{Homemade} French Onion Dip

Yesterday, I told you about a new recipe I took to my sister's Fourth of July cookout.

{Homemade} French Onion Dip.

Every single one of us at the party loved this recipe. We stood around the bowl and I kept refilling the chip platter throughout the day. I love these kinds of recipes - the ones that I keep coming back to throughout a party - hoping that there's still some left.

I have always liked store bought french onion dip and rippled potato chips. I grew up eating it because my mother is a potato chip fanatic, so we always had potato chips and dip at every party, every cookout, every celebration.

This recipe slays the store bought french onion dip that comes in the little white tub. You really can't even compare them. This homemade version brings together caramelized onions, cream cheese, sour cream, a hint of cayenne pepper and is topped with...

BACON! Lots of crisp, crumbled bacon.

This recipe is very, very easy to make. But, the key to really getting the flavor that takes this recipe to a new level is to be sure that the onions are completely caramelized before you take them off of the stove. Depending on how high you have the heat on the stove, or what type of pan you use (I used my dutch oven), it's hard to say exactly how long it will take the onions to get to that point.

The test: They should be brown and very sweet. That's it. When they're brown (caramelized) and sweet, they're ready.

The party guests started hacking into this dip the minute we got to my sister's house and we were all grabbing chips and gobbling up the last of it as we left the party.

If you love french onion dip and want a new recipe to try, make this one.

It's absolutely divine.

(Homemade) French Onion Dip
adapted from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook...

12 ounces bacon
4 large or 6 medium yellow onions
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons mayonnaise

Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds. (You will have about 5-6 cups of onions.) Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30-40 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

While the onions are cooking, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. (This will make cleanup much easier later.) Arrange bacon slices on baking sheet and place in oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until bacon is crispy. (The amount of time will depend on your oven and how thick the slices are. When they are golden, they are ready. They should get just as crisp as if you fried them.) Place bacon slices on paper towel-lined plate to absorb the fat. When cool, crumble the bacon and set aside.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Pour dip into serving bowl and top with crumbled bacon.

Serve at room temperature with potato chips, tortilla chips, crackers, pretzels, veggies, etc..

*I set out of platter of rippled potato chips and tortilla chips. My husband liked it with potato chips best. I liked it with tortilla chips best. He says to-may-to. I say to-mah-to. What can I say?

*Note: This recipe will make about 4 cups of dip. If you're just making it for 2-3 people, you can halve it. But, if you're taking it to a party and you want to get any of it yourself, make this whole batch.