Cheesy Baked Pumpkin with Gruyère Fondue

1. Toast Baguette Slices

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place six slices of baguette, each about an inch thick, on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes, until crisp and golden.

2. Simmer Cream Mixture

Pour ½ cup of heavy cream, ½ cup of dry white wine, and ¼ cup of milk into a saucepan. Add a large garlic clove, peeled and smashed, along with three fresh sage leaves. Simmer gently for about 5 minutes. Discard the garlic and sage leaves after simmering, and stir in ½ teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

3. Prepare Pumpkin

Use a sharp knife to carefully slice off the top of a 3 to 4-pound sugar pumpkin, then scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp with a sturdy spoon.

4. Layer Ingredients in Pumpkin

In the cavity of the pumpkin, create three layers alternating between the toasted baguette slices, grated Gruyère cheese, and the cream mixture.

5. Bake Pumpkin

Rub the outside of the pumpkin with 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Place the pumpkin in a baking dish and bake in the oven at 425°F for about 1¼ hours or until the skin is blistered and the flesh can be easily pierced with a fork.

6. Serve

Let the pumpkin cool for a few minutes after baking. Quarter it carefully, and serve the cheesy baked pumpkin with Gruyère fondue warm.