Cheese Fondue

This creamy, smooth, and decadent cheese fondue recipe is easy to make and is always a hit. 

We used to have two German restaurants here in Portland called Rheinlander and Gustav’s, which were sister restaurants, and they were famous for their delicious cheese fondue. My daughter has loved going to Gustav’s since she was a little girl, and she was devastated when they (and the Rheinlander) closed down after the pandemic. I’ve been scouring websites looking for a copycat recipe for Gustav’s fondue, and I recently finally found one on Genius Kitchen. I was dubious at first because, instead of making a cheese sauce from scratch, this recipe uses processed Swiss cheese. I made it at my daughter’s request, and it tasted JUST LIKE Gustav’s cheese fondue! My kids and husband loved it and happily ate this cheese fondue with small pieces of pretzel, sourdough bread, rye bread, and apple slices.

Cheese Fondue

Cheese Fondue:

• ½ lb processed Swiss cheese, diced into small cubes **Block or slices
• 1 cup very dry white wine
• 1 large clove of garlic, finely minced
• ⅛ tsp white pepper
• Pinch of cayenne
• Pinch of nutmeg

For Serving:

• Rye bread, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Sourdough bread, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Pretzel rolls, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Apple slices
• Grilled bratwurst sausage slices

How to Make Cheese Fondue

Simmer the wine, garlic, white pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg in an electric fondue pot or small saucepan over low heat for 10 minutes to reduce the wine and allow the alcohol to cook out.  

Add the diced cheese cubes to the saucepan and whisk until the cheese completely melts. Do not boil; allow it to slowly melt. Side Note: Add a bit more wine or water if it is too thick; the consistency of the cheese fondue should coat the bread evenly when it’s dipped into the mixture. 

Serve with pieces of sourdough bread, rye bread, pretzel bites, and apple slices. Enjoy.