Baked Fondue from Mary Ann at Apron’s Sarasota Cooking School

Maralyn’s recipe for Fontina cheese fondue sauce inspired me to find another new and  innovative fondue treat. Our classic cheese fondues served in the traditional Swiss pot are found in our archives. This one is quick and easy to fix ahead and then bake. If you spread the mix on a French baguette it becomes an appetizer. This recipe was given to me by MaryAnn, a chef at Apron’s Sarasota Cooking School.

4 oz Gruyere cheese, grated

4 oz Gouda cheese, grated

2 oz crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

2 tablespoons white wine

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients.

Place in a 2 quart baking dish.

Let stand for 5 minutes to cool.

To serve, we tried it two ways. We dipped the French style bread and some crunchy vegetables, such as carrots and broccoli, in the cheese in the traditional way.

Next we smeared some cheese  fondue on a baguette and toasted it for about 5 minutes in the oven. The bread was crusty and the cheese was golden and bubbly. We added a few optional  fresh chopped chives chives for more color and flavor.

If you run short of one of the cheese, as we did on the second recipe, you can substitute grated Swiss with excellent results. I also added a few more  pinches of nutmeg and pepper on the baked bread appetizer.

We served both dishes with a choice of cold cider and a dry Riesling German wine. Sparkling wine is always fun if you serve this cheese fondue on New Year’s Eve.

If the cheese lasts long enough to grow cool, just heat and serve.