Pizza Fondue

Fondue is such a fun appetizer to set out when friends are over for drinks to catch up, or to dip into with your family on game nights. It’s also one of many tasty retro Christmas recipes that deserve a comeback. With savory cheddar and gooey mozzarella plus zesty store-bought pizza sauce and browned ground beef, this pizza fondue is an extra flavorful take on the melty snack that’s ready for dipping in just 30 minutes.

Ingredients for Pizza Fondue

• Pizza sauce: You’ll need 30 ounces of pizza sauce, which you can find in jars at the store. You can also make homemade pizza sauce if you have spare time.
• Ground beef: Knowing how to brown ground beef properly is key to coaxing the most flavor from this pizza fondue recipe.
• Shredded cheese: This fondue base is made from two types of shredded cheese. Cheddar gives the dip lots of savory flavor, and mozzarella makes it melty, gooey and stretchy. Shred your own cheese for the best texture once melted.
• Onion: Add the onion to the pan while browning the beef. It’s best if you dice your onions neatly, but you can also look for diced onions in the freezer aisle at the store.
• Seasonings: Your pizza sauce will have its own seasoning, so you only need to add a little additional garlic powder and dried basil or oregano.
• Dippers: We recommend serving pizza fondue with crisp breadsticks, slices of garlic toast or thick wedges of green bell pepper. Mini naan dippers would also work—plus, they look like little pizza crusts.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the beef

In a large saucepan, cook the ground beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles as it cooks. Drain off the excess grease and return the pan to the stove.

Step 2: Add the rest of the ingredients

Stir in the pizza sauce, basil and garlic powder. Reduce the heat to low. Add the shredded cheddar and mozzarella, and stir the sauce until they’re melted.

Step 3: Serve

Transfer the sauce to a small fondue pot or 1-1/2-quart slow cooker. Keep it warm. Serve the fondue with breadsticks, garlic toast and green peppers.

Pizza Fondue Variations

• Make a pepperoni pizza fondue: Dice up some pepperoni and stir it into the ground beef and onion mixture after draining the excess grease. Give it a minute or two to heat through, then add the next ingredients.
• Add vegetables: Dice and saute your favorite pizza vegetables, like green pepper, black olives, banana peppers, mushrooms or broccoli.
• Make it spicy: There are lots of ways to add heat to this hot dip. Use a spicy cheese like pepper jack or habanero cheddar. Stir crushed red pepper or cayenne into the mixture. Alternatively, add a bit of chili crisp or a dash of hot sauce to the cheesy fondue. Any of our favorite hot sauce brands would be a welcome addition.

How to Store Pizza Fondue

If you have leftover pizza fondue, let it cool and then transfer it to a tightly covered food storage container. Store the fondue in the refrigerator.

How long does pizza fondue last?

The pizza fondue will last for up to four days, as long as it’s kept chilled in a covered dish.

How do you reheat pizza fondue?

Transfer the cold pizza fondue to a saucepan set it over medium-low heat. Stir it often until it’s smooth and melted. Add a little extra pizza sauce to the dip to help loosen it up if needed.

Pizza Fondue Tips

What should you serve with pizza fondue?

Crisp breadsticks, garlic toast and sliced green peppers are some of our favorite dippers to serve with pizza fondue. You can also set out slices of baguette, croutons and pretzel rods. Sturdy snack crackers are also delicious with this dip. You can also offer more fresh veggie dippers like cauliflower and broccoli florets.

What else can you do with pizza fondue?

Pizza fondue is perfect as a dip, but there are more ways to enjoy it. Make tasty toasts by spreading fondue over slices of French bread and broiling them until the cheesy sauce is bubbling. Like pizza fries? Make pizza fondue fries by spooning it over fresh french fries, tater tots or steak fries. Or turn the fondue into a big plate of nachos. Pour pizza fondue over a large plate of tortilla chips and top them with sliced olives, jalapenos and any of your other favorite nacho toppings.