How to Host a Raclette Party

What’s Up, Hungry People

Every year, I like to make our end-of-holidays meal something that is hands-on for everyone; ’tis the season for fancy finger foods, after all. A few months ago, I came across the concept of a “raclette party” and was instantly intrigued. It combines the best of charcuterie, fondue, and Japanese tabletop barbecue night—three of my favorite ways to make a meal more interesting!

There’s just something about gathering around a table filled with all sorts of goodies and grilling up your own bites. With a raclette setup, it’s not just about the food, but the experience—mixing and matching cheeses, meats, and veggies, and watching them sizzle and melt right before your eyes. Plus, it gives everyone the chance to be their own chef, making the meal as interactive and fun as it is delicious. Imagine searing juicy bites of steak or marinated chicken, then drizzling it all with perfectly melted cheese, seasoned just the way you like it. The possibilities are endless, and there’s no right or wrong way to do it.

Whether you’re looking for a cozy dinner idea or a way to shake up your next gathering, raclette is a crowd-pleaser that brings everyone to the table. It’s casual, laid-back, and perfect for letting loose with family and friends—no fuss, just good food and good vibes.

What is a Raclette Grill vs Raclette Cheese vs Raclette the Dish?

“Raclette” is a term that both describes the type of Swiss cheese known as raclette cheese and the tabletop grill cooking method, which we’ll be discussing today. You can use raclette cheeses on a raclette grill to make raclette the dish. It’s not confusing at all!?

Raclette the Cheese

You may have seen the viral videos of raclette cheese dishes where a large, melty wheel of cheese is scraped over a bowl of pasta or meat—this would be raclette, as cheese. The word “raclette” is used here to describe the type of cheese, usually a Swiss of French hard type that can be melted at a low temperature (think: Swiss cheese or gruyere) with origins of Valais, historically speaking, for the good stuff.

Raclette the Dish

Raclette as a dish involves melting the cheese and scraping it off the wheel onto a bed of meats, vegetables, or pasta. Originally from Switzerland, traditional raclette cheese is heated in front of a fire, or nowadays, with a torch or heat lamp. Once melted, it’s scraped onto the dish just before serving, acting like a warm, gooey cheese sauce.

What is a Raclette Grill?

The grill portion comes in when raclette is served as a social experience—similar to how you might serve charcuterie or fondue, a variety of meats and vegetables are traditionally offered alongside pickled gherkins, onions, and olives. The grill consists of two layers: the top layer is for grilling, usually with one flat griddle side for searing and one grill side for getting those nice char lines on your food. We’ll chat about what all I used for my raclette spread in a moment.

The second lower level of the grill usually has individual pans for melting cheese. Typically with a very low heating option or merely using the heat generated from the grill pan directly above, different cuts of cheeses can be placed into each pan and melt slowly. We also added various jams or add-ins like caramelized onions to make our melty cheese pans extra fancy and flavorful. Once melted, the cheeses can be poured over the grilled vegetables and meats and served in individual portions for snacking.

I loved our raclette night so much that I’m planning to replace our annual fondue night with it! I love the variety of meats and cheeses you can make; and the best part is cooking your dinner on the grill right before smothering it in cheese. Our raclette grill allowed us to have six different cheeses going at once, and the grill/griddle combo allowed us to have a range of searing options for our main proteins and veggies.

How to Make Raclette

Like a fondue spread or charcuterie night (or a fondue AND charcuterie night) there’s really no wrong way to serve your raclette or grill it up. The most important thing is to have a variety of delicious ingredients that can be eaten individually or mixed and matched for a bunch of flavorful options.

Traditional Raclette Night Ingredients

A traditional raclette spread includes cheeses like cheddar, camembert, Emmenthaler, feta, fontina, gouda, and roquefort. These cheeses melt and ‘pour’ easily with little stickiness. These cheeses also pair best with potatoes or bread and then are served with pickled veggies!

Raw vegetables that have been cut into small pieces work great on a raclette—keeping the pieces bite-sized ensures even cooking as well as easy snacking! For larger pieces or whole vegetables, I recommend blanching first to make sure they cook more quickly on the grill so that you aren’t left waiting for your vegetables while your meats have finished. I found this was only an issue for ‘hardy’ vegetables like carrots. Even fruits like figs, apples, pears, plums, and apricots can be cooked on the grill and go great with many of the savory and salty cheeses.

Parboiled Potatoes

One essential ingredient for every raclette spread is potatoes. To make sure the potatoes reheat evenly on the grill, I recommend parboiling them first. All you need to do is wash the roasting potatoes (aka mini potatoes or fingerling potatoes) and then boil the potatoes in salted water until tender; this only takes a few minutes.

Seasonings for Raclette

Seasonings are also essential and are best when provided in a way that each individual can season their food to their liking. Salt and pepper grinders are great for passing around—plus a variety of sauces for dipping the cooked ingredients! Don’t forget, the grilled food should be seasoned after cooking, not before!

Raclette Preparation and Planning Tips

If you’re hosting a raclette night, the most important thing is that YOU get to enjoy it too! When well planned in advance, the host will easily be able to participate in the meal without running around getting things prepped. I planned my night ahead of time and chopped the vegetables, marinated the meats, and put the sauces, seasonings, and dips into mise en place bowls so that the night we planned on grilling, all I had to do was set everything out and then wait along with everyone else for the grill to preheat. It was actually a perfectly relaxing meal once everything was prepped!

Meat Marinating Tips

Make sure your meats are sliced and marinated before the party. Chicken and beef can be marinated overnight; but I suggest only marinating seafood, like fish fillets or shrimp, for maybe 30 minutes prior to serving so as not to start accidentally ‘cooking’ the seafood before it hits the grill. Some marinades with lemon or vinegar tend to make something more like a ceviche, thanks to the acid content—which is great, sure, but definitely not what we want on raclette night!

Meat & Fish For Raclette

You can use any type of quick-cooking meat on your raclette grill—the most important thing to remember is that the pieces are cut into small pieces to make them cook evenly and quickly. If you have extra thick cuts of meat, you can sear or precook the pieces ahead of time and then simply use the grill to reheat the meat rather than fully cook it from raw.

Fish and other seafood like shrimp cook even more quickly than mammal meat, making seafood an ideal raclette protein. Fatty fishes like mackerel, salmon, or skin-on fillets tend to be best for grilling—just make sure they are cut into bite-sized slices first.

Meat Safety Tips

Make sure to handle the meats appropriately to avoid cross-contamination with the non-meat ingredients. The marinades should always be discarded and never used as a dip or sauce. Make sure your meats are 100% thawed—I even recommend leaving out the thawed meat at room temperature for 30 minutes while preheating the grill so that the meat isn’t completely cold when it hits the surface. This will ensure that the meat is cooked through when you’re ready to dig in!

What’s in My Christmas / NYE Raclette Spread

I used many different types of meats, cheese, and vegetables in my raclette spread. While some of these may not be considered traditional, they all heated up great and made for a perfect raclette evening!

Parboiled & Precooked Items

• Roasting potatoes or fingerling potatoes – small, bite-sized potatoes that are tender boiled in just a few minutes; they reheat nicely on the grill
• Broccoli florets – nothing beats broccoli and cheese! I blanched my florets until tender then used the grill to reheat before eating
• Caramelized onions – slowly cook the onions over low heat for a few hours to make a sweet, caramelized onion that can be stirred into the melted cheeses or added to meats as a topping

Raw Raclette Ingredients

• Filet mignon cubes – seasoned with salt and pepper prior to serving to bring out flavor
• Marinated chicken – Italian dressing marinated chicken is cut into slices for grilling
• Scallops – also seasoned with salt and pepper; smaller scallops cook more quickly
• Shrimp – optional, I didn’t have shrimp in my spread but it’s an easy ingredient to grab

Raclette Vegetables

I marinated some of these vegetables (like the zucchini, squash and mushrooms) in a garlic vinegaiette after chopping. The rest I served raw for grilling:

• zucchini & yellow squash
• mushrooms
• red peppers
• asparagus

Sides to Go with Raclette

Traditional raclette is served with gherkins, tangy pickled onions and other charcuterie-esque bites:

• red wine vinegar pickled onions
• gherkins
• sweet cornichons
• roasted red pepper bruschetta
• black olives
• pimento olives

Dips & Spreads to Serve with Raclette

These dips are inspired by traditional inclusions of mustard and jam while including familiar hibatich-type sauces like dill and spicy aioli:

• orange fig spread
• fig mustard
• whole mustard
• dijon mustard
• dill aioli
• spicy buffalo aioli
• garlic chili paste

Breads to Serve with Raclette

While most would say raclette isn’t traditionally served with bread options (it’s all about the potatoes, apparently), my version of raclette is heavily inspired by fondue nights that include breads that pair well with cheese like pumpernickle or crusty French:

• focaccia crisps
• pumpernickle slices
• crusty French bread slices

Best Cheese Ideas for a Raclette Grill

Traditional cheeses include cheddar, camembert, emmenthaler, feta, fontina, gouda and roquefort – while these are definitely delicious, than can be hard to find at your average grocery store. Props to you if you can find those at yours, here’s what was avaiable at mine:

• monterey jack
• guilloteau angel double cream
• gruyere
• fontina
• horseradish cheddar
• jalapeno cheddar

Raclette Night Serving Ideas

Make sure wherever you are going to place your raclette grill is heat-proof and well-ventilated. I made sure to protect my table and my floor because we were going to eat on our coffee table in front of our television to watch the ball drop for our raclette evening. We are fortunate that our home is arranged in such a way to allow this, but definitely assess your own space to ensure you won’t accidentally cause any holiday mishaps from using a very hot grill indoors.

I arranged my raclette options charcuterie style—with the raw and grilling options on one side and the gherkins, onions, breads, and sauces were closer to our plates to make for easy eating. The add-in items like the bruschetta and caramelized onions can be kept in the middle to function as toppings or as additions to the melty cheeses.

We rotated our cheeses so that we each got to try a little bit of each while it melted, then we made our own fun combinations of cheeses and cheeses with toppings mixed in that we then poured over our grilled meats and vegetables.

Additional Tips for Raclette Night

• Preheat the Grill Fully: Make sure your raclette grill is fully preheated before adding any food. This ensures that everything cooks evenly and reaches the right temperature. A good rule of thumb is to preheat the grill for at least 10–15 minutes, or until it’s hot enough to sear.
• Keep Cheese at Room Temperature: To help your cheese melt smoothly, take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before grilling. Cold cheese can take longer to melt, and you might end up waiting around longer than expected.
• Manage Cooking Times: If you’re cooking a variety of meats and veggies, be mindful of their different cooking times. Start with the items that take longer, like thicker pieces of meat or sturdier vegetables, so everything finishes around the same time.
• Control Grill Smoke: Raclette grills can produce smoke, especially when cooking fatty meats. If you find that smoke is becoming an issue, use leaner cuts of meat and make sure to use the grill in a well-ventilated area. Consider using an exhaust fan or opening a window if indoors.
• Cheese Melting Tip: For a perfectly smooth melted cheese, avoid stirring it too much once it starts melting. Stirring can cause the cheese to break or become grainy. Simply let it melt undisturbed, and use a spatula to pour it over your food.
• Safety First: Be mindful of the hot surfaces, especially if kids are involved. Set some ground rules, like using utensils for flipping food and keeping hands away from the grill. Keep a first aid kit nearby for any accidental burns.
• Avoid Overcrowding the Grill: Give each item enough space on the grill to cook evenly. Overcrowding can cause food to steam rather than sear, and it will cook unevenly. It’s better to cook in batches if needed.

Common Questions About Raclette Night

• What types of cheeses work best for raclette? For raclette, cheeses that melt well without becoming too stringy are ideal. Traditional options include raclette cheese, Gruyère, Emmentaler, and Fontina. You can also try less traditional cheeses like Monterey Jack or even spicy options like jalapeno cheddar for a twist.
• Do I need to pre-cook any ingredients? Yes, parboil potatoes and blanch sturdy vegetables like carrots or broccoli to make sure they cook quickly and evenly on the grill. Pre-cooking can also apply to any thick cuts of meat, which can be seared lightly beforehand.
• How do I keep the cheese from burning? Use the lower, indirect heat setting on your raclette grill, or keep the cheese pans on the lower level. Keep an eye on the cheese, and once it’s melted, remove it from the heat. Avoid overcooking, which can cause the cheese to become tough or burn.
• Can I use non-traditional ingredients? Absolutely! Raclette is versatile, and you can experiment with various meats, vegetables, fruits, and even bread. If it can be grilled or topped with cheese, it’s fair game.
• What if I don’t have a raclette grill? Buy one! Here’s the exact raclette grill I used (affiliate link)!
• How can I keep everything warm while eating? To keep grilled items warm, use the edges of the grill or cover them with foil. For melted cheese, you can transfer it to a small, insulated bowl or just melt small amounts at a time to keep it fresh and warm.

Raclette night is a fun and tasty way to bring everyone together for an interactive meal that’s all about mixing, matching, and enjoying a spread of fresh ingredients. There’s something special about grilling your own meats and veggies, then topping them with melty cheese—each bite is different, and you get to be the chef of your plate. The best part? It’s casual, laid-back, and perfect for any occasion where you want to relax and enjoy good food with friends and family.

So grab your raclette grill, gather your favorite cheeses, and get ready to turn your dining table into a mini feast that’s sure to become a new tradition. Once you start grilling and melting, you might just find yourself planning the next raclette night before the first one even ends!

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