Caramelized Onion Dip

My ubiquitous holiday dip, Caramelized Onion Dip has been in my family for years.

Originally, back in the 60’s, my Dad used to make this by mixing some Lipton’s Onion Soup mix with some cream cheese ad some sour cream. It was good! But over the years, I have come to make a recipe that actually uses caramelized onions. It takes a while longer than the Lipton’s method, but well worth the effort. Caramelizing onions properly takes at least 30 minutes or so.

Note: My original recipe for this yummy dip calls for creep frying some sliced shallots. Truthfully, they never cam out crispy like I wanted, and, it is a pain in the neck! So, my supermarket hack is using French’s fried onions. They add the right amount of crunch and oniony flavor.

This dip goes well with any chip or cracker as well as fresh cut veggies like celery and cucumbers.

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet onion, Vidalia or Maui work well, but a nice big yellow or white onion will do

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

• Kosher salt

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• 2 tbsp mayonnaise

• 1 tsp Worcestershire

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 cup /French’s fried onions

• 2 tbsp chopped chives

Directions:

1 – Heat a large non stick skillet over low heat and add the butter.

2 – Peel the onion then slicer into 1/4 inch slices. Separate the rings and place them in the skillet. Season lightly with salt.

3 – Allow the onions to slowly cook, turning them often with tongs. Do not let them burn. Cook until deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the skillet to a small plate and cool in the fridge.

4 – In a medium mixing bowl, add the softened cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, and garlic powder. Mixing thoroughly with a fork until well blended.

5 – Fold in the French’s fried onions and the chopped chives.

6 – Taste and reseason with salt and pepper. Place in the fridge for 2 hours. Remove from the fridge 1 hour before serving.