With the Holiday season approaching us, I couldn't think of a better recipe to add to your upcoming menus. This is a simple dish that can be prepared in advance and baked off a few minutes before your gathering starts. This appetizer is extremely delicious, hearty, comforting and rich - everything a holiday menu item should be in my opinion. Dips and spreads are so popular at parties during Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years and I love to have a variety of options that are a little different than your expected ones.
Caramelized Onion, Gruyere and Bacon Spread
Adapted from Cooking Light November 2011
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 1 Tbs Butter
- 3 1/2 cups chopped onion
- 4 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded and divided
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
- 1/3 cup canola mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425°.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan lightly with cooking spray. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low; cook 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons cheese. Combine remaining cheese, caramelized onion, 1 tablespoon chives, and the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Transfer the mixture to a 1-quart glass or ceramic baking dish coated lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle with reserved 2 tablespoons cheese. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon chives.
- Serve with toasted baguette slices.
With the Holiday season approaching us, I couldn't think of a better recipe to add to your upcoming menus. This is a simple dish that can be prepared in advance and baked off a few minutes before your gathering starts. This appetizer is extremely delicious, hearty, comforting and rich - everything a holiday menu item should be in my opinion. Dips and spreads are so popular at parties during Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years and I love to have a variety of options that are a little different than your expected ones.
Since this is so easily pre-prepared, you could whip up a batch before you leave for your holiday travels ;)
ReplyDeleteSounds yummy!!!
This looks amazing. I love all the flavors. Thanks for a great idea for the next time we have company!
ReplyDeleteThe baby and I ate this with a spoon it was so good.
ReplyDeletethe husband
Caramelized onions just do it for me and paired with Gruyere, you bet I will be serving this over the holidays! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteoh DROOOOL! this looks amazing!
ReplyDeleteoh. my. gosh. !!!!! This looks like a dish that my hubby's family would devour over the holidays!
ReplyDeleteThere are no words for how amazing this looks. Yum!
ReplyDeleteI don't even know if I would have the patience to get it on to a slice of bread, it looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteThis looks amazing. Seriously amazing.
ReplyDeleteWho would eat French Onion Soup when you could just have this dip??!!! This looks marvellous!!!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely LOVED this dip. Everyone who tried it asked for the recipe. Thank you so much for sharing it, you have a wonderful blog.
ReplyDeleteCould this be made with a shredded parm??
ReplyDeleteGreat recipe, I made it tonight and the whole family loved it! One question, how long do you think I can keep it in the fridge? Can I freeze it?
ReplyDeleteRosielles,
ReplyDeleteI think it would keep in the fridge just fine for 5-7 days. I don't personally freeze anything with cheese in, but it might be worth a try. Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Kasey,
ReplyDeleteI think shredded Parmesan might be a little too salty. I think shredded mozzarella may be a better alternative. But by all means try to use Gruyere if at all possible, it is divine in this recipe!
Made this as a Thanksgiving Day appetizer, so yummy! The flavor was amazing. Definitely a keeper!
ReplyDeleteI made this for a tailgate party and it disappeared within 10 minutes! Everyone begged me to make it for Christmas and half the women wanted the recipe! Thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteWhat is canola mayo?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous,
ReplyDeleteCanola mayo is just a variety of mayo they sell which contains canola oil instead of veggie oil. This is a Cooking Light recipe, so they do things like that to "lighten" the recipe. But any mayo will work here.
Do you have to use Greyere? It's $18 a lb. locally! Wouldn't regular swiss work just as well?
ReplyDeleteThis looks amazing! Will have to try it at our next get-together! I'm just curious, however, as to why you would use cooking spray in a cast-iron skillet. If your cast iron is seasoned properly, it should be a non-stick surface. You shouldn't have to use a non-stick spray, and then you can keep the chemicals and added calories out of the dish.
ReplyDeleteShannon,
ReplyDeleteI agree that if you have a properly seasoned cast iron skillet you shouldn't need cooking spray. But in the case you don't, you could end up with a mess. It's the cooks call!
Could I switch the mayo for cream chesse????
ReplyDeleteAnnabelle,
ReplyDeleteI think you could make that substitution, but I would use a fat free cream cheese since it is a little more spreadable than the full fat version (or maybe even the whipped cream cheese they sell in the small tubs).
Good Luck!
Elizabeth
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ReplyDeleteI've made this a couple of times and it has become one of my favorite alternatives to plain old cheese and crackers. Recently I decided to try using a smoked swiss cheese....DELICIOUS. Love this recipe!
ReplyDeleteI am interested in a cold or room temperature dip. Can this be served without baking?
ReplyDeleteI think you could serve it without baking since everything is already cooked before you mix it and bake it, but I am not sure it would be as delicious without the melty gooeyiness the baking provides.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone tried this with the cream cheese? How was it? This looks divine but I have mayonnaise hating hubby :(
ReplyDeleteThis looks so yummy. Can it be made the night before then heated just before needed?
ReplyDeletesorry, one more thing. How many will this serve? Just wondering if I need to double the recipe for the party I am going to bring this to.
ReplyDeleteIngrid,
ReplyDeleteI think this would serve about six as an appetizer. It was a small shallow dish I served it in in this picture. You can definitely make it the night before and bake it right before you serve.
Enjoy,
Elizabeth
Thanks so much Elizabeth. Sounds like I may be shedding a few more tears (onions) as I will probably triple the recipe.
ReplyDeletei always dbl it
DeleteI made this the night before a Christmas party and then the night of the party I put it in a hollowed out sourdough round, baked it in the oven at 350 for about an hour. Yum! The house smelled so good and the dip was a huge hit!
ReplyDeleteThanks for a new recipe to add to my favourites :)
Making this tonight for our guests, it looks amazing .
ReplyDeleteThanks from Down Under
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Love it! I threw in some shredded rotisserie chicken and served it on zucchini noodles. My husband is on a low-carb diet and this was good for both of us.
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS A HIT EVERY TIME I MAKE IT! PEOPLE ASK FOR ME TO MAKE AND BRING TO PARTIES
ReplyDelete