Pizza Fondue

Sometimes, it’s all about the delivery system.

I mean, where would raisins be without ants on a log?

Or kale without the green smoothie?

Or ice cream without the cone?

Okay, that’s a bad example. I’d eat ice cream out of a shoe if I had to.

The point here is sometimes changing up the delivery system can make you see food in a whole new light.

Such is the case with this cheesy, fun, party-worthy Pizza Fondue.

This is crazy simple stuff folks. I took our favorite pizza toppings, slapped them on a stick, then whipped up a quick mozzarella fondue for dunking, slathering, and eating straight up with a spoon.

The fondue starts with wine, continues with mozzarella and asiago, and ends in me licking the bowl clean. It’s really good. And it takes roughly 6.8 minutes to make.

The rest of this is just as quick. Hunks of garlic bread, turkey meatballs, and pepperoni are strung on bamboo sticks and baked until the garlic bread is a tad crispy and the smell is so overwhelming you can no longer control yourself. Chop a few choice veggies to serve on the side, heat up some marinara, and you’re done.

Pizza on a stick.

Obviously, this is wide open for you to experiment with all of your favorites. Love chicken pizza? Heat up some chicken skewers and dunk it in BBQ sauce. Want some extra veggies? Try it with broccoli or olives (wait…are olives a vegetable?). You could even go nuts and skewer up some pineapple and anchovies (but ewww).

Obviously, if you want to keep the cheesy fondue warm, you’ll want to put it in a nice fondue pot on low heat. But my fondue pot is straight from That 70s Show and a weirdo split pea soup color so I put mine in a pretty bowl instead. The moral of this story? Do what works. With pizza. With life.

Pizza Fondue

Yield: 2 as a main dish or 4 as an appetizer

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients

For the fondue:

• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 cup dry white wine, divided (I used Sauvignon Blanc)
• 1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 ounces cream cheese, cut in small cubes
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or Asiago
• Pinch Nutmeg
• Italian Herbs (optional)

For serving:

• Meatballs
• Pepperoni
• Garlic Bread, cubed
• Peppers, chopped
• Mushrooms
• Marinara sauce

Instructions

For the dippers:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Soak bamboo skewers in water for 10 minutes. Place chunks of garlic bread, meatball, and pepperoni on skewers. Or you can skip the skewers and place them directly on a baking sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until garlic bread is crisped and meatballs are heated through.

For the fondue:

1. Heat a small sauce pan over medium high heat. Add the grated garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add all but about 2 Tablespoons of the wine and lemon juice to the pot and bring to a simmer.
2. Add the cream cheese and whisk until melted. Add the cheese, a handful at a time, whisking well after each addition, until mixture is smooth and cheese is totally melted.
3. Dissolve a Tablespoon of cornstarch in the remaining wine. Whisk it into the pot and allow it to simmer for an additional minute or two or until thickened.
4. Season with a pinch of nutmeg and sprinkle with Italian herbs if desired. Transfer to a fondue pot to keep warm or serve immediately.
5. Add marinara sauce to a microwave safe bowl, cover, and microwave until hot through, stirring every minute.
6. Serve fondue and marinara with meatball skewers and fresh vegetables.

Notes

This recipe is easily doubled or tripled to serve a crowd.
I do not recommend using pre-shredded cheese as it can be difficult to melt and may cause clumping.
If you're serving this to kids, feel free to substitute milk for the wine.

 Fondue recipe adapted from Conscious Feast