw and cooked mushrooms, apple slices, pumpernickel bread chunks, steamed cauliflower florets, and even mini veggie meat balls.
Delicioulsy Gluten-Free7/14/2011
Instead of beer, we use vegetable broth like they use at The Melting Pot. It tastes better than the beer and no need to worry about the alcohol or the gluten (even though Redbridge is gf!)