Basic Cheese Fondue

At our house, Valentine's Day means a fondue dinner.  I've tried out a zillion cheese fondue recipes and this one is the easiest--perfect for a school-night V-Day celebration.  I used Cheddar and Swiss, but you can switch it up and use Gruyere, Fontina, Emmentaler, or even Monterey jack instead.  We like to dip french bread cubes, steamed vegetables and apple cubes.

For dessert, try out an easy-peasy Chocolate Fondue.

Basic Cheese Fondue

1 1/4 cups apple juice
8 oz. softened cream cheese, cubed
2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 1/2 cups grated Swiss cheese
2 1/2 Tablespoons flour
dash cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Heat apple juice in fondue pot over medium heat until almost boiling.
2. Add cream cheese cubes slowly, stirring until cream cheese melts and mixture is smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, combine cheddar, Swiss, flour, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Add grated cheese mixture to the fondue pot, a little at a time, stirring constantly until cheese melts and the fondue is smooth. If too thick, heat more apple juice and add to fondue until the desire consistency is reached.
5. Serve with assorted dippers.