Grilled Beer Cheese Fondue

This ooey, gooey Grilled Beer Cheese Fondue is a perfectly tasty way to start off your next cook-out or campfire dinner...

So it just occurred to me over the weekend that Father's Day is next Sunday. I swear, all of these holidays always seem to sneak up on me! Or maybe I am just trying to block out knowing that it is coming... 

Have I ever mentioned that my dad happens to be the hardest person ever to shop for?? I am sure I am not the only daughter who has this same issue, but when my dad sees something that he wants he just buys it. 

So every single year, Father's Day, Christmas, and his birthday are always a gift-giving struggle for me. I had been buying him gift cards to his favorite stores and online shops to solve this on-going dilemma, but my mother confessed to me recently that my dad often forgets that he has them and they are all stacked together in a far corner of a shelf. 

So this coming Father's Day, I have a new plan- to make him a dinner fit for a dad! ;)

When I think of my dad and food, grilling automatically comes to mind. My dad rarely cooked when I was at home, but he always manned the grill. 

When I started planning my Father's Day feast, I knew that the grill would definitely have to be involved. Yep, the grill and cheese. And meat and beer. All the makings of a perfect Father's Day cook-out. 

Chocolate Cheesecake Fondue

So over the summer, I FINALLY closed out a storage unit I had in another state for over two years.  Just about my entire life was packed into that storage unit, including some of my most prized culinary treasures.  I knew opening each box would be like a little Christmas morning for me...  "Oh, I forgot I had this!" and... "Awesome!  I was hoping that I would find this!"  But I don't think I was more excited than when I opened one box in particular and there was my electric fondue pot.  Finally!  I could make fondue again! This fondue pot had witnessed many an evening with me as the dinner party host.  Sometimes brimming with gooey cheese, other times with a steaming broth for cooking meat, but most often bubbling with a sweet and creamy concoction perfect for dipping marshmallows and bits of fresh fruit in.  So, how did I christen my newly rediscovered fondue pot??  With a Chocolate Cheesecake Fondue, of course! ;)

What you will need:

16 oz (2 packages) of cream cheese

2.5 oz of unsweetened baking chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup of sugar

2 tbsp of Kahlua (or another dessert liqueur)- optional

Put both the bricks of cream cheese in the fondue pot and turn the heating setting to medium heat.  When the cream cheese is partially melted, add the Kahlua (you can add a smidge more, I won't tell) and stir.  Continue to heat and stir the cream cheese mixture until all the cheese is smooth and melted.  

Add in the chopped baking chocolate and the sugar.  Continue stirring until the chocolate is completely melted and your fondue looks very much like what you see above. :)

Serve your fondue with lots of fun dippers.  We had marshmallows, cherries, strawberries, and chunks of angel food cake.  Graham crackers would be fabulous too!  

If (and that's a big IF) you happen to have any Chocolate Cheesecake Fondue leftover, it makes a fabulous spread for graham crackers the next day.  Just take out your refrigerated leftovers about 20 minutes before you are ready to serve to let it soften a bit. 

So how about you?  Do you fondue too?

Pssstttt... This will also be a perfect recipe if Frankenstorm does make an appearance in your neighborhood and you lose power- just use a fondue pot that requires only the heat of a candle. ;) It will take a little longer to come together, but it will be worth the wait.  Trust me. ;)

Bring your favorite chocolate dessert to Roxana’s home baking #chocolateparty and win amazing prizes from OXO, Calphalon, Keurig, Imperial Sugar, Honey Ridge Farmsand Land O Lakes® Butter