The next Cinco de Mayo celebration lands on May 5, 2023 but you don’t need to wait till then to try a cheese fondue fountain!
Make like us and take your Sephra Select Fondue Fountain for a little test run!
A step-by-step guide
First of all, we checked out #cheesefondue on Instagram. There were thousands of results, but not much with a cheese fondue fountain.
Pinterest has quite a few nice photos and we’re pleased to say most of the good ones are with Sephra fountains!
We used the Sephra Select Home Fountain and set about turning dinner into an event.
The benefits of using a Sephra Select
Home fondue fountains get a bad rep, but here’s why… there are so many cheap ‘knock-offs’ out there.
The prices are so low, who can resist? But once you get it home and try it, you’ll know why it’s so cheap.
Many home fondue fountain models are such a pain to use, clean and make noise like a garbage disposal when they’re turned on.
Needless to say, this doesn’t create a great ambience for your event.
But all Sephra fountains benefit from the following traits:
- A whisper-quiet motor
- Easy to assemble
- Easy to use
- Dishwasher-safe parts (with the exception of the base)
Get ready for a family cheese fondue Sunday dinner!
You will need:
- Ground beef or turkey – seasoned with Lawrey’s Taco Seasoning (we cooked it up in a fry pan and transferred to the crock pot for serving)
- Store-bought crunchy taco shells
- Flour tortillas for burrito-type wraps
- Corn chips
- Shredded cheese
- Que Bueno Nacho Cheese Sauce
- Refried beans
- Guacamole or sliced avocado (or both!)
- Tomatoes
- Shredded lettuce or spinach
- Sour cream
- Sliced olives
- Salsas (one mild, one not so mild)
- Jalapeno peppers
We loved using the Que Bueno Nacho Cheese Sauce (which we picked up at Costco).
We used about half the can and thinned it with 2-3 cups of chicken broth.
You could also use flat beer or white wine mixed with water (1\1 ratio) to thin the cheese. Great for adult parties!
Alternatively, you can just use water to thin the cheese, but it reduces the flavor slightly. That’s why we prefer the chicken broth.
How to make the cheese fondue:
We used a 4-cup measuring cup to mix the nacho cheese and chicken broth, heating in the microwave as we went.
The cheese and liquid is easily blended with a fork or small whisk. And, although the Que Bueno contains tiny bits of jalapeno, it didn’t interfere with the flow of the cheese.
We popped the fountain on the “heat” setting as we got ready to add the cheese.
Then we poured the nacho cheese from the measuring cup into the base of the heated fountain. Tip: You’ll want to fill it pretty much up to the rim!
It looked and and smelled fantastic. We were pretty excited to dig in!
Troubleshooting:
If your cheese does not ‘robe’ (i.e. cover the tiers as it flows), try the following…
– Turn the fountain off for about one minute. Then turn it back on. This is known as burping your fountain. It lets excess air escape.
– You may need to add more cheese. Heat it in the micro at half power a minute or so before adding. Once enough cheese is flowing and your fountain is properly burped – you should be good to go!
– The cheese may be a bit thick and need more liquid. Simply pour a small amount at a time into the fountain base, using a whisk to blend it a bit. You can do this while the fountain is running.
It will flow through the fountain and mix itself. When the fountain flows smoothly stop adding liquid.
The cheese shouldn’t be too thin, as you want it to be good dipping cheese when people stick chips, bacon, and other goodies right into the flow.
We added Maple Candied Bacon to the dipping selection. Pretty tasty!
7 fun cheese fondue party ideas
- Super Bowl or any football or sporting get-together – your hungry team of NFL supporters will love this cheese feast
- Cinco de Mayo – commemorate Mexican culture and heritage with loaded nachos
- Quinceañeras – celebrate like the Aztecs, who were the inspiration behind Sephra fountains
- Wedding reception – these days anything goes so why not thrill your guests with a self-serve taco bar?
- Birthday parties – kids will love the fountain. Just make sure you communicate the no double dipping rule!
- Summer parties – a great alternative or addition to a traditional BBQ
- Any Mexican fiesta! – the spicier the better!
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