Apple Cider Fondue

April 11 is National Cheese Fondue Day.  I'm pretty sure it is sponsored by fondue restaurants so that people will make reservations and spend tons of money on fondue dinner.  My 4 year old recently discovered cheese fondue.  I realized that it was an easy way to get him to eat his vegetables.  We have a fondue pot that we don't use very often, so I decided to make cheese fondue for dinner one night.  Most recipes call for beer or wine.  I know that most of the alcohol cooks out, but I wanted to experiment with a non-alcoholic cheese fondue.  I read several message boards that debated whether or not it was OK to use chicken broth in place of wine or apple cider instead of beer.  I finally decided to search for a recipe that used hard cider and substitute sparkling apple cider for the hard cider.  The fondue was great.  I think I might use less chicken broth next time because the fondue was a little thin. We all loved the taste that the apple cider added to the fondue...a little sweet, but not too sweet. My son's favorite dippers were celery and "brown" bread.  The recipe I used suggested using chicken apple sausages or chorizo as a dipper.  I didn't have any when I made this, but they would be great with this fondue.  If you don't have a fondue pot, you can use a double-boiler or crock pot.  The crock pot method will take longer, but the fondue will be great.

I took a picture of the fondue and dippers, but never transferred it to the computer...then I deleted the photos from my camera.  Oops!

Apple Cider Fondue
Adaped from Food Network

12 ounces sparkling apple cider
3/4 cup (or less) chicken broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound grated swiss cheese (I used 1/2 swiss and 1/2 Kerrygold Dubliner)
1/2 pound grated sharp cheddar (I used Kerrygold Red Leicester)
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Dippers: Cubes of bread, carrots, celery, cauliflower, apples, brocooli, etc.


1) Heat cider, chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic over medium heat.  Simmer for 5 minutes.


2) Add cheese, stirring until cheese is melted.  


3) Add cayenne.  Cook fondue over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.