ULTIMATE Chocolate Fondue

I know this is the one you have been waiting for, and let me tell you it is totally worth the wait!
The version I make here is far better than any I have had at the Melting Pot....it is like a grown-up, sexy Nutella.  I personally think you should save this one for just you and your love....however, I will state right now that I am not responsible for any trips to the ER dealing with chocolate burns, you are supposed to eat it my friends.  Anywho, I digress.  Make this, eat it, enjoy it!

ULTIMATE Chocolate Fondue
Recipe adapted by:  Tyler Florence

• 16 ounces chocolate (milk, dark or semisweet), broken in pieces – I use a combo of Dove Milk and dark chocolate
• 1/2 pint whipping cream
• 1/2 cup caramel topping (I use Mrs. Richardson’s)
• 3 tablespoons Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur…just buy a shooter of it) or favorite liqueur, but it is the Frangelico that give it the Nutella lusciousness.

Place all ingredients in a double boiler.  I use a glass bowl on top of a pot with 1” of boiling water.  Stir until everything is all melted and smooth.  Do not allow to bubble.  Once done, pour into a ceramic fondue pot or just put into a bowl, it is going to go faster than it can cool and harden anyway.
ENJOY!!!

Things to dip:
Strawberries
Pound Cake cubes
Brownie Bites
Bananas
Marshmallows
Maraschino Cherries
Pineapple
Cheesecake

In case you missed any of the other courses:
Fiesta Cheese Fondue
Coq au Vin Fondue with 2 dipping sauces


This recipe has been linked to:
Mommy's Kitchen
Simply Sweet Home
Tidy Mom
Frou Frou Decor

Coq au Vin Fondue with BONUS - 2 Sauce Recipes

In case you missed the first course of our Fondue night at home, check out the Fiesta Cheese Fondue by clicking HERE and make sure and check back this weekend for the ULTIMATE Chocolate Fondue!

photo courtesy of cleferson

On to the main entree part of our fondue feast!
The Coq au Vin cooking style is my FAVORITE at the melting pot.  You cook a variety of bite sized meats, seafood, and vegetables in this amazing broth. 

Coq au Vin Fondue

• 3 ½ cups vegetable stock
• 2 Knorr vegetable stock bullion cubes
• ½ - 1 (to taste) cup burgundy wine
• ½ cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 TBSP garlic, minced
• 2 green onions, sliced

Things to cook:

• Mushrooms
• Small, bite sized potatoes
• Bite sized steak
• bite sized chicken
• Shrimp

Sauces:

• Teriyaki
• Sweet and Sour
• Cocktail Sauce
• BBQ Sauce
• Peanut Sauce (recipe below)
• Green Goddess Dip (recipe below)

What I usually do is double the recipe and cook in a pot on the stove top. When the mixture comes to a boil, I take out half of the liquid and put it into the electric fondue pot.
Make sure your fondue is cooking at a medium boil! 
I keep the one on the stove top simmering and add some whole mushrooms and quartered red potatoes. Since these veggies take longer than the meats, I like to get those going.
Place bite sized raw meat on separate plates...chicken, steak, and shrimp and serve with a variety of dipping sauces in bowls...sweet and sour, teriyaki, BBQ, peanut sauce (included below), cocktail sauce, etc.
Make sure the kiddos know to cook the chicken all the way through.
As soon as the veggies are tender from the stove, remove with a slotted spoon and serve as well. Green Goddess dip is AMAZING with the veggies (recipe also below) Keep the stock on the stove available for re-filling the fondue pot.

Peanut Sauce
recipe adapted from:  Tyler Florence

• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons red chili paste, such as Sriracha
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish

Combine the peanut butter, soy sauce, red chili paste, brown sugar, and lime juice in a food processor or blender. Puree to combine. While the motor is running, drizzle in the hot water to thin out the sauce, you may not need all of it. Pour the sauce into a nice serving bowl and garnish with the chopped peanuts.

Melting Pot Green Goddess Dip

• 8 ounces cream cheese, cut into slices
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons finely sliced chives

In a microwave-safe container, microwave cream cheese and milk for 2 to 4 minutes, whisking after each minute, until cream cheese melts and mixture is smooth. Stir in sour cream, onion, parsley and chives. Refrigerate until cold. Use this dip for cooked veggies.

These recipes have been linked up to:
Simply Sweet Home
Tidy Mom
Frou Frou Decor
Mommy's Kitchen
Eat at Home

Fondue for Valentines Day!

Hello, my name is Sig and I am a fondue junkie. 
I LOVE it!  Birthday's, Anniversaries, or any other special occasion usually finds us at the Melting Pot.  There is just something about having a delicious meal over a span of several hours.  I wanted to find a way to do the entire Melting Pot meal at home so I could share it with my kiddos, and guess what, I did! So now, every year for Valentine's Day, we have Fondue Night.  The kiddos have SO MUCH FUN and we still get to have an amazing meal.  We even make up "rules" like if you drop your food in the fondue, you have to give the person on your left a kiss.  This night is always filled with many laughs and memories!
The meal at the Melting Pot starts with the cheese course.  Since I am not big on the "traditional" Swiss Cheese version of cheese fondue, we always order the Fiesta Cheese Fondue.  So, here is my Copy Cat version.  Stay tuned the rest of the week for a Coq au Vin Fondue recipe with a Variety of Dipping Sauces, and of course, the ever important ULTIMATE Chocolate Fondue!

Fiesta Cheese Fondue

• 2 cups of shredded cheese. Your choice...you can do a mixture of Cheddar and Monterey Jack, some Colby Jack, or if you are feeling especially sassy, throw in some Pepper Jack.
• 1 TBSP flour
• Bottle of Mexican Beer. Corona works great.
• 2-3 TBSP salsa or pico de gillo, as hot as you would like it.
• 1/2-1 TBSP chopped jalapenos (optional, if you like some extra oompf)

Take your shredded cheese and add a heaping TBSP of flour, get all your cheese coated. In a double boiler (or in my case, a glass or metal bowl over a pot of simmering water) start by pouring 1/2 bottle of beer. Once that comes to a simmer, add your cheese and stir constantly. Watch your heat so you don't get that funky cheese separation thing, don't allow your cheese to simmer. Add in a couple TBSP of salsa or pico, optional jalapenos, and viola! You may need to play with the cheese/beer/salsa ratio to get the right consistency. I usually start with 1/2 of the cheese and keep adding until it is thick enough to stay on a chip, but thin enough to not break the chip.
When ready to serve, I place it into my dessert fondue pot that is simply warmed with a candle or my mini crock pot.  You simply want to keep it mildly warm.

And here is the cast of characters who like to take a little dip in the hot tub of gooey cheese deliciousness:
Tortilla chips, Granny Smith apple chunks, carrot bites, celery bites, cauliflower bites, and a variety of cubed bread.

This recipe has been linked up to:
Frou Frou Decor
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
Mommy's Kitchen

Mexican Beer Cheddar Fondue

If you are looking for a yummy, easy, last minute add on to your Super Bowl table, look no further! Mexican Beer Fondue is it! In fact you probably already have all of the ingredients at your party or in your fridge.

Hold on tight cause here we goooo!


Ingredients:

• 2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese. You can buy the pre-shredded bag from the grocery store or make your own. If you are feeling especially sassy, add a little pepper-jack to your mix.


• TBSP flour


• Bottle of Mexican Beer. Corona works great.


• 2-3 TBSP salsa or pico de gillo, as hot as you would like it.


• 1/2-1 TBSP chopped jalapenos (optional, if you like some extra oompf)

Take your shredded cheese and add a heaping TBSP of flour, get all your cheese coated. In a double boiler (or in my case, a glass or metal bowl over a pot of simmering water) start by pouring 1/2 bottle of beer. Once that comes to a simmer, add your cheese and stir constantly. Watch your heat so you don't get that funky cheese separation thing, don't allow your cheese to simmer. Add in a couple TBSP of salsa or pico, optional jalapenos, and viola! You may need to play with the cheese/beer/salsa ratio to get the right consistency. I usually start with 1/2 the bag of cheese and keep adding until it is thick enough to stay on a chip, but thin enough to not break the chip.
And here is the cast of characters who like to take a little dip in the hot tub of gooey cheese deliciousness:

Tortilla chips, Granny Smith apple chunks, carrot bites, celery bites, cauliflower bites, and a variety of cubed bread.