Category: Marilou Suszko's Recipes

pumpkin fondue

This recipe calls for a small pumpkin and while you might be tempted to reach for a familiar pie pumpkin (heaven forbid a jack-o-lantern pumpkin), think outside the orange shell and try a Tan Cheese. It’s beautiful and beige on the outside, brilliant, orange and sweet on the inside. It almost looks like a serving dish!


3-4 cups whole wheat or whole grain bread chunks, lightly toasted or dried in the oven
1 4-pound pumpkin, preferably a Tan Cheese
¾ cups half and half
½ cup rich chicken stock
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg, plus extra
1 ¼ cups grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the top off the pumpkin and remove the stringy pulp and seeds. Combine the half and half, chicken stock and grated nutmeg in a small bowl.

To assemble, place a layer of bread chunks inside the pumpkin. Add 1/3 of the cheese and 1/3 of the liquid. Repeat with two more layers, pressing and compacting the ingredients in the pumpkin shell. Place the top back on the pumpkin and brush the outside of the shell with the olive oil. (Can be made a few hours in advance and refrigerated.)

Place the pumpkin in a baking dish or on a sturdy baking tray to catch any possible drippings. Place in the oven for about an hour, more or less time depending on the size and thickness of the pumpkin. If the pumpkin gets too charred for your liking, reduce the heat to 350 degrees.

The pumpkin fondue is done when the pulp on the inside is soft, buttery, and scoop-able yet the shell is still intact.

Before serving, grate additional nutmeg over the fondue. Scoop out portions with a large spoon into small bowls, making sure to get some of the pulp.

Makes 6 appetizer servings.

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