Fondue is delicious but not necessarily practical for a holiday appetizer. That is, until now. By making fondue inside a baked pumpkin, you’re making a well-insulated and edible vessel that requires no external heat source to keep the cheese melty. It’s cute, tasty, and practical! We used a small Long Island Cheese Pumpkin, but you can use any pumpkin or winter squash around 2-2.5 lb.
On the Ingredients:
- Pumpkins are a highly delicious and nutritious winter squash variety. Unlike other varieties, they aren’t particularly sweet on their own but have been used in sweet preparations predominately. Pumpkin is especially high in vitamin A, which helps with a strong immune system. Aside from vitamins, pumpkins are also high in antioxidants. (Read more about the health benefits.)
- Swiss cheese is a generic term for a Swiss-type medium-hard cheese similar to Emmental. It originated in Switzerland, but the name does not indicate origin, as it can be made anywhere, unlike Emmental. Swiss cheese is known for its mildly sweet, nutty flavor and distinctive holes.
- Gruyere cheese another Swiss-type cheese that is sweet, nutty, and salty. It’s harder than generic Swiss and has a deeper flavor while still being mild enough not to overpower other flavors in a dish. It’s especially popular in quiche, on top of gratins, and mixed with other cheeses in a fondue.
Recipe Notes and Substitutions:
You can also use other varieties of winter squash, such as kombucha, carnival, or buttercup. Instead of Swiss cheese you can use any similar cheese, such as Emmental, Jarlsberg, or Fontina.
Pumpkin Fondue
6
servings10
minutes1
hour1
hour10
minutesFondue is delicious but not necessarily practical for a holiday appetizer. That is, until now. By making fondue inside a baked pumpkin, you’re making a well-insulated and edible vessel that requires no external heat source to keep the cheese melty. It’s cute, tasty, and practical! We used a small Long Island Cheese Pumpkin, but you can use any pumpkin or winter squash around 2-2.5 lb.
Ingredients
1 pie pumpkin or medium squash (around 2-2.5 lb)
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 cups Swiss cheese OR fontina OR Emmental
1/2 cup gruyere cheese
1/3 cup heavy cream
sprig of fresh thyme
- Possible accompaniments:
sourdough bread
apples
pears
broccoli
mini meatballs
Roasted potato
carrot sticks
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Slice the top of the pumpkin off like you would for a jack-o-lantern. Scoop out the seeds and guts and discard. Rub the oil on the pumpkin’s flesh so it doesn’t dry out, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place it on a baking sheet and put the top back on. Bake for 30-40 minutes (time will vary depending on the size and type of squash) until you can pierce the pumpkin with a fork.
- Take the top off the squash. Pack the inside of the pumpkin with the cheese. Combine the heavy cream and nutmeg, then pour over the cheese.
- Put the pumpkin back in the oven and roast for 20 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from the heat, stir the melted cheese, and garnish with thyme leaves.
- Serve with a selection of accompaniments for dipping. Also, make sure you provide a fork or spoon that can be used to scoop pumpkin flesh into the cheese for an additional element.
