One of the reason’s why I wanted to own my own place is to host parties. Whether they be big or small (I can max out at probably 8 people in my condo), I love hosting! You know one of my mantras is to celebrate everything, and hosting can 100% let me do that. For me it is about adding the little details, making it aesthetically pleasing, and just getting people together for a good time.
This past weekend, I hosted a last minute mini dinner party with a couple girls and when I was thinking of a theme or what to cook, I decided that a fondue party would do the trick. Spoiler alert: it was the easiest thing to put together and I will 100% be doing it again!
A little backstory about fondue, ever since I was a little little girl we would always have chocolate fondue at my grandma’s house. It was one of my first memories, and up to this day we still have chocolate fondue at grandma’s. I was gifted my very own fondue set by my grandma and it was so special to be able to continue the tradition.
If you are thinking of a small dinner party idea – follow along because I am sharing how you can host your very own fondue party!
How To Host A Fondue Party
When starting to plan your fondue party there are a few things to think about. I think the perfect size for a fondue party is 2-5 people! This is definitely for a smaller get together since fondue pots tend to be pretty small.
You will need your own fondue set to host a fondue party.
I have this set from Crate and Barrel, and it was the perfect size and worked great! It includes the cast iron pot and stand and comes with 8 forks. I picked up a couple gel pods from Party City and we were good to go!
Decor/Table Setting
The best part about a fondue party is that it doesn’t require much decor at all since the star of the show is the fondue pot. Place it right in the middle of your table! I served two different kinds of fondue, so I switched out the plates and fondue forks for each course.
Since it was the holiday season I had festive place mats, plates and napkins to set the table with but not necessary. Add a few candlesticks and your table is all ready to go.
Course 1: Cheese Fondue
I started off my fondue party with of course a cheese fondue! One place that does cheese fondue right is The Melting Pot, so I went straight to Pinterest to find the best copy cat cheese fondue recipe.
Copycat Melting Pot Cheese Fondue Recipe
It was super easy and SUPER tasty! You make it right in the fondue pot with beer, garlic, spices, and two types of cheese. It is ready in no time!
When it comes to the dipping options I knew I wanted a good array, but to not go over board. I went with two types of bread – a crusty baguette and the Cheesecake Factory brown bread -, apples (a fan favorite), broccoli and carrot sticks. It was the perfect mix and everything was eaten!
Cocktail 1: Pomegranate Rosemary Gin Fizz
To take the party up a notch, I decided to serve a festive cocktail with each course of fondue. To pair with the cheese fondue I knew I didn’t want something sweet, and I thought pomegranate would compliment perfectly.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup gin
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp rosemary simple syrup
- 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 1 sprig rosemary.
- Boil water until sugar dissolves, remove from heat, add rosemary and let sit for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove rosemary and refrigerate simple syrup
- 2 Tbsp pomegranate juice
- Prosecco, chilled
- Rosemary sprigs and pomegranate seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Mix gin, lemon juice, simple syrup and pomegranate juice in a shaker with ice and shake then pour over ice in a low ball glass
- Top with Prosecco and stir gently.
- Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a large spoonful of pomegranate seeds!
Course 2: Chocolate Fondue
Frankly the star of the whole night is the chocolate fondue. Anything dipped in chocolate tastes good! When it came to picking a chocolate fondue recipe I knew I had to make my grandma’s because it is SO GOOD and dare I say the easiest fondue recipe EVER!
Ingredients
- 1 can chocolate frosting
- Half a bag of mini marshmallows
Instructions
- Put can of frosting and half a bag of mini marshmallows in a microwave safe bowl.
- Melt ingredients together, stirring in between.
- Transfer chocolate mixture to fondue pot to keep warm
- Dive in!
I wasn’t lying when I said it was the easiest!
When picking dipping options I went with the classics: strawberries, bananas, pretzel sticks, pound cake and marshmallows. Strawberries are usually the most popular so I always tend to have the more of those than the others.
Cocktail 2: Gingerbread Martini
To go with the chocolate fondue, I knew I wanted a dessert cocktail, but nothing chocolate. I was on a hunt for an easy gingerbread martini and this one turned out SO GOOD! I will be making this all December!
Ingredients
For the gingerbread syrup:
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the martini:
- 2 ounces vanilla vodka
- 1.5 ounces Kahlua
- 1.5 ounces Bailey’s Irish Cream
- 3 tablespoons gingerbread syrup (or to taste)
- 2.5 ounces half and half (plus about 2 tbs. for the rim)
- gingerbread cookies (for the rim and for garnish)
- whipped cream (for garnish)
Instructions
For the syrup:
- In a small saucepan, heat the water, brown sugar, molasses, ginger, and cinnamon on medium heat until the sugar dissolves (about 5 minutes).
*I made this a couple days before and kept it in the fridge!
For the martini:
- Crush about 2-3 small gingerbread cookies in a zip lock bag with a rolling pin. Place the crumbs in a saucer and set aside.
- Pour the 2 tablespoons of half and half into a small saucer. Dip the rims of the martini glasses into the half and half. Then dip into the gingerbread crumbs and set the glasses aside.
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine, the vodka, Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream, gingerbread syrup, and the half and half. Shake well and pour into martini glasses. Place a dollop of whipped cream on top and then place a gingerbread cookie on top of the whipped cream and serve.
These were probably my favorite thing that I served all night!
With that you are ready to host your very own festive fondue party!
Let me know if you use any of my recipes or if I inspired you to host your own!
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