Copycat Olive Garden Five Cheese Fonduta

OMG If melted cheese isn’t one of the most mouth-watering, ooey-gooey, sinful foods worth every calorie, I don’t know what is! My fiance and I went to Olive Garden recently and got the “Dip Duo” and we got so stuffed on cheese that we both took our entrees to-go. He begged me to make him a homemade version of the Five Cheese Italian Fonduta on Sunday when he watches football (it was way better than the spinach artichoke dip).

I am not 100% sure of every cheese they use in their dip, but I was certain I could taste mozzarella and Parmesan. Regardless, the version I made at home you are going to freaking love! It blows their version out of the water. Mainly because the cheeses you can buy at your supermarket are just higher quality than most chain restaurants trying to cut costs, etc. I use FRESH mozzarella balls, the kind still sitting in water. Another key is to not buy any grated cheese that comes in the bag. You can but it just doesn’t have the same melt-ability and potency that freshly grated cheese off the block provides.

Next, you have to buy fresh baguette bread from your bakery and broil it with lots and lots of butter and freshly chopped garlic. Magnifico! It will be perfectly crunchy and chewy – just the right texture to dip into your stretchy cheese.

This is a wonderful appetizer for an Italian dinner night at home, for a game day gathering (could be made in a crockpot as well) or on a cold winter night when you are cozy in the house! Or, on any day of the week during any season when you are in the mood for cheese 🙂 🙂 🙂

Copycat Olive Garden Five Cheese Fonduta

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Ingredients

• 8 oz block Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
• 8oz mozzarella, freshly grated/chopped (the kind still sitting in water)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan
• 4oz provolone, freshly grated
• 4oz fontina, freshly grated
• 1-2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (depending on how much kick you want)
• 1 Roma tomato, diced (excess moisture removed on papertowel)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 loaf french baguette, sliced
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions

	Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a glass Pyrex dish (I use a pie dish) with a little butter or non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with all of the other cheeses. Mix well with a rubber spatula to combine thoroughly until smooth. Add the pepper flakes, freshly ground pepper and combine.
	Pour the mixture into the greased dish and level the mixture with spatula. Place it in the oven and cook for 15 minutes (prepare bread while cooking - see below). Turn the oven on Broil, add diced tomatoes into center of cheese mix and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or so, until the top is bubbly and golden brown.
	While the cheese is cooking, slice the baguette and lay on a baking sheet. Add 1/4 cup of butter to a microwave safe bowl, add the minced garlic and microwave together for 30 seconds. Brush garlic butter onto each slice of baguette. Broil for 5-7 minutes until golden brown, rotating the pan half way through.