New Year's Eve is traditionally kind of an adult holiday. The Champagne. The romance. The staying up super late. But it's also hard to find a babysitter on a big holiday—and you might want to take advantage of the last days of your vacation to spend with your kids.
So if you're going to be home with the family on New Year's, why not throw a fondue party? Unless your kids are Benjamin Buttoning, they likely weren't around in the '60s, so this will be a totally novel concept to them. And the idea of a meal that consists of dipping various ingredients in cheese will be highly appealing to both the young and the old(er). So root around in your basement for that fondue pot that was on your wedding registry (or pull out your slow cooker!). Here's how to have a family-friendly New Year's fondue party:
1. Prep Some Dipping Ingredients
For this recipe, we're suggesting sausage, apples, and bread for dipping—but you should feel free to slice up any produce, meat, or carbs your kids like for dipping. (Simple boiled potatoes are also great here!)
Slice a few apples into 1/2 inch slices. Then cut a baguette into 3/4-inch cubes. Apples will be a refreshing accompaniment to this cheese sauce, which includes apple cider and a bit of apple cider vinegar. And bread is just a classic. Fondue can kind of be a carb- and dairy-laden affair (and, yolo, it's the holidays!), but it's nice to get some protein in there to round things out a little bit nutritionally. So make some Kielbasa, Andouille, or chicken and apple sausages for dipping. First, cut your sausages on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Preheat your oven to 300°F. Heat a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add kielbasa slices and sauté them until they're browned on both sides, which should take 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer them to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm.
2. Make Some Cheese Sauce
Our recipe for cheese sauce includes Gruyère and apple cider. (This fancy combo is super delicious, but if it doesn't appeal to your picky eater, try making a simplequesoorcheese sauceinstead.) To make it, coarsely grate 4 cups—or about one pound—of Gruyère cheese. Toss your cheese with 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. (The cornstarch will help give your sauce that perfect, smooth, cheese-pully texture.)
Next, bring one cup of non-alcholic apple cider (if you're not making this with kids, feel free to use a hard cider!) and one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar just to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Then, reduce the heat to low. Again, you want the mixture to just be simmering. Add a handful of the grated cheese mixture to the cider mixture and stir until it's melted. Continue adding your cheese by the handful, stirring to incorporate, and melt it with each addition. One all of your cheese is added, increase the heat to medium and continue cooking the sauce until it starts to bubble. Keep stirring it the whole time.
When the sauce is bubbling, transfer it to your fondue pot. Set the fondue pot on its stand and light the candle or canned heat burner. If you don't have a fondue pot, it will work just as well to transfer your cheese sauce into a slow cooker and turn it on the "warm" setting. Arrange your sausage slices, apple slices, and bread cubes in bowls alongside the fondue pot so that everyone can get dipping!
3. And If You Really Want to Live it Up, Make Chocolate Fondue, Too
You can makechocolate fonduefor an extra treat! Or you can make it instead of the cheese fondue. Here's how to do it:
First, sift a cup of cocoa powder into a mixing bowl and set it aside. Place 1 1/4 cups of water, 1 1/2 cups of sugar, and 1/4 cup of corn syrup into a pot and bring it to a boil. Allow this to simmer for 10–15 minutes, until the sugar solution has reduced by about a third. At this point, pour the cocoa powder into the solution and blend it with a whisk until it's smooth. Continue cooking it over medium heat. Whisk in 1/2 cup of heavy cream and bring it to boil. Then turn the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer for five more minutes. Remove it from the heat and add 5 ounces of chopped semi-sweet chocolate, stirring until melted and incorporated.
Pour this chocolate mixture into your fondue pot and light the burner below, or use your slow cooker. Place sliced strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, pieces of graham cracker, pretzels, or other fruits on a serving platter next to the fondue pot for dipping.
4. Make Sure You've Got Fun Party Stuff!
You'll need non-alcoholic sparkling cider for midnight, of course, and some of the real stuff for the grown-ups. Get someconfetti poppers!Someparty hats!Somenoise makers!You can worry about the ruptured eardrums and lingering bits of glitter that will last throughout 2018 tomorrow. This is going to be everyone's best year yet.
