woo baby, it’s cold outside!
Recipe: sweet onion dip
I let blogging get away from me these past few days. In truth, I kind of left it there – abandoned it, if you will. The weather was cold, snowy, even foggy at times. I just had to get out into it!
as did kaweah
We had a freezing fog blow in one morning. It doesn’t happen all that often, but when it does happen, it’s quite amazing because it coats everything in rime ice. This one was short-lived. Due to the flow of the fog, the ice crystals developed on one side of everything.
nature’s bad hair day?
branches that resemble candy
There was also the requisite “scoping out” of the snow. It’s soft, fluffy, and deep in places… windswept in others. We did *a lot* of postholing, which I guess is an effective form of the Ass Reduction Plan (ARP). Note to self: bring the skis until June.
heading into a squall
jeremy scouts the weather to the west
Jeremy is counting down the days until the solstice, because he can’t wait for the days to start getting longer. He’s a big fan of daylight. Me? I like daytime, nighttime, anytime. The short days don’t bother me at all. I have plenty of things to get done after the sun goes down.
our local sunset is around 4:30
latest acquisition of quilting flannels
While most folks kick entertaining and social functions into high gear come December, I’m actually trying to stay under the radar. I am keeping our social calendar pretty empty. Instead of indulging in the copious calorie-laden goodies, we’re eating simple fare that centers around what needs to be cleaned out of the freezer. And I’m exercising regularly because of Todd and Diane… or rather because of Todd and Diane’s sweet onion dip.
a baguette, cream cheese, mayonnaise, parmesan, sweet onion, and black pepper
I call it spreadable crack and damn it if they aren’t the pushers! They served this at the dinner party they threw when I was visiting them in Southern California. It’s so unbelievably good that even my friend Jack, a man sworn against white condiments, gobbled it down.
slice the baguette
brush with olive oil (both sides, please)
In fact, most of the people I know who dislike mayonnaise and/or cream cheese have gone back for seconds, and thirds, and… The reason I have this data is because I have made this dip at least three times in the past month since I visited Todd and Diane.
baked into crostini
dice the onion
No wonder I need to get running, skiing, biking, rowing, anything to work off that dip. It’s ski season – there are ski pants that demand to be worn! Okay, but my own issues aside, this dip is so popular that it’s a must at any holiday party. The tangy, creamy, mildly sweet spread is best served warm (or hot) on that crostini.
mix it all together
pour into a baking dish (or many)
And did I mention how insanely easy it is to make? Takes mere minutes to whip up and then everyone will be asking you for the recipe. When they start gaining extra pounds and come complaining, you can blame Todd and Diane – the original crack dealers (and two of my favorite people on the planet).
serve hot, enjoy your new-found popularity
Sweet Onion Dip
[print recipe]
from White On Rice Couple
1 baguette, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
olive oil
8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup sweet onion, diced
1 cup mayonnaise (use a good one like Best Foods)
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tbsp black pepper, freshly ground
Heat oven to 350Β°F. Brush slices of baguette with olive oil (you can brush both sides or just one side). Set the slices on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes. 10 minutes will yield lighter crostini, I prefer 15 minutes for golden crostini. Remove from oven and let cool. Beat the softened cream cheese (by hand, mixer, or stand mixer) until smooth. Stir in sweet onion, mayonnaise, Parmesan, and black pepper. Mix well. Pour the dip into a baking dish or baking dishes (ramekins, whatever) – make sure not to overfill above the rim. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the tops are brown and bubbly. Remove from heat. Serve warm (or hot).
December 5th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
Oh god. The dip. I’m getting the shakes.
Also? DOGGY! I want to just *hug* Kaweah in that picture.
December 6th, 2010 at 12:07 am
*groan*
I’ve been trying to resist making Todd and Diane’s crack… er, Sweet Onion Dip at home, because I just *know* I’ll eat the whole thing all at once!
But you’re making it very difficult for me to resist. ;)
I may have to find an occasion where there will be many people in attendance to make this for, so I won’t eat it all myself. (I’d say Christmas, but my entire family is lactose intolerant! :P )
December 6th, 2010 at 12:32 am
Love those freezing shots:)) and that dip… Well, i can see how that would have everyonegoing back For seconds!!
December 6th, 2010 at 1:27 am
It looks and reads – delicious! I love Kaweah’s photo. He looks so handsome.
December 6th, 2010 at 1:40 am
Great landscapes! That dip must taste wonderful.
Cheers,
Rosa
December 6th, 2010 at 2:35 am
Mmmmmm. This would be wonderful to serve at a party! I bet it would be amazing the next day as a sandwich too…
December 6th, 2010 at 5:47 am
Kaweah is one cute dog! And this dip sounds too good to be true. I have to try it!
Magda
December 6th, 2010 at 5:48 am
I have so far resisted this dip…but man oh man does it sound good! I love it when a freezing fog coats everything- so beautiful!
December 6th, 2010 at 6:28 am
Oh yeah, that recipe is a keeper!
December 6th, 2010 at 6:50 am
Wait, now your a pusher!! I’m the one who is lazy because after you blogged about this in California it took a few hours for me to realize all I needed to do was check your friends blogs. I didn’t get back to you on that, (sorry). It’s really your fault I’ve been making this but I’m going to lay the blame on Todd and Diane for hooking you up with it. I love your pictures and recipes and blog, thanks again for blogging. This dip is so multi purpose, on toast with eggs, on hamburgers and sandwiches. I even added 1/2 cup of grated Asiago, a can of drained artichoke hearts chopped and 1/3 cup chopped spinach in it for Thanksgiving day. Makes it a vegetable dish, right? And darn it I’ve made a quarter of the recipe in saute pan, um, at least twice, that part is Diane’s brother’s fault. (The new flannel stash looks great.)
December 6th, 2010 at 7:37 am
I’m laughing at “nature’s bad hair day” and “spreadable crack.” Just looking at that dip, I can imagine! Luckily, the high country is giving us plenty of reason to put on those ski pants!
December 6th, 2010 at 7:38 am
Can this dip be frozen? It looks like it makes a lot.
December 6th, 2010 at 8:23 am
Wow, nice pictures! And thanks for sharing the step-by-step photos.
December 6th, 2010 at 8:26 am
oh my… i’ve got to make this. i think even my 11 yr old will love it. thanks for sharing.
December 6th, 2010 at 8:56 am
I have a huge box of Baby Vidalias and couldn’t think of a thing to do with them….now I know. Thanks!
December 6th, 2010 at 8:59 am
I just posted a recipe for caramelized onion & yogurt dip, but now I want to make this one! I love warm cheesy dips :).
The photos in this post are gorgeous, by the way!
December 6th, 2010 at 9:22 am
That is one beautiful portrait of Kaweah and one HOT pic of Jeremy! whoo hoo!
That gorgeous part of your world in wintertime is what we envy so much! We had plenty of rain here, but definitely nothing like what you have in CO.
ah, time to book some tickets.
and yay for spreadable crack!! when you’re ready, go for our chorizo dip, same thing, just add fried chorizo.
December 6th, 2010 at 9:58 am
I love mayo, cream cheese & Parmesan so I suppose this dip will add inches over here too.I would rather count inches of snow than additional ones to my ass. I am with you – a little more time outside & I can have it all. Happy quilting girl :)
December 6th, 2010 at 10:18 am
Gosh, I’ve been making this dip (for special occasions only!) since Diane and Todd ran the recipe. It is way too delicious. Especially since I don’t do too much entertaining and with only two of us, well as delicious as it is, I don’t know that we need all the extra padding. :)
Thanks for the reminder, with Christmas coming, maybe I can bring it warm to a party and just throw it in an already warm oven to share with others. (OR maybe, just maybe I’ll halve the recipe.)
December 6th, 2010 at 10:45 am
Ugh, I try to avoid the mayonnaise-cream cheese dips because they’re so irresistible once made and so, so bad for you.
This is my first winter working a grown-up job, and I’m finding it a little harder to deal with the short days. I don’t have windows in my office, so the only time I see the sun on weekdays is in the morning when I’m rushing around trying to get ready.
December 6th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
This is really sassy. You’re really sassy, Jen.
I’m writing it down.
December 6th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Jen speaketh the truth…this is PURE crack! So incredibly yummy…or at least the ONE bite I managed to snag before the dish was swiped clean.
Just so yummy!!
And yay for Miss K pix.
December 6th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Love to see Ms. K in the snow…. our K-dawg loves the cold and is a whole different animal when the summer blahs are behind us. He’s a puppy again!
This looks awesome, and is going on the NYE menu…. fire, champagne and things we shouldn’t eat. Perfect to ring in the new year…
December 6th, 2010 at 1:12 pm
Oh and I forgot to say – am in love with the piggy and monkey quilting prints! so fun!
December 6th, 2010 at 2:22 pm
I make a dip I love that is a combination of caramelized onions and dip ingredients; this looks WAY easier and will have to try it when I host some tweeps on Friday…thanks to all three of you!
December 6th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Ooh, this might just take the place of my current favorite, my hot baked artichoke and parm dip! Yum, I am salivating.
December 6th, 2010 at 6:11 pm
Onion dip is so dreamy. One can never have too many easy appetizer recipes this time of year.
December 6th, 2010 at 10:18 pm
I love, love, love onion dip! I first had it several years ago and it was delicious. Gorgeous pictures too!
December 6th, 2010 at 11:30 pm
Ooh I do love me some onion dip! I have the same question as Elsie above – can the other ramekins be frozen for later? I’d be much too tempted to eat it all!
December 7th, 2010 at 12:04 am
Love the photos of the snow! I’m stuck in stinking hot Australia where is doesn’t feel like Christmas at all :(
December 7th, 2010 at 5:58 am
Hmmm…would this be better for Friday’s party or Sunday’s? I’m thinking Friday will be here sooner!
December 7th, 2010 at 10:20 am
Mkay, I’m gonna have to ask, “Whatcha going to sew, Jen?”
/sometime quilter, fulltime food blog reader
December 7th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
Oh I have to know where you got those quilting flannels. So cute! My full time hobby is quilting, combined with the desire to make a flannel quilt lately…well there ‘ya go.
The onion spread also looks great. I’ve found that it’s easier to stick to my intake-regime if I subvert everyone else’s and this looks like an excellent tool to do so. :D
December 7th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
That looks wonderful.
December 7th, 2010 at 6:43 pm
This is probably ‘illegal’ food, but be quiet about it…I plan on making tons of it in the weeks ahead. ;)
Miss K., she’s as pretty as ever!
It’s a real shame you don’t know how to use a camera.
;)
December 8th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Looks great and reminds me of a german dip that I suspected was part lard, but oh so yummy!!! On great German breads…..wow! Don’t know what it was called, however. But this will do the trick!!!
December 9th, 2010 at 4:49 pm
Jeez. The amount of yummy decadent well, fat, makes it fit so well on the list of winter craving foods. Evolution says yes.
December 10th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Wow, yum! I’d like to make me some of that.
December 10th, 2010 at 8:01 pm
yaye! you’re here! i just came here to find any archived recipe for tomorrow night, and you didn’t leave for the remainder of 2010! and this recipe does sound like pure crack. i can’t wait to make it. life is great in no. cal., and i know it’s perfect in boulder.
xo
swan
December 10th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Melissa – I know, it’s such crack! :)
Allison – best to bring to parties so you can taste but not devour.
Phoo-D – it’s okay, right? I mean, you’re eating for two!
TheKitchenWitch – that’s *IF* I can pull those pants on ;)
Elsie – it can be frozen. It makes enough to serve a party of 12 (if they’re nice to each other).
Kelly – lucky you!!
WoRC – anytime you guys wanna come to CO, you have a place to stay… as long as Kaweah gets to snuggle with you :)
Marla – xo!
Bridget – it is indeed very bad for you (but tastes soooo good)
Pel – ha!! YOU’RE sassy, mister ;) xo
Mollie – yay! You can blame me for the added poundage. I’m cool with it, babe.
KatieZ – yes, I’m sure you can freeze them. I have 3 baked ones in my freezer now (I think just reheat in the oven until bubbly).
Pat – lots and lots of baby quilts (flannel rag quilts because they’re the fastest and I have about 24 babies to sew for!)
Diana – I got the flannels from equilter.com! They’re here in Boulder, so I place my order and then drive down to Boulder to pick them up when the order is ready. So awesome (and they have such a great selection).
December 12th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Made this at a party yesterday. It was a big hit! I didn’t have a full cup of mayo (probably between 1/2 and 2/3 c), and it worked fine.
December 13th, 2010 at 5:46 am
I received a recipe for a very similar dip years ago from a colleague. It was served on pumpernickel but it didn’t have cream cheese. The old was was fantastic. Toasted on individual slices of bread. But I’m thinking the cream cheese will add an extra dimension of richness. So, I’m going to add it and make crack this year. Love them onions!
December 19th, 2010 at 4:49 pm
I made this and substituted sour cream for mayo and it got rave reviews! I’d recommend sprinkling extra parm on top too! :) Thanks for the fab recipe!!
December 25th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
I made this with green onions instead of sweet because it was a last minute decision and we also wanted to finish up the rest of our green onions. It turned out delicious and everyone enjoyed it. We also served with sesame seed crackers and they worked well, even though we would have liked to serve with the baguette. Thank you for the recipe!
December 27th, 2010 at 7:59 am
Made this for Christmas grazing while opening presents and waiting for the big afternoon lunch/dinner. Big hit with the in-laws!
April 27th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
I have made this twice and it is soooo good. Added half a bag of spinach both times…this time, I also substituted red cayenne pepper for some of the black pepper and added some hot sauce. Delicious!