In the alps, melted cheese takes center stage on many dishes: fondue, several variations on gratin potatoes and my personal favorite: raclette. The literal translation of “raclette” comes from the French verb meaning “to scrape.” In a restaurant, half of a wheel of cheese will be melted and then scraped onto baked potatoes, similar to the photo below.
Raclette parties are common in the Alpine regions of Europe, especially in the winter when comfort foods are just so comforting!
So what does a traditional raclette meal involve? It usually includes a variety of cheeses that are melted along with cured meats served over melted potatoes (and sometimes broccoli too), with a side of gherkin pickles and cocktail onions.
You can buy a fancy raclette grill online if you want, but if you don’t plan to make it that often you can always melt the cheese on a pan and “scrape” it onto your potatoes. We even made this once around a campfire! Everyone got a potato and some cured meats and some cheese, then wrapped it all in tin foil and put it near the campfire to melt.
We highly recommend using our Sharp Cheddar and Smoked Cheddar or any of our Cheddar and Colby Cheeses for your next raclette feast! In Europe they will use a cheese that is marketed as “raclette” that tastes somewhat similar to a strong Swiss or Gruyère cheese, but all you need is a cheese you enjoy that melts well. Our cheese certainly fits that bill!
Raclette Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1.5 lbs mini Yukon Gold potatoes
1 crown of broccoli if desired
3 (8oz) blocks Conebella Farm Cheddar or Colby cheeses, sliced
2 small packs of cured meats like peppered salami, prosciutto or speck
Gherkin pickles (optional)
Cocktail onions (optional)
Instructions:
Boil the potatoes 12-15 minutes, drain and serve.
Steam the broccoli 5-6 minutes.
Arrange a board with the sliced cheeses, cured meats and little bowls with gherkins and cocktail onions.
Melt the cheese on a raclette grill pan or a sauté pan. Grill the cured meats as desired on top of the raclette grill or on a sauté pan. Pour melted cheese over the potatoes and broccoli. Serve with meats and pickles/onions on the side. Serve and enjoy!