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?
Servings: 1 raclette dinner
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.
Video
Notes
Raclette Cheese: 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.
How Much To Buy: I gauge around 1 packages of Raclette cheese for every 2 people, or about 6 slices per person. Kids will likely eat less depending on their age.
If you're also grilling, I usually buy 1 serving of meat/seafood per person.