Raclette is a delicious Swiss cheese served melted over potatoes and accompanied by charcuterie and cornichon pickles. Typically an open fire or a Raclette grill are required, but with this Easy Raclette Recipe you can make the hearty potato dish in the broiler or air fryer.
Precede this Franco-Swiss dish by a vegetables salad, such as this Grated Carrot Salad and top off the evening with a refreshing Winter Fruit Tray.
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If you find yourself strolling through Trader Joe’s or ALDI thinking about France… and voila! in the cheese section you find a package of Raclette cheese, you’re going to need to buy it. As well as some cornichons, ham, potatoes.
You may just need to switch your meal plans for the evening so you can enjoy Raclette tout de suite.
Hot and melty, Raclette cheese is served over cooked potatoes with baby pickles and charcuterie, specifically ham, on the side. Traditionally it’s served melted over an open fire or in a Raclette grill, but for those of us without those options, I present an easy Raclette Recipe to make without a grill.
Why Make This
It is a quick, easy supper. With just four ingredients, this Raclette recipe comes together quickly and easily, especially since the whole thing cooks in just a few minutes in the oven. You can get it on the table in less than 30 minutes.
This Raclette recipe is delicious! Melted cheese over potatoes with ham and tart pickles is an amazing combination of flavors. Leftover cheesy potatoes are delicious served with eggs the next morning. This is one of the best things to go with ham.
Ingredients
You only need four ingredients for this easy Raclette Recipe:
potatoes – baby potatoes are the most elegant, but as they are typically more expensive, you can also use large potatoes in this Raclette recipe. If using large potatoes, cut them into 1-inch chunks prior to cooking them.
sliced cured meats – ham is a common accompaniment to Raclette, though in France and Switzerland, you’ll find many different types of ham served alongside the potatoes and pickled vegetables.
Raclette cheese – Traditionally a Swiss cheese, as in “made in Switzerland,” this semi-firm cheese does not have big holes like you may imagine when you hear the words Swiss cheese, but it does have the mellow, nutty flavor. This cheese tends to be a seasonal item in the United States, available at both Trader Joe’s and ALDI during the winter months. If you can’t find it, Gruyere or Emmental cheese are reasonable substitutions.
cornichon pickles – tiny gherkin pickles are traditionally served with this Raclette recipe. If you can’t find them, use baby dills or other pickled vegetables.
Variations
Sautéed Mushrooms and Easy Garlic Green Beans are delicious vegetarian substitutions for the ham or can be served in addition to charcuterie.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to prep this Raclette Recipe:
- Bake, boil, or pressure cook the potatoes until tender. Place the potatoes in a baking dish in a single layer and cover with the slices of raclette cheese.
- Place the dish in the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly bubbling.
- Serve the potatoes with the ham and pickles. Serve immediately.
Air Fryer Instructions: You can also melt the Raclette over the potatoes in the air fryer. Place the cooked potatoes in the bottom of the basket, layer on the cheese, and cook at 400 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
FAQs & Recipe Costs
Typically Raclette cheese is used, but if you can’t find it, you can use Gruyere or Emmental cheese which have a similar texture and flavor.
This is an easy recipe to scale based on the number of diners. This raclette recipe provides ½ pound potatoes and 2 ounces cheese per person. At a traditional raclette party, up to 7 ounces of cheese is provided per person.
Raclette is a very strong odored cheese. Don’t be alarmed. It’s aroma is actually stronger than its flavor
Raclette is traditionally served with potatoes, ham, and baby pickles. It is also delicious with sautéed mushrooms and other vegetables, such as green beans.
Recipe Costs
Knowing how much it costs you to prepare a recipe can help you decide if it’s the type of recipe to make regularly or one you might want to save for special occasions. Let’s crunch some numbers and see how this recipe pencils out.
- potatoes – $0.93
- ham – $2.99
- raclette cheese – $5.89
- cornichon pickles – $1.11
While your costs may vary depending on where and how you shop, you can expect to pay about $10.92 for this Raclette Recipe, about $2.73/serving.
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Raclette Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb russet potatoes trimmed and scrubbed, cubed if large
- 8 oz sliced ham
- 7 to 9 oz raclette cheese sliced
- 4 oz cornichons baby pickles
Instructions
- Bake, boil, or pressure cook the potatoes until tender.
- Place the potatoes in a baking dish in a single layer and cover with the slices of raclette cheese.
- Place the dish in the broiler for 3-5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and slightly bubbling.
- Serve the potatoes with the ham and pickles. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on January 25, 2012. It has been updated for content and clarity.
Sandi
Have you seen cornichons anywhere other than TJ’s? We don’t have that store down here yet, more’s the pity, and I love those little pickles. My parents have lived in France for the past 22 years, and I must eat at least two jars every time I visit. The baby pickles here just don’t seem the same. The ‘rents also have the raclette set and we make sure to have that meal once every time we’re there. I’ve never thought to try to do it at home. It might lose the “magic” if I did! I’ve seen escargot at Fresh Market, perhaps they have the pickles. I don’t shop there very often as the store is so pricey. The kid loves the snails, though, so it’s a great treat for him when I pick some up.
Jessica Fisher
Costco had some smaller sized pickles from Poland. And I bet that World Market might carry cornichons as well. My guess is to check the gourmet section of a grocery store near you?
Sandi
World Market! I bet you’re right, they are probably there. Thanks. Publix is great about ordering things if they don’t normally carry them, but I think you have to actually have a specific product to request. Costco-sized might be a bit much at this point.
Jessica Fisher
The Costco ones were smallish jars bundled together.
Stacy
Well, I made the raclette dish for the first time tonight. We liked it, and I think I’ll try it again. I went a little overboard with too many options, so I’d change that next time. Our favorites were the sauteed mushrooms and the cornichons. Also, I roasted some fresh jalapenos for my husband, and he enjoyed those as well. Thanks for the suggestion.