Name: Spinach Cheese Fondue
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 garlic clove (rub pot with garlic and discard); 1/3 cup Chardonnay (or any white wine); 8 ounces cream cheese; 16 ounces Mexican cheese blend; 1/4 cup milk; 1/3 cup packed spinach (frozen spinach that's microwaved & squeeze out water); 1/4 cup scallions; 1 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp black pepper; 1/2 cup milk (add little at a time and whisk to avoid curdling); 1 baguette (cubed, Italian or French)

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Creamy and mouthwatering Spinach Cheese Fondue that’s incredible with bread, chips, or fruit. A holiday or a party favorite.

My brother has been making cheese fondue every Christmas for the past 15 years. It’s so good and addictive. I look forward to Christmas every year because I’m so excited to eat his Spinach Cheese Fondue.

This year I won’t be going back home to NJ for Christmas, and so he was kind enough to share this recipe with me and now I’m sharing it with all of you, with his permission, of course. 🙂

Let me tell you that getting this recipe was no easy task. His recipe was all over the place because he changes the recipe slightly every year. sigh! We finally agreed on the measurements and this recipe tastes exactly how my brother makes his.

What is Spinach Cheese Fondue?

Spinach Cheese Fondue is essentially a hot mixture of cream cheese, cheese, milk, and spinach. In this recipe, I’ve added white wine which gives this fondue so much flavor.

Can I make this recipe vegan, gluten-free?

This recipe is already gluten-free.

For vegan – you can try a vegan cheese and cream cheese, although I haven’t tried it and am not sure how it’ll turn out.

What should I do if my cheese fondue thickens up?

If your fondue thickens up, simply warm it up on the stove and add a little milk. Make sure to add very little milk at a time and whisk it in. At this time, you can adjust the flavors and add more cayenne pepper, garlic powder, or black pepper as needed.

Can I make Spinach Cheese Fondue without wine?

Absolutely. I will say the Spinach Cheese Fondue tastes incredible when cooked with wine. Wine just lends a certain flavor in cooking that can’t otherwise be replicated.

With that said, you can absolutely skip the wine, but the flavors won’t be exactly the same. Where this recipe calls for wine, I would substitute milk and cook it down with cream cheese. The rest of the recipe should be exactly the same.

Tips on making Spinach Cheese Fondue:

Make sure the milk, cheese, and cream cheese are all at room temperature.
Cook the fondue on low-medium heat and then drop it to low heat once the cheese has been added.
Serve the fondue on a warming tray or slow cooker or electric fondue maker.

Ingredients you’ll need for Spinach Cheese Fondue:

Garlic: You need a clove of garlic to just rub the hot pot with. It adds a subtle hint of garlic without it being too overpowering.

Chardonnay: I like using a Chardonnay for this recipe, but any white wine will work too.

Cream Cheese: Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. Regular cream cheese or Neufchatel cream cheese will both work.

Mexican Cheese Blend: Simply buy a packet of shredded Mexican cheese – a combo of Monterey, Colby, and Cheddar is what you’re looking for, or a similar combination. The cheese should also be at room temperature.

Milk: The milk should be at room temperature. Use whole milk or 2% reduced-fat milk in this recipe. This recipe calls for milk twice. The second time, make sure you add milk a little bit at a time to attain your desired consistency.

Spinach: Use frozen chopped spinach for this recipe. Take a good amount of it and microwave it. Once the spinach cools, squeeze out the excess water. Measure the spinach at this time and you should have 1/3 cup of packed spinach.

Scallions: You’ll need chopped scallions for this recipe.

Spices: Cayenne Pepper, Garlic Powder, Black Pepper. Note: this recipe doesn’t need any salt as cheese has more than enough salt.

Spinach Cheese Fondue is:

Creamy
Cheesy
Mouthwatering
Irresistible
Addictive
Party Favorite
10 Ingredients
Vegetarian
Gluten-free

How to make Spinach Cheese Fondue recipe step by step?

Prep

1. Chop scallions. Microwave a handful of frozen chopped spinach. Once it cools, remove the excess water. You will need 1/3 cup of packed spinach once the extra water is removed.

Cook

1. Heat up a pot on low-medium heat. Once hot, rub a garlic clove all over. This adds a touch of garlic without overdoing it.
2. Now add chardonnay (or any white wine) and cream cheese.
3. Using a whisk, start breaking down the cream cheese.
4. Three minutes later you should have a smooth and creamy mixture.

6. Reduce the heat to low. Now add Mexican blend cheese. Be careful the cheese doesn’t curdle so add a little bit at a time or make sure the cheese is at room temperature.
7. Use a whisk to stir it in.
8. Once mixed in, it should be smooth and creamy. Now add 1/4 cup of milk (we will add more later, but just start with a 1/4 cup). Slowly whisk it in.
9. Add the microwaved spinach with the water squeezed out. Whisk it in.
10. Add all the spices – cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and black pepper. Whisk it in.

11. Now add another 1/2 cup of milk – a little bit at a time. Check the consistency and add milk until you reach your desired consistency. You can add anywhere from 1/2 cup – 3/4 cup of milk.
12. This is the consistency I like.
13. Cover the cheese fondue and turn off the stove. This will keep it warm.
14. Chop up some bread – a good Italian or French baguette works.

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