When we moved to Utah three years ago, I faced a dilemma. Our kids were old enough where my husband and I wanted to be in our home for Christmas, but the traditions we both grew up doing involved our families. I felt this pull to create our own family tradition and I didn’t know what to do. I wanted something that was unique, special, and that brought our family together. After talking to my husband, we decided to do fondue at home on Christmas Eve. It’s been a huge hit ever since!
I love this new tradition for many reasons. Fondue is a meal that isn’t rushed, it’s an experience. My kids never ask to leave the dinner table early. Instead, we put on Christmas music (usually N*Sync Christmas) and we laugh and dance in between bites. I love how involved everyone is in prepping the food. My older kids help prep the vegetables and fruit while my youngest puts everything in a bowl. We talk about what they think Santa will bring or about their favorite Christmas movie. I also enjoy seeing my kids try new foods for the first time. I would’ve never known how much they loved shrimp until we tried it our first year. This tradition helps my family connect in so many ways.
I usually start out with a Cheese fondue for an appetizer. We’ll snack on that while we prep for the main course. We love to grab pretzel bites, pepperoni, crackers, and other things to dip with. For the main coarse, I make a garlic broth, place it on a hot plate, and cook various meats and vegetables in it. Steak and Shrimp are our favorite meats while zucchini and onions are the favorite vegetables. I make 2-3 sauces to dip the meat and veggies in. So good!
For dessert, I love to make a hot fudge sauce that I grew up with. We dip strawberries, brownies, marshmallows, cinnamon bears, and much more. I’d have to say that dessert is my favorite course of the night.
I thought I’d share the recipe of the hot fudge sauce. Maybe it’ll spark your a fondue night with your family. You’ll love it! What traditions do you like to do for the holidays?
