Alcohol-free cheese fondue in a Hokkaido squash

Alcohol-free cheese fondue in a Hokkaido squash: Gruyère, cream cheese, milk and sage melt in the baked squash. With rye bread, broccoli and pear for dipping. A family-friendly dinner.

At a glance

• Serves 4
• Prep time: 25 min
• Cooking time: 50 min
• Total time: 75 min
• Calories: 560 kcal per serving
• Protein: 27 g
• Fat: 26 g
• Carbs: 49 g

Ingredients

• 1 Hokkaido squash
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 200g Gruyère
• 100g cream cheese
• 100ml milk
• 6 sage leaves
• 250g wholegrain rye bread
• 300g broccoli
• 1 pear
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 1 pinch of pepper

Method

You’ll need: oven · saucepan · baking tray · chopping board · knife · grater

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan). Cut a lid off the squash, scrape out the seeds and brush the inside with olive oil.
2. Put the squash and its lid on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes.
3. Grate the Gruyère and mix it with the cream cheese, milk, cornflour, lemon juice, chopped garlic, nutmeg and pepper. Cut the sage into strips and stir it in.
4. Fill the squash with the cheese mixture and bake for another 20 minutes at 180 °C until the cheese has melted and is bubbling.
5. Meanwhile, cut the bread into cubes, divide the broccoli into florets and cook it in salted water for 4 minutes. Cut the pear into wedges.
6. Stir the cheese in the squash once, dip the bread, broccoli and pear into it and scrape off a little squash flesh as you eat.

Good to know

Here, the squash is the fondue pot. The cheese melts in the hollow of the squash in the oven, and every time you dip, you scrape off some soft squash flesh with it. You don't need wine: lemon juice and cream cheese keep the cheese smooth.

Swaps

Gruyère → Alpine cheese or Appenzeller. Cream cheese → soured cream. Wholegrain rye bread → gluten-free bread. Pear → apple.

Cooking tips

Choose a squash that stands steadily, and if necessary cut a thin slice off the bottom. Put the squash on a board for serving, as it stays hot for a long time.

Storage

Leftover cheese-filled squash keeps in the fridge for 2 days and can be reheated in the oven at 180 °C in 15 minutes.

Allergens

Contains milk and gluten (rye); no egg, nuts or alcohol. Suitable for children and in pregnancy if the cheese is made from pasteurised milk.

Frequently asked questions

How long does cheese fondue in a squash keep in the fridge?

Leftover cheese-filled squash keeps in the fridge for 2 days and can be reheated in the oven at 180 °C in 15 minutes.