One of my favorite places to go is the Melting Pot. It is a whole restaurant that you enjoy every course by having fondue. My favorite cheese fondue is their Melting Pot Wisconsin Trio. It has a combination of cheeses that is heavenly.
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While you may not get to go to the Melting Pot every day, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy fondue at home with this Melting Pot recipe.
If you don’t have a fondue pot, don’t let that stop you from making my Melting Pot Wisconsin Trio. You can use a double boiler. A double boiler is a heatproof bowl resting in a pot of boiling water.
Or you can have some fun and check out some garage sales, or a second-hand thrift store, where there is generally a fondue pot showing up. I personally love my Cuisinart CFO-3SS Electric Fondue Maker
.
Table of Contents
What kinds of cheeses are in this fondue recipe?
This Melting Pot Wisconsin Trio recipe has butterkäse, fontina, and blue cheeses. I can usually find these cheeses at the deli counter in my grocery store. A reader substituted Havarti for butterkäse (because she couldn’t find it) and said that it worked well.
- Butterkäse is a German word that literally means butter cheese. It’s a cheese that’s mild enough so your kids will love it – it makes a killer mac and cheese – yet sophisticated enough to serve with fine wines at your next wine and cheese party.
- Fontina originated in the Italian Alps where cows graze lush meadows to provide the rich and creamy milk needed to produce fontina. The flavors of this cheese are pungently sweet, unveiling tones of roasted nuts and butter as this fine cheese lingers on your palate.
What kind of wine is in this fondue recipe?
This Melting Pot Wisconsin Trio recipe requires a dry white wine – a Chablis, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc will work. If you don’t have either, pick something white and dry (not sweet), and use that.
A reader said she used Pinot Grigio and it worked well.
My suggestion is to never use cooking wine, but a wine that you will also enjoy drinking. A good recipe that includes wine needs a good wine.
Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need to make cheese fondue:
- Butterkase cheese
- Fontina cheese
- Cornstarch
- Dry white wine
- Dry sherry
- Shallots
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Blue cheese
- Green onions
How to Make Melting Pot Wisconsin Trio Cheese Fondue
- Place the butterkase cheese, fontina cheese, and cornstarch in a bowl. Stir to coat the cheese shreds with cornstarch.
- In either a double boiler over simmering water or a fondue pot, heat the wine, sherry, and shallots for a minute or two.
- Add approximately half the cheese mixture and whisk constantly until the cheese is melted.
- Add the remaining cheese by handfuls, whisking until everything is incorporated.
- Stir in the blue cheese and pepper.
- Top the fondue with the green onions.
- Serve with green apple slices, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and bread.
How to Fix Lumpy Cheese Fondue
Fondue can become lumpy if it is overheated, but you can rescue it. What to do?
Add a couple of tablespoons of warm alcohol, stir, and turn down the heat to low. Make sure it is warm because cold alcohol will result in more lumps.
If the alcohol and the cheese continue to be separate from each other, you can add about half of a teaspoon of cornstarch and stir. The cornstarch is a last resort because it can change the texture of the fondue, but it will help bind the cheese and the alcohol together.
What to Dip in Cheese Fondue
- Granny Smith apple slices
- Broccoli florets
- Cauliflower pieces
- Baby carrots
- Hearty bread cut into bite-sized pieces
Do you love fondue? Try these recipes!
Popular Cheesy Appetizers
- Clam Dip with Cream Cheese
- Fried Cheese Curds
- Dried Beef Cheese Ball
- Fried Cheese Wonton
- Jarlsberg Cheese Spread
- Liptauer Cheese Spread
- Mexican Cheese Dip
- Sausage Cream Cheese Rotel Dip
- Texas Cheese Fries
Be sure to check out more of my easy appetizer recipes and the best restaurant copycat recipes here on CopyKat.com!
Melting Pot Wisconsin Trio Cheese Fondue
Ingredients
Three Cheese Fondue
- 8 ounces butterkase cheese shredded
- 8 ounces fontina cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 cup dry white wine Chablis, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon chopped shallots
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
Items to Dip
- Granny Smith apple slices
- raw broccoli florets
- raw cauliflower pieces
- baby carrots
- hearty bread cut into bite-sized pieces
Instructions
- In a bowl, stir the butterkase and fontina cheeses and the cornstarch together so that the cheese is coated with the cornstarch; this is what will help the fondue thicken.
- In either a double boiler over simmering water or a fondue pot, heat the wine, sherry, and shallots together for a minute or two.
- Add approximately half the cheese mixture and whisk constantly until the cheese is melted.
- Add the remaining cheese by handfuls, whisking until everything is incorporated and the cheese is melted.
- Stir in the blue cheese and pepper.
- Just before serving, top the melted cheese with the green onions.
- Serve with green apple slices, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and bread for dipping into the fondue.
JP
Made this for new years eve tonight! Used SB wine and havarti as a sub and it’s delicious! Thank you! Only think I wish I had done was saute the shallots longer so they aren’t crunchy but that’s my fault not the recipe’s…happy new year!
Sandy
What kind of alcohol is best to use if the cheese becomes lumpy?
Stephanie
I would add in a touch of white wine.
Madison
This was an incredible recipe! It tasted exactly like the real thing (actually better). Thank you so much for allowing us to bring the Melting Pot experience into our home. You truly have a talent.
Stephanie
I am so glad you liked it!
Sara
This is quite good.
Stephanie
You may want to add additional warm alcohol to the fondue (cold alcohol will make the cheese will become more clumpy), as the clumpiness may come from overcooking. So you can reduce the temperature of the whole mixture, be sure to turn the heat down to low. Continue to stir and the clumpiness should start to subside. Add in 1/2 tsp. cornstarch and stir it in if the cheese is separating from the alcohol. The cornstarch is a last resort because it can change the texture of the fondue, but it will help bind the cheese and the alcohol together.
Jill
Would love if these were pin able on pinterest
DJ
Are there any good substitutes for the alcohol for us non drinkers?
Tricia Klomhaus
Hi. Not sure what to do with the tablespoon of chopped shallots. Should they be sautéed
or just add.
Stephanie
You should saute them in initially.
Alan
I just add the shallots in raw. Has a great flavor. Made this several times and always a crown pleaser.
ZomboGil
This was wonderful. I substituted havarti for butterkase (because I could not find butterkase) and used pinot grigio for the wine. It is a dead ringer for the real thing!
Chrystie
I love the Melting Pot. My favorite is the Swiss Cheese, but I will give this one a try as well.
stephaniemanley
I love the classic one too!
stephaniemanley
What is your favorite type of fonue?