this post is sponsored by EmmiUSA. thank you for supporting the partnerships that allow brewing happiness to grow and exist. xoxo.

I’m ALWAYS looking for ways to lure my friends into my home with food-related events. No matter if it’s brunch or Summer Solstice or just a cheese board, I will find a way to make people come over and eat with me. It’s one of my talents. (Although, when you’re offering food, it’s not too hard of a sell.)

So I’ve been pondering new, fun little “parties” to throw with my friends, and the idea of fondue came to mind. It felt like a very retro thing to do, but who can resist melted cheese? I texted my best lady friends and got emphatic YES’s to the invite. Thus, a healthyish cheese fondue dinner party plan was born. (I did get some texts from some very saddened men that they weren’t invited, so maybe when you throw one just invite everyone who likes cheese so you can avoid the pouting of men.)

I was lucky enough that Emmi USA sent me their DELICIOUS and super easy Fresh Blend Fondü. All I had to do was melt it in a pot with some white wine, and keep it hot while we dipped things in it. So it made the prep work for this party very stress free and minimal. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Here’s the thing about throwing a “healthyish” fondue party: YOU DON’T FEEL BLOATED AND GROSS AND SICK TO YOUR STOMACH AFTERWARDS. It’s a literal food miracle. Did we overeat? Yeah, absolutely. It’s kinda mandatory when eating fondue. But did we have upset stomaches or a “food hangover?” Nope. Because – sure we’re eating hot cheese mixed with wine, but if what you are choosing to dip into that are fresh vegetables, fruits, healthy grains, and lean protein then you’re living that perfect balance. It’s the health-ier way. A little bit of health with a little bit of indulgence.

So now that you’re convinced that you absolutely NEED to throw a healthyish fondue party right now, let’s get down to the nitty gritty. Here’s how to do it.

How to Throw a Healthyish Cheese Fondue Party

[THE CHEESE]

This isn’t the healthy part. This is the indulgent, fun part. And this should also be the easy part. Don’t make it harder on yourself than it has to be by curating your own blend of cheeses. Leave it to the professionals. Just grab a bag of Emmi Fresh Blend Fondü and give yourself 15ish minutes to watch it come together. This way you can focus on the accouterments and you can actually have fun at your own party.

*For anyone wondering, this is where I got my amazing fondue pot!

A NOTE: The bag of Emmi Fresh Blend Fondü suggests 3/4 cup dry white wine, but we found we liked the taste and consistency better with more wine. So we ended up adding about 1 – 1 1/2 cups dry white wine. But it’s all up to you!

[THE DIPPERS]

In order to select the dippers, I let myself go into Whole Foods and wander around until my heart, eyes, and stomach were satisfied. I was looking for color, health, and balance here and I think I nailed it. You don’t have to do exactly what I did, but if you follow my guide people will be very happy.

PRODUCE

• radishes – their stems make it easy to dip with your hands and it’s a nice fresh pop against the cheese.
• yellow bell pepper – they’re beautiful, crisp, sweet, and easy to dip.
• purple cauliflower – why serve cauliflower when you can serve purple cauliflower?
• broccoflower  – Like a cross between broccoli and cauliflower. Easy for dipping. Very crunchy. Plus, I’m not sure there is a more beautiful vegetable. (You can sub broccoli for this, if you want!)

FRUIT

• apples – the sweetness and crispness is incredible with the cheese. (I used fuji, but you can use any!)
• asian pear  – crunchy like an apple, sweet like a pear. I’m convinced they are the most delicious fruit that exists. They add a really nice sweetness to this platter.
• muscat grapes – we didn’t actually dip these in the cheese, but having a little grape snack in between bites of melty cheese was really perfect. (You could sub red or green grapes.)

CARBS

• A Nutrient-Dense Bread Loaf – Ours was a sunflower spelt loaf and the nuttiness plus the crispy crust was PERFECT.
• A Statement Cracker – I got these date lemon crackers on a whim, and they might have been our favorite thing to dip into the cheese. I highly recommend getting a unique, fun cracker for your plate. Plus, it’s fun to make little cheese sandwiches on.
• Roasted Baby Potatoes – This was the most decadent “comfort food” dipper we had, and they were the hit of the party. Who can say no to cheesy potatoes? I roasted mine in a cast iron skillet, but you could also use the oven. These required the most prep-work, but they were well worth it.

PROTEIN

• Grilled Chicken Breast – I just got a couple of organic grilled chicken breasts from the deli counter, and cut them up. It was easy to do and provided more sustenance for those who wanted that. You could also sub veggie sausage, tofu nuggets, or smoked salmon!

[THE DRINKS]

An important element of any good party is a good drink! We went for a bottle of champagne that we had leftover from New Years. It felt like a fun occasion to break it out. But if I had more time I would have made a fun healthyish cocktail to go along with the evening. I think either this Green Grape Sangria or my Green Tea Sangria would have been perfect. Both call for white wine, so you could use the same wine for your fondue as you do for your cocktail and just kill two birds with one bottle.

Also, any good healthyish party should have tons of WATER being chugged alongside the adult beverages. (You can’t see it, but hidden beneath the table are all of our bottles of water.) ‘Cause life’s all about balance.

[CONCLUSION]

If it wasn’t obvious to you before, I hope it’s obvious now that a fondue party is an absolute must in your life. Call all the ladies (and men) in your life and melt some friggin cheese. Just don’t forget to add in your healthyish additions so that you can feel like a rockstar while stuffing hot cheese in your mouth. Balance is everything, dear friends. Treat yourself to a magical night with your favorite people. You won’t regret it.

xo.