Pumpkin baked with cheese and cream
6 servings
90 minutes
Baked pumpkin with cheese and cream is a dish that embodies comfort and richness of flavor. Although it belongs to Mexican cuisine, such combinations are found in other culinary traditions as well. Gruyère adds nutty and savory notes to the dish, while cream and butter create a delicate texture. Baking makes the pumpkin soft, revealing its natural sweetness that harmonizes with the spicy accents of nutmeg and pepper. The outer crust may get slightly burnt, but inside is true delight: a gooey, creamy mass infused with cheesy aroma. This dish is perfect for an autumn or winter dinner, filling the home with warmth and coziness. It can be served as a standalone dish or as an original side dish. A wonderful choice for those who appreciate rich, warming flavors and are not afraid to experiment.
1
Cut off the top of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and other plant debris with a spoon.
- Pumpkin: 3 kg
2
In the formed red void, you need to add grated Gruyère cheese (about one-third of the pumpkin's volume). Then pour cream on top (there should be a small space, about a quarter of the volume, between the top edge of the pumpkin and the level of the poured cream, otherwise all the contents will spill out in the oven).
- Cheese: 500 g
- Cream: 1 l
3
Salt and pepper the pumpkin's contents, add a piece of butter, cover with the cut top, and place on a baking sheet in an oven preheated to 180 degrees for an hour. If the pumpkin is slightly larger than three kilos, keep it in the oven for an hour and a quarter. The outside may get slightly charred, but that's not a problem; the main thing is that the inside is tender, bathed in a hot bath of cheese, cream, and butter. Serve the pumpkin in soup bowls, scooping out the flesh along with the creamy sauce.
- Salt: pinch
- Ground nutmeg: 1 teaspoon
- Fresh pepper: pinch
- Butter: 50 g