When it comes to New Year's Eve celebrations, the more guests, the merrier. But feeding the masses can get complicated. If you're searching for something scrumptious to serve that will be fun for you and your guests, consider fondue. You do the shopping and chopping. They do the cooking and serving. Here are six reasons why you can (and should) do the 'due:

1) It's great for kids AND adults. Many New Year's Eve parties -- especially those thrown together on the fly -- have guests of all ages. Finding food that will appeal to a 4-year-old and a 40-year-old may be tricky unless you stick strictly to cheese and crackers. And that is where fondue saves the day. It appeals to both parties, says Amy Hansen, a chef at the Salt Lake City Melting Pot, a chain restaurant that specializes in fondue.

"Kids and adults love cheese and chocolate," said Hansen, who also teaches cooking classes on fondue at Thanksgiving Point. "It's kind of the whole dunking thing that really appeals to the children."

2) It's entertaining. Unlike a passive meal where guests sit patiently at a table waiting to be served, fondue is an active meal that gets everyone involved.

"It's fun, it's exciting," said Hansen. "It's kind of a conversational piece."

Fondue brings people together because they have to work side-by-side preparing and dipping their food. Often, fondue-party guests gather around a table and chat while cooking.

Amber Gillespie, who writes the food blog semihomemadewithamber.blogspot.com, took her first stab at fondue at a recent just-the-girls get-together. Gillespie, who lives in West Valley, says she was happy with how interactive the fondue was.

"It was really good for a party atmosphere," Gillespie said. "We just sat around and talked and ate and double-dipped."

3) It can last all night. The party that starts at 6 p.m. may wane by 10:30 p.m. It's best to keep the food coming if you want guests to stay perky for that midnight ball drop. Fondue can easily be spread over several hours by serving it in courses. Start with cheese fondue and appetizer dippers, such as sourdough and rye bread, cut vegetables and fruit. You could even dip actual appetizers -- like potato skins or mozzarella sticks -- into cheese fondue, Hansen says.

"I like to do cheese fondue and add in ground beef for a queso dip served with chips," Hansen says.

Entrée-type items can be served next. Any type of meat, poultry or seafood can be cooked in chicken or vegetable broth, hot oil or beer, she says. Dessert can be reserved for later in the night. Dark, milk or white chocolate fondues are a sure-fire hit, Hansen says, or you could try a caramel fondue to mix things up.

4) It's versatile. The combination of dipping items and fondue is almost endless, so you're bound to find a combination that appeals to even the pickiest of eaters. Cheddar cheese with Granny Smith apples is a no-fail combination, Hansen says, as is cheese with bread and chocolate with pretzels.

"Cooked broccoli in cheddar cheese is always popular," Hansen said. "Meats are good dipped in cheese as well. And you can pretty much dip anything in chocolate and it will taste good."

5) It's easy. You don't have to have expensive equipment to do fondue.

"As long as you've got a good heat source to get the water boiling on your pot, you are good to go," Hansen said. "You don't necessarily need to have a fondue pot. You just need a little sauce pot with a metal salad bowl as a liner."

A fondue pot can make things easier, and if you prefer to use one, you can find fairly inexpensive versions at large retailers such as Wal-Mart or Target. The Melting Pot also sells a higher-end fondue pot.

Gillespie prepared her fondue on the stove top first and then transferred it to the fondue pot to keep it warm.

"You don't have to have a lot of culinary knowledge at all to make fondue," Gillespie said. "It was really easy."

6) It's inexpensive. Because cheese and chocolate are so filling, fondue can be an inexpensive way to feed a crowd.

Gillespie served three fondues at her party: a cheddar cheese fondue, a white cheese fondue with shredded ham, and a caramel fondue for dessert. For dippers, Gillespie provided steak, cubed bread, cut apples and other fruit. "Price-wise, I would say it cost less than $5 for each pot," Gillespie said. "It's pretty inexpensive."

Fondue can get costly if you serve expensive dipping items like lobster or salmon, or if you insist on using only specialty cheeses.

"Here is a little hint for those who don't think they have enough food for their crowd," Hansen said. "Cook the entrees in oil. Oil is a good thing to cook in because it actually makes your guests fuller, faster."

How-to fondue (without a fondue pot)

For cheese or chocolate fondue:

1) Add an inch or two of water to the bottom of a saucepan on stove. Add a metal bowl as a liner. (You could also use a double boiler instead.)

2) Bring water to a full boil, making sure it is giving off steam. Add base (broth, beer or wine) to the metal bowl that is semi-immersed in the water. Add the rest of the ingredients as called for in recipe.

3) Make sure water level stays consistent by adding more water.

4) Serve and enjoy.

For meat:

1) Add base (oil, broth, beer or wine) to a saucepan on the stove.

2) Bring to a full boil.

3) Immerse entrée items into boiling base using fondue forks. Cook to your liking; times will vary.

Tip: Shrimp will take only 20 to 30 seconds to cook and cuts of beef can be done to your liking from rare to well done, said Amy Hansen, a chef at the Salt Lake City Melting Pot, a chain restaurant that specializes in fondue. However, make sure to fully cook chicken, pork and salmon.

RECIPES

Spinach Artichoke Cheddar Cheese Fondue

Yield: 2 to 3 servings

4 ounces beer (light, like Busch beer or Bud Light) or vegetable broth if necessary

1 teaspoon of ground garlic

3 ounces cooked, cut-up artichoke hearts

3 ounces cooked spinach

Cheese, Wisconsin or other type cheddar, grated (Amounts will vary according to personal preference. Can add Swiss or other white cheese to create blend if desired).

Place base (beer or broth) in pot. Add grated cheese equal to a warm-honey consistency. Add garlic, artichoke hearts and spinach. Season with pepper. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and serve.

-- Recipe courtesy of Amy Hansen, chef at The Melting Pot

Cheese Fondue

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

8 ounces shredded sharp cheddar cheese

8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic (or 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic)

1 can beer (or 1 1/2 cups chicken stock)

1 dash Tabasco sauce

Mix all ingredients together and melt. Put in a fondue pot and dip bread into fondue.

-- Recipe courtesy of Amber Gillespie, semihomemadewithamber.blogspot.com

Chocolate Caramel Fondue

Yield: 12 servings (3-1/4 cups)

1 (14-ounce) can or 1-1/4 cups sweetened condensed milk

1 (12- to 12-1/2-ounce) container caramel ice cream topping

9 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces

Assorted dippers, such as angel food or pound cake cubes, large marshmallows, dried apricots, or fresh fruit including strawberries, banana slices, and/or pineapple chunks

Milk

In a 1-1/2-quart slow cooker stir together sweetened condensed milk, ice cream topping and chocolate. Cover and cook on low-heat setting, if available, for 2 hours. Stir until mixture is smooth. Serve immediately or keep warm, covered, on low-heat setting for up to 1 hour (chocolate mixture will become grainy if held longer). To serve, spear dippers with fondue forks. Dip into chocolate mixture, swirling as you dip. If the mixture thickens, stir in a little warm milk to make fondue of desired consistency.

-- Recipe courtesy of Amber Gillespie, semihomemadewithamber.blogspot.com

Fon-do's and don'ts

• Don't cheap out on the chocolate -- Avoid anything generic and instead opt for a name-brand chocolate like Ghiradelli, Nestle or Hershey's. "There are some ways to cut costs, but don't skimp on the chocolate. That is the one thing that needs to be a rich and good brand," said Amy Hansen, a chef at the Salt Lake City Melting Pot, a chain restaurant that specializes in fondue.

• Do buy a good grade of cheese -- You don't have to break the bank on cheese, but make sure you buy something that tastes good a la carte.

• Don't add the cheese all at once -- Cheese always melts differently, and the easiest way to mess up cheese fondue is to throw all the cheese in at once. "Always add your cheese slowly to the base," Hansen said.

• Do purchase inexpensive beer or wine -- You don't have to use high-quality lagers to get a good end result. "You can get the cheapest out there as long as it is a light beer," Hansen said. If you don't want to use alcohol as a base for entrée fondue -- even though it cooks out -- you can easily substitute vegetable broth.

• Don't cross-contaminate -- Be aware of what you use to handle raw meat and make sure it doesn't touch anything else.

Big dippers

Try these pairings at your next fondue party:

• Cheese fondue: French, rye, pumpernickel or sourdough bread, carrots, cauliflower, celery, Granny Smith apples

• Entrée (beer, oil or broth) fondue: Chicken breast, shrimp, sirloin, filet mignon, lobster, salmon, ravioli

• Chocolate fondue: Frozen grapes, bananas, strawberries, cheesecake, angel food cake, pound cake, brownies, Oreos, marshmallows, pretzels, graham crackers