Caramelized Onion Dip

Some of you may remember my love affair with Vidalia Onion dip last summer. Well, I have a new obsession. Same basic concept- cheese, onions, and more cheese. But with one tiny change, this dip has changed my life. Dramatic? I think not.

I fully realize that it’s hard to mess up a dip with three (you heard me, THREE) packages of cream cheese, so I suppose I should give Philadelphia most the credit. But I digress…

WARNING: This is not your average “powder in a packet” onion dip. Cooked over low heat for about an hour, the sweet, deeply caramelized onions add a new dimension of flavor to this creamy dip. The Havarti doesn’t hurt, either. My family was still talking about how good it was three days later. Serve with Ritz crackers (or some crusty bread- you know how I like my carbs) for your Game Day fun this weekend. You won’t be disappointed!

Caramelized Onion Dip

1 Tbsp. butter
3 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 8oz package Havarti cheese
2 large onions, thinly sliced
Salt and Sugar, to taste
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I always use Hellman’s)
Ritz Crackers to crumble on top (optional)

Directions

Melt the butter over medium heat and add onions. Cook the onions for about 10-15 minutes, until softened, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle some salt and sugar (which helps the caramelization process) and stir. Lower heat and cook onions another 30-45 minutes, until deeply browned and caramelized. The trick is to leave them alone long enough to start browning, but then stir before they burn. Just be sure to keep an eye on them throughout.

Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, Havarti and onions, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Before heating, crumble Ritz crackers over the top. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and bake about 25-30 minutes, until bubbly.

You might just want to make a whole batch for yourself. No judgement here. Enjoy!