How to Make Raclette at Home: Dinner for Four

There is no recipe to time as a whole. You set the table, and dinner happens slowly over an hour.

This page is the hosting recipe. The raclette cheese page covers the cheese itself, including the protected Raclette du Valais and Raclette de Savoie names and how to read the label.

Raclette at home at a glance

This raclette at home table gives the numbers for a dinner for four.

How to make raclette at home

This raclette at home recipe works with a tabletop grill and has an oven method for anyone without one.

Ingredients for raclette at home

These ingredients for raclette at home serve four, with 5 ounces of cheese each, the amount the cheese per person guide gives when cheese is the meal.

• 1 1/4 lb (570 g) raclette cheese, sliced 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick
• 2 lb (900 g) small waxy potatoes, such as fingerling or new potatoes, scrubbed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt for the potato water
• 8 oz (225 g) cured meats, such as air-dried beef, prosciutto, ham or salami
• 1 jar (about 8 oz, 225 g) cornichons
• 1 jar (about 8 oz, 225 g) pickled pearl onions
• 12 oz (340 g) mixed vegetables for grilling or roasting: mushrooms, sliced peppers, zucchini or cherry tomatoes
• Freshly ground black pepper and a little paprika
• 1 baguette, sliced (optional)

Steps for making raclette at home

These steps for making raclette at home start about an hour before guests sit down.

1. Put the potatoes in a pot of cold water with the salt, bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 to 25 minutes, until a knife slides in easily. Drain and wrap them in a clean towel in a covered bowl to stay warm.
2. Slice or cut the raclette 1/4 inch thick, if it is not already sliced, and lay it on a plate with parchment between layers so the slices do not stick.
3. Put the cornichons, onions and meats in small bowls, and cut the vegetables into bite-size pieces.
4. Heat the tabletop grill, and set each person's small pan (coupelle) on the tray. If using an oven instead, heat it to 400°F (200°C) and set slices in small enameled dishes.
5. Cook the vegetables on the grill top, or roast them on a sheet pan at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft and browned.
6. Slide a slice or two of cheese into each pan and melt it for 4 to 6 minutes, until it bubbles and browns lightly at the edges.
7. Scrape the cheese over potatoes, add pepper and paprika, and eat with pickles and meats. Repeat, slowly, until everyone is finished.

The best cheese for raclette at home

The best cheese for raclette at home is a raclette sold in slices or a wedge that melts evenly at the grill. The Swiss specification for Raclette du Valais notes that cheese was already being melted in Valais in 1574, and the French counterpart is Raclette de Savoie. Only Raclette du Valais and Raclette de Savoie are protected names, and the word raclette alone protects nothing, so read the label.

If you cannot find raclette, Gruyère and fontina both melt smoothly and make good swaps. Buy sliced raclette from the cheese counter when you have a grill, or a wedge you slice at home. For cheeses to avoid, skip very aged or very dry wedges: aged cheese tends to turn oily or grainy when heated, which is the same reason the Gruyère page steers fondue toward Classic rather than Réserve. The Le Gruyère AOP page lists maturation periods of 5 to 18 months. See the best melting cheeses for other options.

The right equipment for raclette at home

The right equipment for raclette at home is a tabletop grill with small pans, though you can get by with an oven. A grill gives each guest their own pan and a hot plate on top for vegetables and meats, and it is the version most people mean. Without one, heat 1/4-inch slices in small ovenproof dishes at 400°F. In either case, set up so that the cheese is within reach and the potatoes stay warm, since a cold potato under hot cheese is the weak point of the meal.

Raclette at home mistakes and fixes

These raclette at home mistakes are the common ones.

The cheese turned oily. It was heated too long or too hot, and the fat separated. Pull the pan as soon as the surface bubbles and just begins to brown.

The potatoes went cold. Keep them wrapped in a towel in a covered bowl, and cook a second small batch if the dinner will run past an hour.

It is all too rich. Add more pickles, a sharp green salad and a crisp wine. Acid is what lets you eat a second plate.

The slices stuck together. Separate them with parchment and keep them cool until they go into the pan.

The table is crowded. Keep a small plate of cheese at each side of the grill and leave the sides in bowls at the edges.

Raclette at home variations

These raclette at home variations change the extras. For a vegetarian table, double the vegetables and add roasted mushrooms, pickled beets and a mustard. For a winter feast, add roasted cauliflower, sliced pears and walnut bread. For a smaller meal, scale the cheese down to 3 ounces per person and add a soup. A Savoie-style table often adds charcuterie, while a Swiss one leans on potatoes and pickles.

Make-ahead, storing and reheating raclette at home

Make-ahead raclette at home is easy because nothing is cooked until the table is set: boil the potatoes, slice the cheese and prepare the sides up to 2 hours before. Keep the potatoes warm in a towel.

For storing raclette at home, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours and use them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat potatoes and meats to 165°F, the USDA reheating temperature. Leftover cheese slices are best melted again on toast, in sandwiches or over eggs, and wrapped loosely in paper in the fridge.

Serving raclette at home

Serving raclette at home is a slow meal, so pace yourselves: it can last two hours. Serve a crisp Alpine white wine, dry cider or hot tea, and put a green salad on the table. The wine and cheese pairing guide offers more options, and the charcuterie guide helps with choosing the meats.

Questions about raclette at home

These questions about raclette at home come up most often.

Do you need a special grill to make raclette at home?

Raclette at home does not require a special grill: slices of cheese in small ovenproof dishes at 400°F melt in 4 to 6 minutes.

How much cheese do you need for raclette at home?

Raclette at home needs about 5 ounces (140 g) of cheese per person when it is the meal, and about 2 to 3 ounces if it is a starter.

What do you serve with raclette at home?

Raclette at home is served with small boiled potatoes, cornichons, pickled onions, cured meats, vegetables and bread.

Can you substitute another cheese for raclette?

Yes, you can substitute another cheese for raclette: Gruyère and fontina are the best swaps, because both melt smoothly.

Which potatoes are best for raclette at home?

Small waxy potatoes are best for raclette at home, since they hold their shape and stay creamy under the cheese.

Your first raclette at home

Your first raclette at home should be simple: 1 1/4 pounds of sliced raclette, 2 pounds of small potatoes, a jar each of cornichons and pickled onions, and an hour to eat. Start with the oven method if you do not own a grill. Then buy a second wedge with the label in mind.