spinache artichoke fondue/ Cheddar fondue

Our Version of Melting Pot's Spinach Artichoke Cheese Fondue

I love this fondue. It is one of my favorites at Melting Pot and I nailed it on the head (with a lot of help from my waiter.. he was nice enough to pretty much hand the recipe to us last time we were there). My husband and I do a fancy Christmas candlelight dinner each year and this is what we made for part of it this year. It was perfect. I am telling you, this IS the recipe.

3 oz. vegetable broth
appx. 1-2 oz. fresh spinach, chopped
appx. 1-2 oz. artichoke hearts, chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
2 1/2 oz. Butterkäse cheese* (if you can't find this, you can substitute Farmer's Cheese or Romanian Cream Cheese.. if you can't find these either, see the recipe below to make your own "fake" Butterkäse.)
2 1/2 oz. Fontina cheese
1 tsp. grated Parmesan cheese
dash Tabasco sauce

Heat vegetable broth in fondue-type unit or similar cooking pot. When hot (do not bring to a boil) add spinach, artichoke hearts, and garlic and mix well. Combine Butterkäse and Fontina and add a little bit at a time to spinach/artichoke mixture, stirring constantly until you reach your desired consistency. Stir in Parmesan cheese and Tabasco sauce. Serve with french bread pieces and/or lightly steamed vegetables.

*Fake Butterkäse (Keep in mind, the fake really isn't quite as good so try your hardest to find the real Butterkäse. Only use this recipe if you are desperate and truly can't find it anywhere):
Mix 1/2 brick (4oz) of cream cheese with 1/4 cup of buttermilk and 1/2 tablespoon of sour cream.. you would only use 2 1/2 oz. of this so a LITTLE more than half of what this recipe would make.

Cheddar Cheese Fondue

For the CHEESE:

1 1/2 c. beef broth
1/2 c. milk
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. ground, dry mustard
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tbsp. flour
6 c. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (the higher-quality the cheddar, the better the fondue will be!)

In a saucepan over LOW heat, combine beef broth, milk, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, garlic and flour. When it is ALMOST to a boil (don't let it boil!) gradually stir in the cheese doing a figure-8 motion. Add beef broth to thin if needed. When all the cheese has melted, transfer to a crock pot or fondue pot. (Easy huh?!)