Skillet Ham and Cheese Fondue

OMG kill me now this is all I want to eat for the rest of my life.  With wine duh.  Maybe add some olives to the plate for vegetables.  

I made this dip for an Oscars party, and it was devoured in addition to 3 other cheese-based dips.  Why not, you know?  We weren't fitting into dresses.  We were wearing PJs.  The dish is inspired by a crazy-good appetizer we had last year at Biltmore House, of all places, at their on-site pub that is surprisingly really yummy.  We didn't order it again the last time we were there, but we saw a few people order it and kiiiiind of regretted our decision to try something new, even though the something new was delicious too.  

So I made it at home the next day.  It's a pretty traditional garlic + wine + Swiss fondue, but we dot it with prosciutto that gets crispy in the oven and is just ridiculous over bread.  RIDICULOUS.  

The base of this dip is butter, flour, and garlic.  Then milk, wine, Swiss cheese, Parmesan cheese, and torn prosciutto.  Bread for serving because this is NOT a dish for veggies.  Don't even try.  

First, mince the garlic and add it to a skillet with the butter over medium heat.  A skillet that can transfer to the oven is ideal for this, but if you don't have one just pour the fondue into a small baking dish before it goes into the oven.  

When the butter melts and the garlic sizzles just a tiny bit, sprinkle the flour over the butter.  Use a whisk to combine the butter and flour into a paste, then very slowly drizzle in the wine while you keep whisking.  The wine will combine with the flour mixture and thicken immediately - if it doesn't, turn the heat up a tiny bit and keep whisking until the mixture is smooth.  

Let the wine bubble and reduce by about half, then pour in the milk in the same way - drizzle, whisk, bubble.  When the milk is mixed into the wine/flour mixture, add the cheese to the sauce. 

Stir both cheeses into the sauce for about 3 minutes, then stir in most of the prosciutto pieces - just tear the slices to be about bite-sized.  Turn the heat off the stove and taste the mixture.  Add salt and pepper if you'd like!  

Top the skillet with the rest of the prosciutto pieces (crispy in the oven YES), then bake the entire dish at 400F for 15 minutes or so until the whole thing is bubbly and the top has browned.  If you'd like extra brown cheesy bits, turn the broiler on for 30 seconds or so right at the end.  

I mean.  

There are no words.  We've been doing more and more happy hours at home, and dishes like this solidify for me that you do NOT need to have a big restaurant budget to eat like this, not in the slightest.  

Try this ASAP.  Enjoy it!