Fire & Fondue in Snoqualmie Pass

It kind of felt like we should have been in the Swiss Alps!

It all started when I woke up, turned to Cameron and asked if we had a fire starter. He looked slightly confused, but told me I was in luck as we had one left next to the fireplace. We started making plans for our day and agreed we wanted to get out there for another snow adventure.

With this idea up my sleeve, I told Cameron we should build a fire in the snow and cook fondue for lunch. He was excited for this adventure, but insisted we bring broccoli to dip in the cheese.

Around 10:00am, we gathered our supplies and headed to the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest for our adventure. We ended up at Denny Creek Campground and used the campsite’s fire pit! There was lot of snow and we had to hike in to the site.

As you can see below, I wasn’t that coordinated for this adventure and ended up grating the cheese in the mountains. If this is you, don’t forget grate your cheese at home and throw it in a bag with some flour. The temperature is hard to control, so make sure

This is one of my favorite fondue recipes. You don’t have to build a fire in the middle of the woods, you can simply make it in a fondue pot, on the stove, or even in the microwave.

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Fondue

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cabot white cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 TBS flour or cornstarch
• 8oz bottle of hard apple cider
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 TBS shallots, diced (optional)
• 1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)
• Cubed bread, pickles, broccoli florets & carrorts
• Supplies: Cast iron skillet, stirring spoon, & skewers
• Campfire supplies: wood, firestarter, matches, & kindling

Instructions

1. Shred white cheddar cheese, place in bowl, and coat with flour or cornstarch.
2. Combine cheese mixture, shallots, dijon mustard, chopped nuts, and dried cranberries in a glass tuberware container to take to the woods.
3. Build a fire and allow for a spot to place the skillet on top of fire.
4. Place contents of glass tuberware in cast iron skillet and add 1/2 bottle (about 4 oz) of hard apple cider.
5. Continuously stir until the cheese is melted. Adjust on campfire as needed.
6. Enjoy with bread cubes, pickles, broccoli, carrots and any other desired sides.

This was a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon beside a warm fire in the snow. I love this idea not only because it’s super fun and you can make it fancy, but it’s cheap if you have all the supplies.

Always be sure to fully put out your fire before you leave - remember, “Only you can prevent forest fires”.

Check with your local ranger station about fire rules in your area. You can find fire safety information at the US Forest Service website.