Pumpkin Queso Fundido

By Mary-10

Ingredients

• 1 2 to 3 pound sugar pumpkin
• 8 ounces dried chorizo, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper (remove seeds for less heat), chopped
• 1 4 ounce can chopped green chilies
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese
• 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
• Chopped fresh cilantro for topping
• Tortilla chips for serving

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice off the top 1 1/2 inches of the pumpkin and discard. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp.
Heat the chorizo in a medium pot over medium high heat until the fat begins to render about 5 minutes. Add the jalapeno, green chilies, cumin and cayenne and cook, stirring until the jalapeno softens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring until the flour is slightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the cheeses. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cheese melts and the mixture is creamy, about 3 more minutes.
Place the pumpkin in a small baking dish and fill the pumpkin with the cheese mixture. Add l inch of boiling water to the baking dish. Cover loosely with foil and bake until the pumpkin is tender, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Remove the foil; amd continue baking until the cheese is golden and bubbly. 20 to 25 more minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with tortilla chips.