Recently my sisters and I took a trip to The Melting Pot and had the most awesome meal ever—possibly the best we’ll each have all year! There’s just something about dipping your food into hot, melty cheeses, sauces and chocolates. It’s something we’ll definitely have to do again.

While the three of us are all working, this still isn’t a treat we can afford to do often. That, however, will not stop us from enjoying our own fondue! You don’t have to go somewhere fancy and fork over a hundred bucks for good chocolate fondue. There are plenty of ways to have it at home, any time, and any day.

To make fondue, you’ll want to have a saucepan, a fondue pot (the affordable kind with a candle beneath it is fine—you can buy one of those for ten or twenty bucks), and some skewers, chopsticks or fondue forks on hand. (I’m betting that regular forks would do the trick in most cases, as well, if you’re in a pinch.)

I had looked all over the web and found countless fondue recipes with a million ingredients and a laundry list of instructions each, and was getting irritated when I finally came across this simple recipe for chocolate fondue. (Visit the link for more variations to add to this simple recipe as well.)

Gather together 12 ounces of dark chocolate, 8 ounces of heavy cream, a pinch of salt, and whatever you want to dip into your fondue. That’s it! (Of course, you can always feel free to spice up your fondue with your own additions.)

Pour your cream into your saucepan until it starts to lightly boil. Add your chocolate and whisk it until it’s all smooth and consistent. Quickly pour it into your fondue pot (make sure it’s at a low flame and already heated)—or you can eat it right out of the saucepan. That’s it! Easy, right?

For your dippables, you might want mini cheesecake, dried or fresh fruit, brownie chunks, bits of cookie or pound cake, biscotti, marshmallows, meringues, pretzels, or anything else that you’d love drizzled with or dipped in chocolate! (Just remember that it’s hot and can burn.)

It’s funny how we always feel like we need a recipe, isn’t it? We can always experiment! If you’ve experimented with your own fondue recipes be sure to share them.

You can also find other variations and recipes here.