Baked Pumpkin and Gruyére Dip

You don’t technically need a party invite to make this baked pumpkin and gruyére dip… but if you have one? This recipe will solidify your title as appetizer royalty! It’s cheesy and warm, with mellow caramelized onions, roasted garlic, smoky bacon, nutty gruyere and creamy pumpkin. Bake it in a bread bowl for a fun (and edible!) presentation or keep it simple and bake it in a casserole dish. It’s flexible, dangerously difficult to walk away from, and just waiting for you to make it your own!

A Case For Savory Pumpkin!

Fall is pumpkin season at our house. Hannah grows beautiful heirloom pumpkins every year. All different shapes, colors and sizes. We use them to decorate starting in September, and gradually they make their way into the kitchen, one by one, to be transformed into silky puree that I portion and freeze to make all kinds of things throughout the year. Some are sweet (“hello, pumpkin bread!“), but most of the dishes they find their way into are savory.

And that’s important… Eric swore he hated pumpkin for years. But he’s changed his tune since realizing that “pumpkin spice” was at the root of his pumpkin aversion.

And that’s not PUMPKIN’S fault. It’s marketing’s fault.

So, I’ve been on a quest to save pumpkin’s reputation at our house. And I think this dip could single handedly convert most pumpkin skeptics to pumpkin lovers!

What’s in Pumpkin and Gruyére Dip?

This dip is all about warm, comforting flavors- and creamy, luxurious textures. Developing those flavors- caramelized onions and roasted garlic- takes time, but it’s so worth it. And I’ll walk you through how to organize the process so that it’s smooth and efficient. Pinky promise!

This is what you’ll need:

• Caramelized Onions (yellow onions and butter)
• Roasted Garlic (a whole head of garlic and a bit of olive oil)
• Bacon (optional, but……bacon 😍)
• Cream Cheese
• Pumpkin Puree (homemade or canned)
• Gruyere
• Lemon Juice
• Sage, smoked paprika, cayenne, nutmeg,salt & pepper
• A sturdy loaf of bread (I love sourdough) or just a casserole dish

First, The Ingredient That Started My Wheels Spinning- Pumpkin Puree

I love options, and you have them! You can use homemade pumpkin puree (my favorite when I have time) or you can buy canned pumpkin puree (single ingredient, easy peasy). I wrote a whole post on how to make your own pumpkin puree here. If you opt for canned puree make sure that’s what you’re buying and not pumpkin pie filling (which has additional ingredients and will not work here). A can is 15 ounces, slightly under the 2 cups of puree called for, but it works just fine! Also, canned puree can vary in consistency, if yours is very thick you might end up adding a little more lemon juice, a tablespoon of water or a splash of cream before scraping the dip into your bread bowl.

Let’s Talk Bread Bowls

Hannah offered these beautiful pumpkin shaped sourdough loaves at farm pick up last week and I couldn’t resist! I knew we had a party coming up and immediately pictured one filled with a creamy, bubbly dip. You could use any sturdy, crusty round or oval (or pumpkin shaped!) loaf. You could also skip the bread bowl and bake the dip in a casserole dish (with some adjustments). My loaves were a pretty good size, but if you have smaller loaves the recipe is easy to cut in half.

*Plan on approximately 6-7 cups of dip before baking. A 2-quart baking dish is a good choice, or a bread bowl with a 7 cup hollowed out capacity*

Preparing a Bread Bowl

To make a bread bowl, carefully slice off the top, like a lid, about an inch to an inch and a half thick. Then take a knife (a serrated knife works great) and cut down into the loaf, staying an inch in from the edges and an inch from the bottom, all the way around the loaf. Use your fingers to pull out the center of the bread, trying to keep it in the largest pieces possible. You want big pieces so that you can cut them into chunks for serving with dip later.

How long does it take?

Start to finish, just over an hour and a half. And nearly half of that time is totally hands-off!

Honestly? I struggled to come up with accurate prep/cook/total times for this recipe. Caramelizing onions and roasting garlic take 45 minutes. The finished dip bakes 45 minutes. There’s also slicing, grating, preparing the bread bowl.

That might sound like a lot… but here’s the thing: those steps don’t all happen one after another. They overlap.

Thinking In Layers

Organization is your friend in the kitchen! Just like great recipes layer flavors, smart cooks layer tasks. That’s kitchen magic! And the more you practice thinking this way before you begin cooking, the more natural it becomes.

Here’s how to “layer” your tasks for this recipe:

*For ANY recipe, start by reading through the recipe from start to finish, make sure you have all of the ingredients, and preheat your oven*

• Step One- Roast garlic, caramelize onions and cook bacon: This takes some time, so start these right away. That way, while they cook you can get everything else done. Cut the top 1/4 inch off of your head of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, place in a small baking dish and cover with foil. Roast 45 minutes at 400°f. Place strips of bacon on a small baking sheet and cook in the oven alongside the garlic, until crisp. Ovens vary but mine takes about 15 minutes. Slice onions evenly (about 1/4 inch thick) and cook in a mix of butter and olive oil, low to medium low, stirring every few minutes and watching the heat so they don’t burn. It will take about 45 minutes to get them to a nice golden color. If you want really jammy, dark mahogany onions you can go as long as an hour or more, but I like them at the 45 minute mark for this recipe. Soft, golden brown, sweet and delicious! Once garlic is done reduce oven to 375°f.

• Step Two– Prep remaining ingredients: While the garlic and onions are cooking, you can turn your attention to creating your bread bowl, measuring out spices (put them all in one little prep bowl), squeezing lemon juice and grating cheese. You’ll have enough time to wash and put away anything you no longer need by the time you’re ready for the next step. *cleaning as you go keeps your kitchen (and your mind) flowing smoothly*

• Step Three- Combine Over Low Heat: Squeeze a few of the garlic cloves into the onions, smash well and stir, then add seasonings. Stir again. Add the softened (very important) cream cheese in small pieces, stirring until melted and smooth. Next add your pumpkin, stir, then lemon juice.

• Step Four- Finish Off Heat: Turn off heat and add cooked bacon and grated cheese (reserve a little of each for topping), a handful at a time, stirring to incorporate. Taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.

• Step Five- Fill and Bake: Scrape dip into your prepared bread-bowl or a casserole dish. Top with reserved cheese and bacon. Cover loosely with foil and place in a 375°f oven on the middle rack. Bake 30 minutes, remove foil and cook an additional 15 minutes, until golden and hot throughout.

Serve Dip with pieces of bread, crackers, or veggie dippers like celery and red bell peppers…yummm!

Making It Your Own

One of the most rewarding parts of cooking is developing the ability to adapt and adjust a recipe to suit your personal taste and environment. Some parts are integral to the dish- the soul- and worth preserving. But others? There’s freedom to explore and shift things to find your alignment.

Do I have to use roasted garlic? No. I love the mellow flavor roasted garlic adds, but you can use raw garlic, too. It will slightly change the flavor profile but still be delicious! Just mince 3 cloves and add them during the last minute of cooking your onions, then proceed as usual.

Can I use a different cheese? Yes! Again, the flavor profile will change but there’s room for all of our tastes- that’s what makes cooking fun. I’d suggest something that melts well to keep the creamy final result. Monterey Jack, Cheddar (mild or medium for smoother melting), Havarti, a young Gouda, Fontina could all be fabulous. And now I’m thinking about Brie…might be time to make this again!

Are there alternatives to cream cheese? I don’t have experience with dairy free alternatives, but if you experiment successfully please let me know and I’ll add it to my post! If it’s not an issue with dairy, you can experiment with substituting part of the cream cheese with full fat sour cream or yogurt, though they will produce a looser dip (not necessarily a bad thing!) .I’d keep the base at least half cream cheese for stability. Again, let me know! I don’t have time to try every variation but love to share what we all learn.

Can I skip caramelizing the onions? I don’t like saying “no”, but in this case I feel solidarity with the caramelized onions. Raw onions and caramelized onions are completely different creatures. Caramelizing not only changes the flavor- mellowing their sharpness and developing their natural sweetness- it also removes liquid and transforms their texture to something silky and tender.

Can I bake in a casserole dish instead? Yep! You can skip the bread bowl and bake it right in a casserole dish. I’d lightly grease the dish first and adjust the time depending on how deep it is. Check around 25 minutes because you’ll lose some of the insulation a bread-bowl provides.

Can I use dried herbs? Yes! Just make sure to reduce the amount called for. Dried herbs are more concentrated than fresh, so a good rule of thumb is to use about 1/3 as much dried as fresh. If using dried sage, there’s also a difference between crumbled and ground- ground is more concentrated by volume, so I’d start with just a pinch and go from there. If you don’t care for (or don’t have) sage, thyme or rosemary would also be really good!

Can I make it ahead?

YES! Prepare the dip and fill the bread bowl up to one day ahead. Just cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake directly from the refrigerator at 375°f, uncovered, for approximately 45-55 minutes, until hot throughout and lightly golden. Check around the 40 minute mark and make sure the bread isn’t browning too quickly. For cold dip in a casserole dish check at 30 minutes. Tent loosely with foil the last 10 minutes if needed.

How many does it serve?

That’s a tough one to answer because appetizers like this are notoriously subjective. Will this be one of several appetizers, or the main event? Will there be dinner afterward? But, I understand…you need an approximate idea of servings.

I feel comfortable saying it serves 12 responsible adults OR 3-4 people sitting directly in front of it with a bottle of wine and minimal inhibitions (guess which one I was 😂 on Saturday??).

I hope you enjoy this Baked Pumpkin and Gruyére Dip as much as we do!

And, as always, I love to hear how my recipes turn out for you (and I especially love to see your food photos)! So tag me at @breathingandcooking on facebook and Instagram with your creations!

And don’t forget to breath, trust yourself, and enjoy the process ❤️