14 Fondue Party and Hot Pot Night Ideas That Turn Dinner Into the Best Party of the Year

The best dinner parties are the ones where nobody wants to leave the table. When everyone dips, grills and cooks their own bites, dinner becomes a slow, happy game that can last for hours. That is the magic of a fondue party, and it is the same magic behind Chinese hot pot, Korean barbecue and Swiss raclette. You do most of the prep ahead, set the table and then relax with your guests. Ready to plan the coziest night of winter? Grab your forks..

Classic Swiss Cheese Fondue Party

Melted cheese in a warm pot, long forks and crusty bread: this is where the fondue party began. In Switzerland, it is a winter tradition shared with family and friends. The classic recipe uses white wine, but broth with a little lemon juice works great and keeps it family friendly. Swiss tradition says if you drop your bread, you owe a small forfeit. What should the penalty be at your table?

You will need: 8 oz Gruyere (shredded), 8 oz Emmental (shredded), 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 garlic clove, 1 cup low sodium chicken or vegetable broth, 1 tbsp lemon juice, pinch of nutmeg, black pepper, 1 baguette (cubed), apples, boiled potatoes, broccoli.

How to make it: Toss the cheese with cornstarch. Rub the inside of the pot with the cut garlic. Warm the broth and lemon juice until steaming. Add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring in a zigzag until smooth. Season with nutmeg and pepper. Move to a fondue pot over a low flame and dip away.

Cheddar and Apple Fondue Party Platter

Not a fan of strong Swiss cheese? A sharp cheddar fondue is mild, creamy and kid friendly. Set out a big platter of dippers like apples, sausages, pretzels and roasted potatoes so everyone can try a little of everything. Little colored forks help guests keep track of their bites. Quick poll: A) bread, B) apples, C) pretzels. Best dipper?

You will need: 1 lb sharp cheddar (shredded), 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 1/4 cups milk, 1 tsp mustard, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, pretzel bites, apple slices, cooked sausages, roasted baby potatoes.

How to make it: Toss the cheddar with cornstarch. Warm the milk in a pot until steaming. Add the cheese little by little, stirring until smooth. Stir in mustard and garlic powder. Pour into a fondue pot over low heat. Arrange the dippers on a big platter around it.

Swiss Raclette, the Cousin of a Fondue Party

Raclette is the other famous Swiss cheese party. A big piece of cheese is warmed until the top melts, then scraped right onto plates of potatoes and pickles. At home, a tabletop raclette grill lets everyone melt their own cheese in little pans. The smell alone brings people running. Have you ever tried raclette?

You will need: 1 1/2 lb raclette cheese (sliced), 2 lb small potatoes, cornichons, pickled onions, sliced ham and salami, mushrooms, bell peppers, black pepper, paprika.

How to make it: Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, then keep them warm in a covered dish. Heat the raclette grill. Each guest puts cheese in a small pan and slides it under the heat for 3 to 4 minutes until bubbly. Scrape the melted cheese over potatoes and add pickles.

Chocolate Fondue Party With Berries

Every fondue party needs a sweet ending, and chocolate fondue is the star. Silky warm chocolate with strawberries, bananas and marshmallows makes everyone feel like a kid again. It takes about five minutes to make. Keep the heat very low so it stays smooth. Which would you dip first: strawberry or marshmallow?

You will need: 12 oz semi sweet chocolate (chopped), 1 cup heavy cream, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, strawberries, blueberries, banana slices, marshmallows, pound cake cubes, pretzels.

How to make it: Heat the cream until it just starts to steam. Pour it over the chocolate and wait 2 minutes. Stir until smooth and add vanilla and salt. Pour into a fondue pot over a tea light or very low heat. Set the fruit and dippers around it.

S’mores Chocolate Dip

This dessert fondue brings the campfire inside. A pan of melted chocolate gets topped with marshmallows and toasted under the broiler until golden. Then everyone dips graham crackers and fruit straight into it. Candied orange slices add a fancy twist. Do you like your marshmallows lightly toasted or almost burnt?

You will need: 2 cups milk chocolate chips, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 20 large marshmallows (halved), graham crackers, orange slices, strawberries.

How to make it: Heat the oven broiler. Stir the chocolate and cream in a cast iron skillet over low heat until smooth. Take off the heat and cover the top with marshmallow halves. Broil 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely, until golden. Serve hot with graham crackers and fruit.

Chinese Hot Pot With Two Broths

Chinese hot pot is one of the most fun meals in the world. A pot of simmering broth sits in the middle of the table, often split in two: one spicy and one mild. Guests cook thin meat, tofu, dumplings and greens right at the table, then dip them in their own sauces. Spicy side or mild side?

You will need: 8 cups chicken broth, 2 tbsp hot pot spice paste (for the spicy side), ginger, garlic, 1 lb thin sliced beef, 1 lb thin sliced lamb or pork, tofu, fish balls, napa cabbage, mushrooms, noodles, sesame sauce, soy sauce, chili oil.

How to make it: Heat a split pot on a portable burner and fill both sides with broth. Add spice paste to one side and ginger and garlic to the other. Set out the raw ingredients on plates. Guests cook meat for 30 to 60 seconds until no longer pink, and vegetables until tender.

Japanese Yosenabe Hot Pot

Nabe means pot in Japanese, and a nabe party is a cozy winter tradition. Everything simmers together in a light dashi broth: chicken, fish, tofu, cabbage and mushrooms. At the end, people add rice or noodles to soak up the tasty broth. It is gentle, warming and healthy. Would you finish with rice or noodles?

You will need: 6 cups dashi, 3 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 lb chicken thighs (bite size), 8 oz white fish, 1 block tofu, napa cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, green onions, udon noodles.

How to make it: Bring the dashi, soy sauce and mirin to a simmer in a wide pot on a tabletop burner. Add the chicken first and cook 8 minutes. Add the cabbage, carrots and mushrooms, then fish and tofu. Simmer until everything is cooked. Add udon at the end.

Shabu Shabu Swish Party

Shabu shabu is named after the swish swish sound of thin meat moving through hot broth. Each slice cooks in seconds. Dip it in creamy sesame sauce or tangy ponzu and eat it right away. It is light, interactive and so much fun with friends. Quick poll: A) sesame sauce, B) ponzu, C) both?

You will need: 6 cups kombu broth, 1 lb paper thin sliced beef, 1 lb thin sliced pork, napa cabbage, enoki mushrooms, tofu, carrots, sesame dipping sauce, ponzu sauce, cooked rice.

How to make it: Bring the broth to a gentle simmer on a portable burner. Add some vegetables and tofu to cook first. Pick up a slice of meat with chopsticks and swish it through the broth for 10 to 20 seconds until cooked. Dip and eat. Skim the foam now and then.

Korean Barbecue at Home

Korean barbecue is loud, smoky and full of flavor. Marinated beef sizzles on a tabletop grill while everyone wraps bites in lettuce with rice, garlic and spicy paste. Little side dishes called banchan fill the table. It is less a meal and more a party. Have you ever made a lettuce wrap with barbecue beef?

You will need: 2 lb thin sliced beef rib eye or short ribs, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 3 tbsp brown sugar, 1 grated Asian pear, 5 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp sesame oil, green onions, lettuce leaves, rice, kimchi, ssamjang paste.

How to make it: Mix the soy sauce, sugar, pear, garlic and sesame oil and marinate the beef for at least 2 hours. Heat a tabletop grill or griddle. Grill the beef in small batches 1 to 2 minutes per side. Wrap in lettuce with rice, kimchi and a dab of ssamjang.

Japanese Yakiniku Grill Night

Yakiniku means grilled meat, and in Japan it is a favorite way to celebrate with friends. Small pieces of beef, chicken and vegetables cook quickly on a hot grill and get dipped in a sweet and salty sauce. Everyone grills their own pieces, so there is always something sizzling. What would you grill first?

You will need: 1 lb beef sirloin (thin sliced), 1 lb chicken thighs (bite size), onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, corn, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp grated garlic.

How to make it: Simmer the soy sauce, mirin, sugar and garlic for 3 minutes to make the dipping sauce, then add sesame seeds. Slice the vegetables. Heat a tabletop grill. Grill the meat and vegetables a few pieces at a time and dip them in the sauce.

Vietnamese Lau Hot Pot

In Vietnam, lau is the meal for celebrations and rainy nights. The broth is often sour and fragrant with tomato, pineapple and lemongrass. Seafood, beef and lots of fresh greens go into the pot, and rice noodles soak up the broth at the end. It tastes bright and fresh. Do you like sour and spicy flavors?

You will need: 8 cups chicken broth, 2 stalks lemongrass, 2 tomatoes, 1 cup pineapple chunks, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 lb shrimp, 1/2 lb thin sliced beef, water spinach or bok choy, mushrooms, rice noodles, lime, chili.

How to make it: Simmer the broth with smashed lemongrass, tomatoes, pineapple, fish sauce and sugar for 20 minutes. Move it to a tabletop burner. Add shrimp, beef, greens and mushrooms in small batches and cook until done. Add rice noodles to bowls and ladle the broth over.

Thai Mookata: Grill and Hot Pot in One

Mookata is a Thai party favorite that is a grill and a hot pot at the same time. Meat sizzles on a dome in the middle while the juices drip into a moat of soup around the edge. That soup gets richer as the night goes on. It is perfect for big groups. Grill or soup: which part would you love more?

You will need: 1 lb thin sliced pork belly, 1 lb chicken (sliced), shrimp, 6 cups chicken broth, glass noodles, morning glory or spinach, cabbage, eggs, Thai seafood dipping sauce, lime.

How to make it: Fill the moat of the mookata pan with broth and heat it on a tabletop burner. Rub the dome with a piece of pork fat. Grill the meat on the dome and cook vegetables, noodles and eggs in the broth below. Dip the grilled meat in the sauce.

Tabletop Kebab Grill

A tabletop grill with skewers is an easy way to start your own grill party. Thread chicken, beef and colorful vegetables onto skewers ahead of time, then let guests cook them at the table. Add a couple of dips like garlic yogurt and spicy tomato. It feels like a summer cookout in the middle of winter. Chicken or beef skewers?

You will need: 2 lb chicken or beef cubes, 3 bell peppers, 2 red onions, 1 zucchini, 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 3 garlic cloves, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp cumin, salt, wooden skewers (soaked), yogurt dip.

How to make it: Mix the oil, lemon, garlic and spices and marinate the meat for 2 hours. Cut the vegetables into chunks. Thread meat and vegetables onto the skewers. Heat the tabletop grill and cook the skewers 10 to 12 minutes, turning, until the meat is cooked through.

Fondue Bourguignonne: The Hot Oil Fondue Party

The last idea is the boldest: beef fondue. Cubes of tender steak cook in a pot of hot oil right at the table, then get dipped in sauces like garlic aioli and bearnaise. Keep the pot steady and use long forks for safety. Which of these fondue party ideas will you host? For something cozy to sip, see these cozy hot drinks for cold nights.

You will need: 2 lb beef tenderloin or sirloin (1 inch cubes), 4 cups peanut or canola oil, salt, pepper, garlic aioli, bearnaise sauce, horseradish cream, barbecue sauce.

How to make it: Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil on the stove to 350F, then move it carefully to a metal fondue pot on its stand. Each guest spears a cube with a long fork and cooks it 30 to 60 seconds. Never leave the pot alone.