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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Favorite Raclette Recipes & Ideas
Equipment
- 1 Raclette Grill This one's my favorite! I love that the cast iron top retains heat so well and leaves grill marks on your meat, veggies, whatever you choose to grill on it.
- 8 Raclette/Fondue Plates Or however many people you have
- 1 instant-read thermometer Comes in so handy when checking meat temperature on your grill. This one is so fast and just a genius tool to have.
Ingredients
Raclette Toppings
- 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.
- Sliced ham Typically boiled, smoked ham. I really 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 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
- Tomatoes cut up into small pieces or use cherry or grape tomatoes and cut them in half
- Onions Just have them ready. I use them in every pan.
- 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. Marinade them the same as the steak.
- Corn My sister's favorite.
Creamy Garlic Sauce (works great with EVERYTHING)
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 handful finely chopped chives
- 60 grams sour cream
- 2 Tablespoons mayo
- salt and pepper to taste
Creamy Curry Sauce (perfect for chicken or pork)
- 150 gram mango frozen and thawed or fresh
- ½ onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon vegetable buillon
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika powder
- 10 grams brown sugar or honey
- 50 grams sour cream
Other Ingredients
- sweet and sour sauce you can of course make it yourself, but I just buy it.
- 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.
- light, green salad to help digest all that cheese and cleanse your palate between cheesy raclette pans
Pork Marinade (a simplified version of my Schwenkbraten)
- 2 boneless pork chops trim off excess fat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ teapsoon thyme fresh or dried, leaves only
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
Steak Marinade (chimichurri inspired)
- 1 large steak of your choice
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ½ Tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley leaves only
- ¼ teaspoon red crushed pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- salt and pepper
Shrimp Marinade (lemon garlic)
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley leaves only
Instructions
Marinate
- Prep the raw meat and shrimp (if using) first since it will need time to marinade. If you're preparing a vegetarian raclette, marinate vegetables/tofu/etc to grill ahead of time.
- Make sure that each meat is cut into similar, bite-sized pieces, then combine the ingredients for the marinade. Cover and let sit in the fridge for 4+ hours to marinade. You can prepare the meat the day before.
- Prep the pork (Schwenkbraten-style)2 boneless pork chops, 1 shallot, 1 clove garlic, ¼ teapsoon thyme, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper
- Prep the steak (Chimichurri-style)1 large steak of your choice, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, ½ Tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 clove garlic, 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley, ¼ teaspoon red crushed pepper, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, salt and pepper
- Prep the shrimp (Scampi-style)1 pound shrimp, 1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley, 2 cloves garlic
Sauces
- Make the sauces (if using). I love them for dipping the meat/shrimp/veggies you're grilling. Simply combine the ingredients and puree until smooth. Keep cold until using. These can also be prepared the day before if you'd like.3 cloves garlic, 1 handful finely chopped chives, 60 grams sour cream, 2 Tablespoons mayo, salt and pepper to taste, 150 gram mango, ½ onion chopped, 1 teaspoon vegetable buillon, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 2 teaspoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon paprika powder, 10 grams brown sugar, 50 grams sour cream
Toppings
- Cut up your raclette toppings. Small sized pieces is what you're going for, so they get a chance to soften in the raclette pans as your cheese is melting on top.Cut-up, fresh pineapple., Bell pepper, Onions, Marinated mushrooms, Tomatoes
Arrange
- Arrange all toppings on platters with serving utensils, making sure no raw meat ever touches anything but the grill. We simply grill the meat in batches and then distribute it to everyone when it's cooked and eat with the sauces. That way not everybody needs to handle the raw meat.Raclette cheese., Sliced ham, Garlic butter, Salami, Pickles, Corn, sweet and sour sauce
- Cut up the bread, boil the mini potatoes in salted water and prepare a super simple green salad to go with your meal (I typically use a vinaigrette as the dressing to help cleanse the palate in between).Boiled mini potatoes., Crusty, white bread, light, green salad
Serve
- Serve with a white, crisp wine like a dry or semi-dry Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. I also love a lighter red wine like a Pinot Noir with Raclette.
Christiane Perkins
Hello Sophie,
I would love to win this Raclette set to introduce my American family to this traditional German meal. My German family always eat Raclette at Christmas, whole we prepare traditional American meals.
Thanks! Love your blogs!
Christiane
dirndlkitchen
Hi Christiane! 🙂 My family also usually does Raclette during either Christmas or New Year's Eve! It's just such a fun way to eat! Good luck!
Teresa Raminhos
Thank you so much for all these ideas. I always thought our Raclette was incomplete and right now I'm doing a shopping list with all your ideas. Tomorrow it'll be a success!
Sophie Sadler
Teresa, please let me know how it turns out for you! Thank you so much for the kind comment.
dirndlkitchen
Hi Christiane! You were selected as a winner! I will email you for details. Congrats!
Sabine
I would love, love, love to own this raclette. I love gathering my family around the table, and with my 4 kids ( 16 thru 30), food always does the trick. We love fondue but raclette would put a whole new spin on it. Crossing my fingers!
dirndlkitchen
I love this raclette set, and am sure you and your kids would love it, too! It makes everyone happy when they get to build their own "crustless pizzas." 😉 Have a great start to the new year and good luck!
Kris
Oh my gosh, what a perfect reason to invite friends and family over. Americans eat and run away from the table. This is the perfect meal to show people how much fun a long and leisurely meal can be! It’s a beautiful set! I would love it! Meals are an event, not just a reason to eat. Get way to have different dishes for wine tasting too!
dirndlkitchen
I love that you are pointing this out! When I first came to the US, I was very appalled by the idea of TV trays to put your dinner plate on! Is it so bad to spend time with family? I make it a point at home to sit down for dinner, often light candles for dinner, and make it a somewhat special occasion every day. Good luck, Kris!!
Erin B.
I just discovered this and I am never cooking a ham for Christmas ever again! I hope I win! I subscribed to your blog forever ago, fyi.
dirndlkitchen
Awesome! I am so happy I was able to introduce you to raclette! 🙂 Good luck!
Martin Bertschi
It shoud be noted that this is the German deviation of an originally Swiss dish, which is more puristic.
dirndlkitchen
Thank you Martin for pointing this out. 😉 This particular raclette set is actually dutch, so let's just call my raclette presentation a "Central European Experience." Does that sound good to you? At least the cheese is still raclette cheese, which is Swiss. 😀
Brenda Haines
I would love to win because I am a huge foodie that loves to cook and serve in unique new ways. I shared on facebook here is my link. https://www.facebook.com/brenda.haines.50/posts/1595797927175733
dirndlkitchen
Awesome - you'd love this Raclette set then! Happy New Year and good luck!! 🙂
Joan
If I win, I will surprise my husband with some smoked salmon, capers and red onion with the Raclette set. He will love it!
dirndlkitchen
Sounds lovely! Good luck and happy new year!
Joan
I shared on my facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/joankubes/posts/10155971037095775?pnref=story
Cynthia Walker
My son is dating a girl from Germany he met at college. We hosted her here over the Christmas break. She was telling us about the traditions of Raclette on New Year's Eve in Germany. I found your blog in hopes to learn some German Traditions to make her feel more at home while she is here. I know how hard it is to be so far away from home, friends, and family especially during the holidays!
dirndlkitchen
I know this situation too well! I find it especially hard to be away from home during Christmas time because there are sooo many great German Christmas traditions. I hope you had a great holiday and a wonderful start to 2018!
Kathrin
Hallo Sophie,
Love some of these ideas. I am using a Tefal raclette grill that I bought in the mid 90s after suffering the deprivation of a racletteless life for a decade. I'm originally from Hamburg, but live in Florida.
We haul out our Raclette every Christmas and it stays out for however many days. If Christmas eve is a Thursday, this means we are doing Raclette until Sunday. One thing we started about 15 years ago is cook breakfast with it. Bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, mini omelettes and pancakes. It's so much fun.
I will try out some of your sauce recipes this weekend. They sound like they would be perfect for meat fondue as well.
Frohe Weihnachten aus dem sonnigen Florida.
Sophie Sadler
Kathrin, I hope that my favorite Raclette recipes and ideas were helpful and delicious for you! Thank you for the thoughtful comment.
jeff friesen
Thank you for these incredible recipes and ideas. I recently received a raclette from a friend and wondered what to do with it.
As a former chef, I had some ideas. Still, it was totally outside my area of expertise, so when I saw this excellent summary of recipes and video explaining the heart of the meal experience, it immediately made it all clear. So thank you for getting me off to a good start.
I now feel ready to host my first party.
Sophie Sadler
Jeff, thank you so much for your kind review. I am so glad you found my Raclette recipes and ideas helpful!
Monique
As a "Swiss Miss," my family and I loved these ideas! We loved the shrimp and beef marinades and the sauces, too. A definite upgrade to our normal Raclette parties!
dirndlkitchen
This makes me so happy!! I think I could eat Raclette at least once a week! It’s so versatile!