Raclette is a cooking tradition that began in the Swiss Alps and is now common throughout the region, though it has changed a lot over the years. Alpine herdsmen would heat a wheel of cheese by the fire and scrape the melted layer onto potatoes or bread. The name comes from the French word racler, which means to scrape. The electric raclette grills we use today are a modern version of that idea, still centered around cooking slowly around a “fire” and eating together.
The grill itself is made with special pans underneath to melt cheese, and then the cheese can then be slid on top of other foods. The top griddle or stone is heated by electric coils in the modern version, allowing meat or vegetables to be grilled on top at the same time. We actually have our appliance from America, and it has traveled the world with us through every move, now landing in Germany where we use a step down converter. There are hundreds of options available in Europe, and even a few solid choices in America if you search for raclette.
My family has adapted the tradition to fit what our kids actually love to eat, and we try to make it as fun as possible. Most of the kids, shockingly, do not love food covered in melted cheese, so we have come up with other ideas that still keep the experience special.
What helps make raclette work with kids is broken down into four parts so you can jump to what you need.
HYGIENE – RULES & SAFETY – INGREDIENTS – MAKING IT FUN
Hygiene
Raclette starts with raw meat and a hot stone on the table, so we make sure there is a clear system in place to help everyone stay safe.
All raw meat stays on one side of the table, and it is mainly a grown up job to place and turn the meat. We use special utensils or separate forks for raw meat so they never get mixed up with eating forks. All ingredients are on the table, but the meat is always placed closest to a parent to help control the process.
We also have designated plates for the hot pans to rest on when not in use so they are never placed on eating plates or plastic by accident.
Rules & Safety
Safety is key. To keep everyone burn free, the first time we used the appliance we shared a few simple instructions with our kids and kept it light and fun. The goal was for them to understand that while raclette is exciting, there are also clear ways to keep everyone safe.
• Raw meat is only handled by grown ups. If a child wants to help, we do it together.
• One small pan per person. Each person is responsible for watching their own pan and pulling it in and out carefully. We started allowing this independently around age four. Before that, it was always with a parent.
• Always use the small plate designed for hot pans when removing them. They are extremely hot.
• No forks in the raclette pans. They are nonstick and scratch easily. The set comes with plastic or wooden scrapers made specifically for the pans.
Ingredients
Below is our prep list of ingredients we have tried. We usually choose two to three meats, but everything listed works well and keeps things interesting.
MEAT
Chicken
Beef
Minced beef for small burgers
Shrimp
VEGETABLES
Onions
Shredded carrots
Sliced bell peppers
Broccoli
OTHERS
Scrambled egg
Shredded cheese
Spaetzle
Boiled potatoes
Spray oil or butter for the pans
Making it fun
My favorite part about raclette is how it helps our kids try new foods. Before our raclette era, no one was eating eggs. Put them in a raclette pan and let the kids add their own toppings, and it was an instant hit. To this day, two of our kids will only eat eggs on raclette nights.
The kids also love writing down the combinations they create. We give them a simple pen and paper and let them keep track of what goes into their pans. They come up with favorites, and we store those little menus inside the raclette box when everything gets put away so they can look at them again next time.
Raclette is requested weekly in our house. Realistically, it takes a while to eat, so we make it about once a month. The bonus is that everyone actually sits at the table together and enjoys it for a full hour.
