Onion Dip for Onion Haters

Life is just funny. Last week with my dear daughter on "spring break" I figured I'd get NO sewing done. Nada. Zilch. As it were, my car was in the shop for three days (scheduled maintenance than drug on and on and ON) and we had a few glorious days of putzing around. This combined with my brilliant idea to put a second chair at my sewing table made it possible for said child to sit next to me, happy as a clam to draw, glue, what-have-you while I sewed. This might not seem like much to you but to me it was pretty much a miracle. This week it's been back to our normal nuttiness and hardly any sewing has gotten done. BUT we did have family over for Easter and while I mostly took the easy way out I did make this most wonderful of all onion dips. SO wonderful that even I, a self-professed onion HATER since birth, can not eat it fast enough.

I can't really take credit, it's Ina's from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. I give you Pan-fried Onion Dip (insert clouds parting, sunbeams shining and angels singing here). So easy, so delicious. I altered it just slightly from the original. That is the size onion I used just to give you a frame of reference when I say large onion.

Pan-fried Onion Dip
2 large onions - I always use sweet but you could also use yellow

Ina chopped her onions in half, then into 1/8" thick semi-circles. I cut mine smaller (small dice) because I don't like big chunks - you slice 'em however you like. Then saute over medium heat with:

4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 to 1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper - this is optional and I actually used a 1/2 tsp of Aleppo pepper, spicy without being hot, I get it at Penzey's.

The original recipe says to saute for 10 minutes over medium heat, then an additional 20 minutes at medium-low. I'll be honest with you and tell you that it always takes me a LOT longer to get the onions caramelized to that deep, dark golden brown color. But it's worth it, trust me. Just stand there and keep stirring every so often so they don't burn. Your onion will shrink down to a thick, gooey brown layer at the bottom of your pan, then take them off the heat and let them cool a bit.

In a separate bowl combine:
1 8oz block of cream cheese, softened
1 C. sour cream
1 C mayo - I like Hellmans

Mix well with electric mixer then add cooled onions. You can serve this at room temp or chilled from the fridge. I'd love to tell you how long it keeps but the best I can say is not long. I love it with teeny tiny potatoes that have been oven roasted (Trader Joe's sell them by the bag. It's a small bag though, so do yourself a favor and buy 2). It's also wonderful smeared on a bagel. Or you could you go the traditional route and serve it with pita or potato chips. Your call. Just know that you may want to stand by the bowl and just eat it with a spoon. It's that good. So at least if you're not sewing you can be eating something yummy, right?

:-)


Proof that I did cook a healthy dinner AND got my child to sit at the table to eat at least once in our lives! Hope you're all making it through your week, it's downhill to the weekend peeps - yay.

Tomorrow night I'm taking the first part of the serger class at Whipstitch and I'm nervous/excited - wish me luck!