recipe: insanely easy, over the top incredible, ultra- creamy crockpot cheese fondue

i am a woman who is passionate about dip.

call me crazy, but sometimes life just tastes a little better when you're dunking food into other food.  when i was growing up my family always held a fondue night on new years eve, which was essentially an excuse to feast excessively for many hours on end.  every year someone attempts to whip up the tres gourmet cheese fondue recipe that is full of expensive cheese without letting it burn or curdle.  while i can honestly say it's always phenomenal-tasting, i wondered if i could invent a yummy, easier-to-make, budget friendly version for steve and i to stuff into our bellies.

not trying to brag or nuthin' but the results were pretty darn amazing tasting!!  it is sharp, it is creamy, and it is guaranteed to be a whole lot easier than constantly stirring a double boiler.  it's definitely going to be a go-to party dish of mine, and i can promise, despite the excess of velveeta, you won't be able to stop eating it until you're out of dipping supplies.

note: the following recipe yields a very large quantity of delicious fondue, some measurements are approximations

you will need:

crusty bread for dipping (or crackers, salami, veggies, whatever)

1 (32 oz) brick of velveeta

1 (8 oz) brick of cream cheese

3 slices kraft swiss singles

1 1/2 cups semi-dry white wine (riesling is your best bet)

2 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp onion powder

2 tbsp garlic powder

salt and pepper

optional: water, beef broth, or chicken broth

 cut up the bread, velveeta, and cream cheese into cubes.  resist temptation to carbo-load on bread whilst making fondue.

put cubed velveeta and cream cheese into the crockpot with 3 slices of kraft swiss singles.  set crockpot on high for 1-2 hours to melt the processed cheese products.  once the cheese has melted enough, stir the combination into a blended consistency (a few remaining unmelted lumps are fine).

when cheese is blended add the white wine and stir into a smooth consistency.  stir in cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste.  switch crockpot to low and let it sit for about another hour.  if the fondue is too thick once ingredients are all blended and melted add broth (i used beef broth, but i imagine chicken works fine as well) or water to thin.

dip your bread (or whatever form of cheese to mouth transportation you've selected) and enjoy!

pigfood

so last night i invented a recipe, which realistically probably already exists.  it's too easy and delicious for nobody to have ever thought of it before, but i promise it just sort of came to me.  i snapped a picture of my plate last night, but it doesn't look too pretty because i was already going for seconds at that point.  this dinner was just too tasty not to share!  The portions are somewhat approximate, as i was mostly eyeballing what i was adding.

balsamic maple pork tenderloin
2 lb pork tenderloin
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
garlic powder
salt
pepper
crushed red chili pepper

place pork in a cast iron dutch oven (or covered metal pot). combine maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and red wine vinegar and sprinkle in a bit of garlic powder.  sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and crushed chillies on top of the pork.  pour syrup and vinegar mixture on top of pork loin.  cover and cook at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes or until pork is fully cooked (time may vary especially if cooking in a metal pot vs cast iron cookware).  i imagine this recipe would work just fine in a slow cooker as well.

oh and if you'd like to make the yummy cheesy potatoes i served with the pork loin, you can find the recipe here.

super yum!  give this a try and let me know how you like it!