Pumpkin Fondue
Pumpkin Fondue is a decadently rich layered side dish recipe filled with nutty Gruyere cheese and toasted baguette slices.
Pumpkin Fondue—the unctuous yet velvety side dish you didn’t know you needed in your life.
When the weather turns cool and the mountains start revealing their majestic color it’s time to ring the bell for Pumpkin Fondue.
Do y’all remember Meghan Markle’s blog, The Tig??
It had SO MANY good recipes!! Thankfully, several can still be found—so after you scroll to the bottom of this post and snag the recipe, go on a google deep dive for all the recipes from The Tig—you won’t be disappointed!
So, Pumpkin Fondue…
Meghan even went as far as saying this may be her favorite recipe of all time.
And, I quite agree!
This is quite the decadent dish, so prepare yourself.
Take the Lactaid pills, wear the stretchy pants, put your hair up.
You’re going to never want to bring your face out of this pumpkin!
Autumn means the orange hue of pumpkin spice and everything nice.
But, for me, the bell rings Autumn when you stuff a pumpkin full of bread and cheese and pour the glass of wine that pairs perfectly.
I almost renamed this recipe ‘Pumpkin Gratin’ because it’s not a fondue in the traditional sense…
You take layers of toasted bread and cheese and pour cream and eggs overtop…
Then bake the whole thing for TWO HOURS, and scoop it out on to a plate.
I ate mine with a spoon…. and it was everything I had hoped for and more.
How to Make Pumpkin Fondue—
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Like our friend Linus, once the intoxicating aroma of the first great Pumpkin Fondue glides through the air, friends start calling.
“Hey, Ashley! Are you making Pumpkin Fondue soon?”
People invite themselves over when they know it’s happening, or when they think it’s happening.
This is one of the most impressive things you can make for the people you love.
A beautiful pumpkin glistens with the cheesy glow of Gruyere cheese.
I mean, how often do you pull a whole pumpkin out of the oven, that is bubbling with cheese, bread, and cream.
What kind of pumpkin should I use?
I’ve used everything from Sugar Pie to French (that’s the one pictured!), to the white Cinderella pumpkins. You definitely want to choose an edible one, with sweet and creamy texture.
How to serve it?
You’ll preferably have a host of people gathered near you for this theatrical show.
Serve with a light Everyday Salad and a {few} bottles of wine.
Now, you’ll take a serving spoon and scoop out the pumpkin with the bread and cheese. The subtle pumpkin flavor balances the robust woody flavors of the cheese.
I serve inside of deep bowls, with spoons for all.
It’s a cheese soup and a gratin and a fondue and a full meal all in one. And, for the outstanding wow factor it’s incredibly simple to make.
Which is exactly what you want when entertaining your dear ones in Autumn.
And, the absolute best part of all this?! You can prepare the pumpkin 2 hours in advance of baking. This means you can layer this pumpkin together during your lunch break from Zoom meetings, and keep it in the fridge until you bake it for an hour and a half.
Let’s all give an incredibly big thank you to Ruth Reichl, the creator of the recipe. Without you, Autumn would be a little less magical…
You’ll definitely want to save this one to your favorite Fall Recipe board on Pinterest…
Pumpkin Fondue
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 1.5 hours
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: main dish
- Method: oven-baked
- Cuisine: american
Description
Ooey gooey melty gruyere cheese layered with bread and cream for the most incredibly decadent dinner recipe idea all Fall long.
Ingredients
- 4–6 pound pumpkin with the top removed, and the seeds & fibers removed.
- 12–14” inch baguette, sliced into 1/4” slices and toasted slightly
- 2 cups gruyere cheese, shredded (Also feel free to use any other Alpine cheese)
- 3 eggs
- 8 ounces half and half (or cream!)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚
- Cut the top off the pumpkin, and scoop out seeds & fibers, making a nice bowl for the cheese & bread. Reserve the top for baking.
- Place pumpkin in a rimmed baking dish (I used a 9×13 pan, on top of a half sheet pan)
- Layer bread and cheese three layers inside the pumpkin, ending with cheese
- In a spouted bowl, mix eggs, half & half, salt, pepper, and nutmeg until combined.
- Slowly pour the egg and cream mixture over the bread & cheese, inside the pumpkin. If it looks like it’s going to overflow, just give it a few seconds to soak in….
- Bake for 1.5 hours at 350˚ with the top on the pumpkin (or until it’s completely melted inside and the pumpkin is wilting).
- Remove the top of the pumpkin, and place back in the oven, and broil the top until golden brown.
- Serve by scooping everything out (including the pumpkin, yum!) and devour together with good friends, great wine, and lots of laughter!
Alright — now, go pick a pumpkin, fill it with cheese, and get ready for your {fall} life to be complete!
what a great fall inspired recipe so very tasty thanks for sharing
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Pinning this one!! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party! Have a wonderful week and hope to see you next week too!
What a really cool way to cook and serve fondue. Happy Fall, Kippi
Thanks!!! Hope you try it, and fall in love as much I did!
I love this idea so much for Fall. Fondue served in a pumpkin – looks delicious! #HomeMattersParty
I’ve become obsessed with “stuffing” pumpkins….. get ready! 😉
I am totally drooling over this! Wow, I’ll have to make it gluten-free for my whole family to enjoy, but I’m thinking there’s so much cheesy goodness in this that no one would know!!! Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty
Oh yeah! I’ve already made it again, but breakfast themed… with layers of sausage with the cheese! SO good!
Do you cook the sausage before putting in the pumpkin and do you use sausage patties?
I use breakfast sausage, and cook it on the stovetop, breaking up into crumbles. It’s delicious layered in.
I have never heard of this but you have definitely convinced me to try it out. #HomeMattersParty
Oh my goodness!! This looks so delicious and yummy! I can’t wait to make this! My family is going to love this! Such a great idea for a get together!
Woo hoo! Love hearing that!
ohhhh this is heaven, especially when you scoop out the pumpkin with it! what a fun and delicious dish!
Yesss!!! It’s just the best!
Made this for the family and it was a hit!
Yay!!!
This was so delicious! Everyone in the family enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Love hearing that!
Okay, this is so unique, I DEFINITELY need to try this! Bookmarking it for when I can find pumpkins. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Yay!! I know you will love it!!
What a fun dish for fall! My friend makes something like a Shepherds Pie in a pumpkin, but fondue is a new one on me!
This is incredible. What a brilliant idea for a Halloween party! Thank you
Wow that a great idea! Perfect for a pumpkin lover like me!!
This was such a fun idea! We dipped granny smith apples in for that slightly sour contrast and it was perfect.
I can’t wait to make this! My family is going to love this recipe! So excited to make this recipe for my family!