Smoky Caramelized Onion Dip, For the Win

I'm not even gonna lie about my love-hate relationship with professional football and the Superbowl.  For me, it's not a real Superbowl unless 1. the Chicago Bears are shufflin', 2. Walter Payton is still alive, and 3. it's 1985.   Nowadays it's just an excuse for me to make and/or eat junk food and yell at the television for three hours straight while being as curmudgeonly cynical as possible.  So while you may be having the best Superbowl ever, New Orleans Saints, if you don't mind I'll just pretend that Ditka and Refrigerator Perry are still kickin' it in the league.  

Earle and I were invited to a Superbowl-ish party this year, but the Mid-Atlantic snowpocalypse of 2010 kept us in the city (and the party was canceled anyway.)  Instead, Earle made some dericious honey barbecue wings and mac 'n cheese, and as a jumping off point for the feastivities, I threw together some caramelized onion dip last minute.

My original plan consisted of two key ingredients:  Simply Organic french onion dip mix and sour cream.  In all honesty:  I am lazy.  I am cheap.  I am no better than Sandra Lee.  Unfortunately for me, Whole Foods was out of the french onion dip mix (d'oh!) and I had to think on my feet. 

This past summer I went to an impromptu BBQ and quickly threw together a doctored-up onion dip:  french onion dip mix & sour cream with added caramelized onions, cumin, cayenne, and chili powder.  For our Superbowl dip, I took it a step further, creating a smoky, creamy base then adding sweet caramelized onions and crunchy, salty bacon.  A tasty counterpoint to raw veggies and potato chips, I could see it pairing well with either pita or wholegrain tortilla chips as well.  Add some beer and a big screen t.v. and you are good to go my friend.

As we all know, caramelizing onions is about the easiest thing you can do in the kitchen, and below are photos of my onions after 15 and 30 minutes.  I let them cook down for a total of 40 minutes, so they ended up deeper and darker in color than are shown here.  While the dip couldn't be simpler to make, you do need a little bit of time to let the concoction set up in the fridge - I'd factor in about one or two extra hours of inactive prep time for the recipe.  This dip is a frackin' crowd-pleaser so, you know, it's totally worth it.

Smoky Caramelized Onion Dip

• 2 slices thick-cut bacon, cut lengthwise into strips then diced
• 2 medium sweet onions (about 1 and 1/2 to 2 lbs), halved then thinly sliced
• 16 ounces sour cream
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

In a sauté pan, cook your lovely little bacon bits over medium heat, until just cooked through and slightly browned.  Remove bits with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.  Add onions and sauté over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 35 to 45 minutes, until the onions have reduced significantly and turned an orangey-brown.  Transfer to medium-sized bowl and cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

To your onions add sour cream, cumin, granulated garlic, chili powder, cayenne, and bacon.  Mix until well incorporated.  Season with salt and pepper to your liking.  Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. 

***If omitting bacon, start out by heating two to three tablespoons of vegetable oil in your pan, then add onions.***

Yield: 2 cups / approximately 10 servings   

Comments

[Earle]

AAAAAAAAH-MAAAAAAAH-zing dip. Truly dericious. Pair that with Edy's Tagalog ice cream and the Jacques Torres cookies you made and you have a happy camper.

[MoMay]

Edy's makes a Tagalog ice cream? Ube, Macapuno, or Edam cheese?

[MoMay]

The dip does sound good. The creepy thing is, caramelized onion dip was in fact on the menu for the defunct Superbowl party.

[Jaime Leah]

that is super creepy! great minds think alike. and it's not actually Tagalog ice cream, it's TAGALONG...but i've been mistakenly calling it that too. doy.

[Sarah]

"It's a chip and dip!"

(Maybe obscure Mad Men reference?)

This looks delicious! I have a slight obsession with caramelized onions...they just make everything better!

[jaime leah]

no that totally rings a bell! i couldn't remember if it was Pete that got one when he got married, or if it was a present for Joan when she got engaged. i looked it up though - that was a great episode.

[Tascha]

another thing to help the carmelized onions is to add a little balsamic while they are cooking - mmmmm

[jaime leah]

thanks tascha! i need more tips like that!