Baked Pumpkin and Gruyére Dip
Creamy pumpkin and nutty Gruyère meet sweet caramelized onions, roasted garlic, smoky bacon and fresh sage, baked until golden in a crusty sourdough bread bowl
Ingredients
- 2 large yellow onions , sliced
- 2 TBSP butter
- 4 cloves garlic , roasted *see notes
- olive oil, for drizzling
- 1 loaf sturdy round bread, like sourdough , hollowed out to make a bowl (see post for details)
- 4 slices bacon , cooked and chopped
- 2 cups pumpkin puree (or one 15 ounce can)
- 16 ounces cream cheese (or two 8-ounce blocks) , softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 and 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 TBSP fresh chopped sage (or 1/4 tsp dried)
- pinch nutmeg
- 8 ounces grated gruyére , about 2 cups
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Roast the garlic and cook bacon: Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice about ¼ inch off the top of a whole head of garlic to expose the cloves. Place in a small baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, and cover tightly with foil. Roast for 40–45 minutes, until soft and golden. At the same time, place bacon slices on a rimmed baking sheet and cook along side the garlic until crisp, checking at the 10 minute mark (it will probably take closer to 15 minutes). Reduce oven to 375°f. Let cool slightly, then squeeze 4 cloves from their skins for the dip, reserve the rest for another use (See Notes for a fresh garlic shortcut)
- Meanwhile, caramelize the onions: Melt butter and a bit of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add sliced onions and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes, until deeply golden, soft, and caramelized. Season with salt and pepper during cooking. Reduce heat as needed to prevent burning. Don't rush this step.
- Once the onions are caramelized, stir in the mashed roasted garlic, cayenne, smoked paprika, a pinch of nutmeg and chopped sage. Reduce heat to low. Cut the softened cream cheese into small pieces and add to the onions, stirring until smooth and evenly combined.
- Add pumpkin and lemon juice until thoroughly combined.
- Remove from heat and stir in chopped, cooked bacon and grated cheese, reserving a little bit of each for topping. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Spoon mixture into prepared bread bowl and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle reserved cheese and bacon on top. Tent loosely with foil and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes, until heated through and golden on top.
- Serve warm with toasted bread, crackers, celery or red bell pepper strips.
Notes
- Fresh garlic shortcut: Substitute 2 to 3 cloves minced fresh garlic for the 4 roasted cloves. Add to the caramelized onions during the last minute of cooking, stirring until fragrant. Fresh garlic has a sharper flavor than roasted, so adjust to taste.
- What about the extra roasted garlic? You'll have some left over! Spread it on toasted sourdough, mash it into potatoes, stir it into salad dressing or pasta sauce. Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 4 days, or freeze for longer storage. Don't store roasted garlic in oil at room temperature.
- Make ahead: Prepare the dip and fill the bread bowl up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. Bake directly from the refrigerator at 375°F for approximately 45 to 55 minutes, until heated through. Tent loosely with foil if the bread begins browning too quickly.
- No bread bowl? Spread the dip in a lightly greased baking dish and bake at 375°F until hot and bubbly, about 25 to 35 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the depth of the dish.
- Make it your own: Bacon is optional, and fresh thyme or a little finely chopped rosemary can replace the sage, see blog post for other ways to personalize!