My Favorite Raclette Recipes & Ideas

Raclette, while invented in Switzerland, is one of the most popular meals to eat for the holidays in Germany, besides cheese fondue. That's because it's a people-pleaser kind of dinner.

Everybody at the table gets to select their favorite 'toppings' to add to the pan, then adds the melty delicious Raclette cheese on top to be grilled by your Raclette grill.

PLUS add some marinated meats, shrimp and veggies on the grill top to make this even more fun. It's a unique way to entertain during the cold months AND have everybody get what they want.

I even used it outside during the warmer months as well (think tableside grilling without stinking up your home) and everybody LOVED it.

I mean... who doesn't love amazing cheese after all?

Which Cheese For Raclette

If you're wondering which cheese to use for raclette, then you actually already know the answer. Traditionally, you would use Raclette cheese, which is a melty, ripened Swiss cheese with an edible rind. Raclette means 'to scrape' in French.

To me, it smells like a creamy brie and rustic gruyère had a baby (and what's not to love about that).

It wasn't my favorite growing up as it would stink up the fridge waiting for our Raclette dinner to happen. However, ONCE IT'S MELTED, it takes on an INCREDIBLE taste. So believe me when I say, go for it.

The whole meal was after all named after the cheese, so why not try it the way it's supposed to be enjoyed?

If you're having a hard time finding it, or find out you simply don't care for it, then you could use a different cheese. I sliced up some mild cheddar for the kids just in case they didn't like the Raclette cheese. I have also used Brie in the past. You can really use whichever melty cheese your heart is craving.

Insider Tip: I usually stock up on Raclette cheese soon as I see it hit the shelves at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and other grocery stores with specialty cheeses. It keeps for a while and if you don't use it all, it's great in omelets, on white pizza, Flammkuchen, in pasta sauce, or anything that loves a good cheese.

Raclette Grill

I have used several different raclette grills in the past years since moving to the United States from Germany in 2009.

While mini candlelit grill is so neat and romantic, it only melts the cheese from the bottom. It doesn't provide that bubbly top that starts to brown that I love so much.

I have also gone through a few electric grills, and by far my FAVORITE must be this one with a cast iron cooktop.

I just love how it can be used for grilling meats on the Raclette cooktop (and leaving those beautiful grill marks). But also how it retains the heat to a substantial enough amount to brown the cheese underneath within a reasonable amount of time. Just happy from all angles, and I know my Mama in Germany would approve of this one, too.

In Germany, I commonly see a stone-top Raclette grill (that's the kind my mom always had). Those are beautiful too and work great!

With any electric raclette grill, make sure you have an extension cord handy. And you might as well get an extra long one in case you want to try to take your Raclette outdoors when it gets warmer again!

This way, everyone can sit a comfortable distance away from the grill and you don't need to worry about anyone tripping over a tight cord.

What Do I Need?

When it comes to raclette toppings and what to add on top of the grill, it's totally up to you and your preferences. Not sure what to select? Just start here and then build your favorites list from there.

Scroll down to the recipe card for marinade recipes and sauce recipes.

Here the Raclette essentials I grew up with:

• Raclette cheese. This one of course is a must. If you can't find it, or for whatever don't want to use it, read my note above regarding which cheese to use.

• Raclette Toppings:
  • Ham. Typically boiled, smoked ham. I like the black forest ham from Whole Foods. I walk up to the deli counter and am the annoying person to tell them EXACTLY how thin I want it.
  • Boiled mini potatoes. Those little guys you can buy in a net. I slice them up and put them in the raclette pan with homemade garlic butter and whatever other toppings. Then that cheese. Heaven.
  • Garlic butter. I always start by putting some in the bottom of my raclette pan. Makes all the difference. Spread some on the bread on put it on the grill top to make garlic bread.
  • Salami. We didn't commonly use salami in Germany, but THE KIDS LOVE IT.
  • Pickles. Especially those tiny, red Peruvian peppers are a clear favorite. They are not spicy, but on the sweet side, and that pickle flavor plus the melted raclette cheese is such a perfect combination. Cornichon pickles and even olives also love melted cheese.
  • Cut-up, fresh pineapple. Raclette Hawaii, here we come. YUM!
  • Bell pepper. Cut up into small bits, so it has a chance to soften a little before your cheese has a chance to burn.
  • Onions. Just have them ready. I use them in every pan.
  • Corn. My sister's favorite.
  • Tomatoes. Diced and bite-sized.

• Raclette Grilling:
  • Marinated meats and shrimp. Those are for grilling on the grill top. We used pork, beef steak, and shrimp this time. I have a few marinades I like to use as described in the recipe card below.
  • Marinated mushrooms. Those would be fun to add to the grill top, but they don't usually get a chance to cook well enough in the raclette pan. You could also use other cut-up veggies if you would like.
  • Sauces for dipping the meat. I LOVE a good creamy garlic sauce (works great with everything), so I added that to the recipe card below. Other great sauces to look for or make are a creamy curry sauce (great with chicken or pork) and sweet and sour sauce (great with pork or shrimp).
• Crusty, white bread. Like baguette or ciabatta. I love sliding my ready-to-eat raclette pan contents onto a slice of bread, losing none of those delicious juices to my plate.
• Serve a fresh, green salad with raclette to help cleanse the palate between cheese-filled raclette pans.

Tools

Besides a raclette grill (talked about my favorite one above), some other handy things to have for raclette are raclette/fondue plates to separate out your raclette sauces, meats, bread and salad.

Video

To get your mouth watering, watch this 12-second video showing you just how delicious that little raclette pan full of melty cheese and toppings looks.

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