I have a wonderful recipe for making "fondue" inside a hollowed-out pumpkin; you cook the whole thing, with the pumpkin as a serving bowl for the melted cheese/bread etc "dip" or fondue.

The recipe calls for Gruyere and Emmenthaler cheeses---yikes! About $25 per pound, for something I've never tried before.

But many common cheeses do not melt well. Anyone have any other ideas?

Hummmm...I would make a white sauce and then add cheese to it  - start with cream cheese.  Kraft (I think it is - may be Sargento) makes a cheddar that melt easily - I forget the name, but the mild cheddars will melt easily.  Vacherin is one that will melt easily as well, but it is probably spendy too.  The nice thing about starting with a white sauce is that you can sautee some garlic in the butter, which will give the dip a neice flavor.  Also Google "cheese foundue" and check some recipes.

Sorry I can't be of more help!!

How about supermarket Swiss?  That is a relative of the Gruyere and Emmenthaler, shall we say a less expensive cousin.  I've made fondue many a time with the less expensive Swiss when the original recipe called for the higher priced one.  And this is cooked in a pumpkin?  I'd love to try that!