Pumpkin Queso in a Roasted Pumpkin
A warm, cheesy pumpkin queso served right inside a roasted pumpkin. I made this for a get-together at my friend's house, and the pumpkin is not just for looks, it holds the heat and everybody ends up gathered around it.
Do not let the pumpkin part scare you. The queso itself comes together in one pot in about 15 minutes, and the pumpkin roasts while you make it. And if you are taking it to someone else's house like I did, I put exactly how I transported it in the tips below, because hot cheese on the road needs a plan.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
One pot queso, ready in about 15 minutes
The roasted pumpkin doubles as the serving bowl and keeps it warm
Easy to transport and reheat at a friend's house
Made for dipping sourdough pretzel bites
Servings: about 4 cups of queso, serves 8 to 10 as an appetizer
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes (mostly the pumpkin roasting)
Total Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
Cup measurements are approximate. For the most accurate results, use a kitchen scale and the gram amounts below.
For the roasted pumpkin:
1 small sugar pumpkin (2 to 3 lbs)
15g (1 Tbsp) olive oil
Pinch of fine sea salt
For the queso:
240g (1 cup) evaporated milk, plus a little extra for thinning
225g (8 oz) cream cheese, cut into cubes
240g (1 cup) pumpkin purée (canned is fine)
200g (about 2 cups) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
150g (about 1½ cups) shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or pepper Jack for heat)
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
2g (1 tsp) ground cumin
3g (1 tsp) chili powder
1g (½ tsp) smoked paprika
2g (½ tsp) garlic powder
Fine sea salt, to taste
Optional: 15g (1 Tbsp) pickled jalapeño brine, or a few dashes of hot sauce
Instructions:
Roast the Pumpkin:
Heat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Cut the top off the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and strings. Rub the inside with the olive oil and the pinch of salt. Set the pumpkin and its lid on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until the flesh is tender when poked with a fork but the pumpkin still holds its shape. It is your serving bowl, so do not roast it until it collapses.
Warm the Milk:
While the pumpkin roasts, pour the evaporated milk into a medium pot over medium low heat. Warm it until it is steaming, not boiling.
Melt the Cream Cheese:
Add the cream cheese cubes and whisk until completely melted and smooth. This is what keeps the queso from separating later.
Add the Pumpkin and Spices:
Whisk in the pumpkin purée, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder until smooth and hot.
Melt the Shredded Cheese:
Turn the heat down to low. Add the cheddar and Monterey Jack one handful at a time, stirring until each handful is melted before adding the next. Do not let it boil, boiling is what makes queso go grainy.
Finish the Queso:
Stir in the drained tomatoes with green chiles, then taste and add salt. If it is thicker than you like, whisk in a splash of the extra evaporated milk. Stir in the jalapeño brine or hot sauce if you are using it.
Fill and Serve:
Ladle the hot queso into the roasted pumpkin right before serving, and set the pumpkin lid next to it or propped on top. Serve with sourdough pretzel bites, tortilla chips, or toasted sourdough.
Additional Tips:
Taking it to a friend's house: This is exactly how I did it. Roast the pumpkin at home and let it cool enough to handle. Make the queso, pour it into a glass container, and transport the queso and the pumpkin separately. At your friend's house, reheat the queso gently on the stove over low heat, whisking in a splash of milk if it thickened up, then pour it into the pumpkin. Wait to fill the pumpkin until you are actually there.
Hosting at home: Keep the queso warm in the pot and hold off on putting it in the pumpkin until right before your guests come, so it stays hot. Same rule as transporting it, the pumpkin gets filled at the last minute.
Keep it warm longer: A roasted pumpkin holds heat surprisingly well. For a longer party, keep extra queso warm in a small slow cooker and refill the pumpkin as it empties.
Shred your own cheese: Pre-shredded cheese is coated so it does not clump in the bag, and that coating keeps it from melting as smooth. Two minutes with a box grater is worth it here.
Storing Instructions:
Store leftover queso in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat it low and slow on the stove with a splash of milk, whisking as it warms. I do not recommend freezing it, the cheese turns grainy. The roasted pumpkin bowl is for serving day only.
Ingredient Notes
Sugar pumpkin: Use a small pie pumpkin, not a carving pumpkin. Carving pumpkins are watery and stringy, and the walls are too thin to hold hot queso.
Pumpkin purée: Canned is completely fine here. The roasted pumpkin is your serving bowl, so do not scoop its walls for purée, it needs the strength to hold the queso.
Evaporated milk: This is the easy way to a smooth queso with no flour and no roux. Whole milk works too, the queso will just be a little thinner.
Cream cheese: The stabilizer. It keeps the queso smooth while it sits out, and it is the reason this recipe reheats so well.
Troubleshooting Tips
My queso is grainy. The heat got too high, most likely it boiled after the cheese went in. Take it off the heat and whisk in a cube or two of cream cheese or a splash of warm milk until it smooths back out.
My queso is too thick. Whisk in evaporated milk a splash at a time until it dips the way you want it. It also thickens as it cools, so judge it while it is hot.
My queso is too thin. Stir in another handful of shredded cheese, or let it sit on low heat for a few more minutes, stirring the whole time.
What to Serve This With
Sourdough pretzel bites are my favorite dipper for this, the flaky salt on top with the warm cheese is so good. Tortilla chips, toasted sourdough slices, and apple slices all work too. For a full Halloween spread, serve it next to the mini sourdough pumpkin shaped brie bites.
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