Prep! here's the rub with raclette, the good news is much of the prep can be done the day before, that bad news is Raclette requires lots of prep, slicing, dicing and preparing. But again, good new! the vast majority of everyhting about a raclette party is that everything can be done the day or night prior which leaves you to be able to enjoy your guests while actually sitting with your guests!

Prep all the vegetables and all meats which can be marinated the night before the party. Depending upon the fish and whether it is fresh or frozen, plan on prepping or marinating the fish the day of the party.

The vegetables, side dishes and dips can also be plated the night before the party and tightly wrapped and refrigerated.

Set the table for the party the night before.

The day of the raclette - do any last minute decorations or table prep. Bread should be cut and prepped the day of the party to ensure freshness.

Prior to seating the guests, about 10 minutes before warm up the raclette grill according to manufacture instructions.

Pre heat the grill. This is particularly key to a granite grill. The granite takes longer to warm up, but once it warms up it can be HOT, so be prepared to turn the temperature down.

The non stick grills are similar to electric burners in that the heat tends to be more even over time. Either way don't skimp on the pre heating.

Let the fun begin! First time raclette guests will need a bit of instruction. What is important is that any combo of food goes! This gives guests the opportunity to combine the meats, breads, cheeses and vegetables.

Don't forget the pickle talk! And this will sound odd to most guest and not a combination immediately thought of, but the pickle and cheese is a must. Really yummy and I haven't seen a guest, even one with understandable trepidation about combing a pickle and cheese, to not love it! Fair warning, this does not apply to guests who don't like pickles, they can slide!

Raclette Tip: Do a run through before your first party.

Second Raclette Tip: Potatoes take longer to grill than most of the other raclette friendly vegetables. Parboil the potatoes or use canned potatoes. (promise the guests will not care!)