Caramelized Onion & Bacon Dip

Hi Friends! It has been a MINUTE.

These past two weeks, I took an unintended but much needed blogging hiatus.

Sometimes, just like with anything else, I can get in a bit of a creative rut with this blog. Blogging doesn’t feel as fun as it used to. The pressures of social media have had an effect on me this past year, and it has NOT been good for my general attitude about blogging. And I ultimately find myself questioning if the time/effort/money invested is worth it. Questioning it a lot more than I ever have before.

But! A little time away can do wonders. This is actually the longest I’ve stepped away from the blog during the entire time I’ve done it. Even having a newborn baby couldn’t keep me away. My creative rut and ho-hum attitude (thanks, in part, to the frustration of a stagnant social media presence — perhaps a topic for another time because I could literally write an entire post on just this), paired with a wicked summer cold (so annoying), and an impending beach vacation….well, all this led me to say “I need to step away for a hot sec.” Both my mind and body needed a break. A rest. A reprieve.

I have several recipes already tested, made, and photographed. All ready to go. All ready to share. But instead of putting a ton of pressure on myself these past two weeks, I just let it be. I took a break. And it felt so good, guys! My posting schedule (because, yes, I already have all the posts planned and scheduled through the end of summer) will be off now, but that’s OK! Because, ultimately, I make the rules around here. It’s easy to forget with all the social media pressure these days (See? I can’t shut up about this, apparently, Hah).

Anywho.

The perfect recipe to get me back into the blogging mood is this ridiculously delicious onion dip. Guys, it is so good. It’s crazy to me how much FLAVOR this dip ends up having. It has a little bit of everything. It’s creamy and rich, salty, sweet, and savory.

It all starts with caramelized onions. Otherwise known as the most delicious way to eat onions. Yes, caramelized onions take a tad more time and patience, but they are SO WORTH IT. They’re like savory candy! Which sounds weird, but if you’ve never tried them, just trust me when I say they’re delicious.

Once they are golden, sweet, and delectable, the onions get mixed with some other incredible dip ingredients. Fluffy cream cheese, a touch of mayo, and some Greek yogurt (I like to do this instead of all mayo). More flavorings go into the mix in the way of dried mustard, Worcestershire sauce (adds such a savory punch!), and parmesan cheese. Oh, and BACON!

How could I forget the bacon?!

I don’t even know me right now.

The BACON is such a key ingredient here. Of course, if you’re vegetarian, you can omit it. But for the meat eaters out there, I implore you not to skip it! It’s a flavor explosion! And it adds the most amazingly crispy texture on top of the otherwise creamy dip.

Like I said, it’s insane how such a simple combination of ingredients can lead to something so flavorful. Spoon it into a baking dish and heat in the oven until melty and bubbly. That’s all there is to it!

I like to serve this with grilled bread (sourdough being my favorite!), but you can keep this gluten free and carb friendly and go with veggies. Or a combo of the two! Because we gotta let ourselves live a little, right? Bread is life in my world.

I plan on serving this all summer long. It’s ideal with a super chilled glass of chardonnay. It’s perfect for devouring outside, right after a swim session.

It’s heaven.

And I’m so thrilled to share this with you guys. Genuinely. It’s definitely a good “get back in the game” recipe to kick things off again!

Xoxo. Thanks for being here. Thanks for reading!

Caramelized Onion & Bacon Dip

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• Yield: 4-6 appetizer/snack servings 1x

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Ingredients

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For the Onions:

• 4 oz bacon, diced
• Drizzle of olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Dip:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup mayo
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 cup parmesan cheese, divided
• The onions
• The bacon
• Fresh chives, chopped
• Grilled bread, for serving

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Instructions

For the Onions:

1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until it is crisp and rendered. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. To the bacon drippings, add a drizzle of olive oil. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until they are beginning to soften.
3. Add in the garlic and brown sugar and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, for 15-20 minutes or until everything is caramelized, soft, and golden brown.
4. Set aside to cool slightly.

For the Dip:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayo, yogurt, Worcestershire, mustard, and half the parmesan cheese.
3. Fold in the onions and half the bacon. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
4. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared baking dish and top with the reserved parmesan cheese and bacon.
5. Bake for 15 minutes, or until everything is hot and bubbly. If desired, broil the top for a minute to get a golden brown crust.
6. Remove the dish from the oven and garnish with the fresh chives. Serve hot with grilled bread.