Maybe you just don’t have enough pumpkins at the ready for your gluten-free Thanksgiving meal. Pick up one more and fill it with cheese. Go get it. I’ll wait.

Yep, I’m talking about cheese fondue in a pumpkin pot. Holy crikey, it’s good. Because what’s not to like about melted cheese baked in a pumpkin. And it’s actually not that hard, making me think this could be a really fun fall party staple. You basically clean out that pumpkin, and start to layer your gluten-free bread, cheese, and roux. Like this –

Don’t forget to save those pumpkin seeds and roast them up with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. Then you’re all, “I used every part of this food! I rule!!!”

As for your dippin’s, I happened to have an extra steak lying around so I just went full heart disease and plunged that steak into my fondue, along with some gluten-free toasty bread, and a few vegetables. It’s especially lovely when you scrape the sides of the pumpkin and get cheesy pumpkin goodness. You know what? You can also just take a spoon to this and sit in front of your TV all day. Whatevs.

Mmmmmmmmmmmm.

DO IT

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Fondue

adapted from Gourmet

Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients

One small to medium pie pumpkin
Gluten-free baguette, or other bread
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup gluten-free chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 1/2 cups Gruyère, grated
2 1/2 cups Emmenthal, grated
1 Tablespoon olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Take your gluten-free bread and cut into small pieces and bake in hot oven to toast for 7 minutes.

2. While bread is toasting, cut the top off your pumpkin, and scoop out the pumpkin seeds and stringy pumpkin guts.

3. Whisk cream, gluten-free broth, and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Combine cheeses in a separate bowl.

4. After gf bread cubes have cooled, layer the bottom of the pumpkin with one row of toasted bread. Take one cup of cheese and cover bread. Add 1/3 of the cream mixture on top of cheese. Repeat until pumpkin is filled to 1/2 inch from the top.

5. Place pumpkin in an oiled pan, and cover pumpkin skin from top to bottom of olive oil. Bake for one hour and fifteen minutes until skin is browned and cheese is throughly melted.

6. Remove pumpkin from oven and allow tool before removing and placing on serving dish. Serve with your choice of gluten-free bread, crackers, meat, and favorite vegetables.

Makes: 6 servings