Pan-Fried Onion Dip

The same night that I made the light Creamy Parmesan Spinach Dip, I also tried out a homemade version of French onion dip. It’s always a favorite at parties, but the store-bought stuff is usually full of unpronounceable ingredients. Ick.

Sweet, caramelized onions are blended with sour cream and cream cheese for a rich, decadent dip that’s accented with a kick of cayenne. This dip isn’t exactly healthy, but you can definitely save some calories by using reduced fat cream cheese, mayo and/or sour cream.

This was a big hit with our friends! It’s nice and creamy and highly addictive, just like all the best dips should be!

My only note is that it took a LOT longer for me to get the onions to caramelize, as is tradition with recipes. Which always reminds me of an article I read in Cooking Light years ago about why recipe writers lie about how long it takes to actually caramelize onions. It’s a time investment, but it’s totally worth it. Get on board!

Pan-Fried Onion Dip
Life and Kitchen (Adapted from Ina Garten)

2 large yellow onions
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce (vegetarian version if you prefer)
1/2 cup good mayonnaise