Brie & Mushroom Fondue

Psst….Valentine’s Day is Friday. Do you have a plan?

I think Fondue should be in your plan! Brie & Mushroom Fondue!

This is soooooo good. I don’t have to tell you that. Any combination of melted cheese and wine doesn’t need a ton of explanation.

I think fondue is perfect for a romantic dinner at home. You don’t need to go spend a ton of money at a busy restaurant to celebrate. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make something this luxurious right in your own kitchen.

Here’s what you need:

Brie, Gorgonzola (Blue) Cheese, Shiitake Mushrooms, Shallot, Garlic, Fresh Thyme, Butter, Flour (GF is fine), and White Wine.

Click here for a Brie & Mushroom Fondue Shopping List

You will also need things for dipping like French Bread, Apples, Pears (!!! Pears are my favorite for this fondue), Red Bell Pepper, Broccoli, etc.

Finely chop 1 shallot and peel 1 clove of garlic. Leave the garlic whole, we will need it later.

Remove and discard the stems from 3-4 ounces of fresh (not dried) shiitake mushrooms and dice up the mushroom caps.

Remove the leaves from a few sprigs of fresh thyme and finely chop them to make about 1 teaspoon. If you don’t have fresh thyme, just skip it. Dried thyme is NOT a good substitution in this recipe.

Heat 1 Tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms, shallots, and thyme and sauté 2-3 minutes, just until the mushrooms start to soften.

Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the rind off of 12 ounces of Brie Cheese. Double cream brie is recommend in this recipe and is what is available at most stores.

You don’t have to get every single bit of rind off the cheese, but try to get most of the thick parts trimmed away as they will not melt very well.

Cut the brie and 2 ounces of Gorgonzola or Blue Cheese into cubes.

Place 2 Tablespoons of flour (all purpose or gluten free) in a bowl and toss the cheese cube in the flour to coat. This will help thicken the fondue and also keep the cheese from all sticking together and to the bottom of the pan in a gloppy mess.

Pour 1 cup of dry white wine in a large sauce pan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat.

Remove the cubes of cheese from the flour and discard any remaining flour. Slowly add the cheese a few cubes at a time to the wine, stirring until melted.

Add cheese, stir until melted, add more cheese, stir until melted. Check the heat and reduce it to medium low if needed to keep the cheese from sticking.

When all the cheese has been added and has melted, add the sautéed mushrooms and shallots to the pot.

If you’re serious about fondue, you might want to have a dedicated fondue pot.

If you’re crazy like me, you own several fondue pots so you can have fondue parties.

Yes, that’s a thing that happens around here on occasion. I make this fondue, classic Swiss cheese fondue, and of course, chocolate fondue. Then we pour some wine and dip away!

Fondue pots are set up similar to a double boiler with an outer pan that holds water over a flame to keep the cheese warm.

Pour about 1 cup of hot water into the outer pot of the fondue set. You want the water almost touching the bottom of the inner pot.

Light the flame on the little burner of fuel and use the cap or holes in the lid to regulate the flame.

Cut the clove of garlic in half and rub it vigorously all over the inside of the fondue pot. This will season the fondue with an essence of garlic but not overpower the delicate cheese flavors.

Assemble a big tray of goodies for dunking. Traditionally fondue is served with big cubes of crusty French bread. I also like apples, pears, red bell pepper slices, and some broccoli. You can keep the broccoli raw or zap it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes just to take a bit of the crunch off.

The pears are my favorite thing to dip in this particular fondue. Don’t skip the pears.

Oh, and if you are gluten free, load up on those fruits and veggies. No need to miss out on this one just because you can’t eat the bread.

Pour the melted cheese and mushroom mixture into the garlic rubbed bowl and set it over the water bath and flame.

Now is a good time to get out those cute Valentine’s plates your husband bought you a few years ago…

Grab a fondue skewer and start dipping!

At each and every fondue party I’ve had, this Brie & Mushroom Fondue is the first thing to go. It is by far our favorite of all of the cheese fondue recipes I’ve ever made.

Nothing says, “Be Mine” like melted cheese and wine!

Here’s the recipe – adapted from Epicurious

Brie & Mushroom Fondue