What's not to love about a rich, gooey Swiss cheese dip? Particularly one that requires only four ingredients and is ready in just 15 minutes? This easy snack or appetizer is perfect for dipping, dunking, scooping, and sharing.
Like my skillet beer cheese dip, this hot Swiss cheese dip is made in a cast iron skillet with just a handful of ingredients. The addition of sparkling wine and Swiss cheese make it a little fancier than beer cheese, but it's no more difficult to make and will be devoured just as quickly.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Everything is prepared and served in a single skillet, making clean up quick and easy.
- You can prepare it on the stovetop, grill, camp stove, or over your campfire.
- It's ready in just 15 minutes.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sparkling wine--I prefer to use Prosecco here, but any dry sparkling wine will work. Don't use sweet wine as it will change the flavor of the dip.
- Cream cheese--This helps to thicken the dip and also helps to stabilize the mixture so that you get a thick, creamy, scoop-able dip. Use full-fat cream cheese for best results. Cutting it into cubes will help it melt quicker.
- Swiss cheese--You can use regular Swiss cheese, or your favorite Alpine cheese, such as Emmental or Gruyère. Don't use pre-grated cheese as it doesn't melt well.
- Mustard--This cuts through the richness of the cheese and adds flavor to the dip. Dijon mustard is best for this, but you can substitute ¼ teaspoon mustard powder.
Important Steps
- Combine the Prosecco, cream cheese, Swiss cheese, and mustard in a 6-inch cast iron skillet.
- Place the skillet over low heat on a stovetop, grill, camp stove, or campfire and let the cheese melt slowly, stirring occasionally, until smooth.
FAQs
Regular Swiss cheese is going to work perfectly in this recipe. It melts well and has great flavor. You can substitute another Alpine cheese, such as Emmental or Gruyère, or a combination, but they do tend to be more expensive.
Bread cubes are a great vehicle for dipping, dunking, and scooping up your cheesy cast iron skillet dip. Rustic, chewy breads like sourdough, or strong flavored breads like rye are great choices to pair with the dip. If you're serving gluten-free folks, offer gluten-free bread or rice crackers as an alternative.
If you've experienced Swiss fondue, you may find that the flavor of this melted Swiss cheese dip is very similar, but it is prepared differently. It uses cream cheese to thicken the sauce instead of flour, and it is a bit thicker than traditional fondue. It also doesn't require any fussing with burners to keep the cheese warm.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- This cast iron skillet cheese dip recipe was created for a small 6-inch skillet, which is perfect for feeding 4 to 5 people. To make a big batch, double the amounts and prepare it in a 10-inch skillet.
- Melt the cheese over low heat. I can't stress the importance of this enough. Don't try to rush it. Letting the mixture get too hot can cause the cheese to separate and become grainy.
- The skillet will be very full. If you are concerned about it overflowing, add half of the Swiss cheese to begin with, then stir in the rest after it melts.
- Store leftover cheese in a sealed container in your fridge or cooler for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over low heat, or in 15-second bursts in your microwave until warmed through.
- This recipe is suitable for gluten-free diets.
The Most Important Thing to Remember
The most helpful piece of advice I can give you when making this recipe is to keep the dip over low heat at all times. It can be tempting to speed things along, but it is important that you don't. Heating the dip too quickly or over high heat will cause the cheese to separate and you will end up with a grainy dip. Low heat allows it to melt slowly and emulsify into a smooth sauce.
More Cast Iron Skillet Recipes You'll Love
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Recipe
Swiss Cheese Dip
Equipment
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Prosecco or other dry sparkling wine
- 4 ounces cream cheese cut into cubes
- 2 cups (7 oz | 200 g) shredded Swiss cheese
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Bread cubes for dipping
Instructions
- Combine the wine, cream cheese, Swiss cheese, and mustard in a cast-iron skillet.
- Set it over low heat on your stovetop, grill, campfire, or camp stove and let it melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 10 to 15 minutes.PRO TIP: When you combine all of the ingredients, the skillet will be very full. To make it easier to stir, add half of the Swiss cheese at first, then add the remaining half once everything is melted.
- Serve immediately, with bread cubes for dipping.
Notes
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- Scaling--This cast iron skillet cheese dip recipe was created for a small 6-inch skillet, which is perfect for feeding 4 to 5 people. To make a big batch, double the amounts and prepare it in a 10-inch skillet.
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- Keep it on low heat--Melt the cheese over low heat. I can't stress the importance of this enough. Don't try to rush it. Letting the mixture get too hot can cause the cheese to separate and become grainy.
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- Storage and reheating--Store leftover cheese in a sealed container in your fridge or cooler for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet over low heat, or in 15-second bursts in your microwave until warmed through.
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- Dietary--This recipe is suitable for gluten-free diets.
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