Winter Cheese Board with German Beer Cheese Fondue

So lately, it’s become apparent that cheese boards are something of a hobby / passion project for me. If I have a week where I don’t have much client work going on, my grocery cart is subconsciously navigated to the cheese counter of my store, and before I know it, I’m brainstorming another seasonal cheese board. They’re so much fun to put together, they’re beautiful to photograph, and let’s face it: eating a big ol’ platter of cheese and goodies for dinner isn’t the worst thing. So today, we’ve got a Winter Cheese Board with German Beer Cheese Fondue to talk about. Here’s what we have going on:

• German Beer Cheese Fondue (recipe below!)
• Blue cheese – I used Bleu d’Auvergne, which is a French blue cheese for those who love a good funky cheese
• Mild cow’s milk cheese – I used Jarlsberg, which is a Norwegian cheese, with holes much like classic Swiss cheese
• Random, interesting cheese – I used Red Dragon, which is an English cheddar made with Welsh brown ale and mustard seeds
• Fresh seasonal fruit, like clementines, persimmons, pomegranates and grapes
• Dried fruit, like cranberries and citrus slices
• Charcuterie, like prosciutto and sliced hard salami or sopressata
• Nuts, like pistachios or cashews
• Honeycomb or honey
• Crackers and bread
• Dark chocolate and peanut brittle, because why the heck not?

Yield: 6 servings

German Beer Cheese Fondue

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Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 ounces Colby Jack cheese, grated
• 4 ounces Muenster cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup German beer, such as Weihenstephaner
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Place cheeses and cornstarch in large zip-top bag and shake to combine.
2. In small saucepan, heat garlic and beer to a bare simmer over medium-low heat. Add the cheese mixture, a small handful at a time, stirring constantly, until all cheese is incorporated and mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.