Carmelized Onion Dip

I made this dip last summer and it is so good - I could get in the bowl and just swim around in it! 

INGREDIENTS

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 freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise

METHOD
Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch-thick half-rounds. (Yielding about 3 cups of onions)

Heat the oil and the butter in a large sauté pan over medium high heat (it works better to NOT use a non-stick pan). Add the onions, cayenne, salt and pepper and sauté for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook for 40 more minutes, stirring occasionally (but not too often-the onions should start to stick to the pan) until the onions are browned and caramelized.

Add the Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes. Allow the onions to cool.

This is what you want the onions to look like. Note that they are really dark because of the balsamic vinegar.

In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream and the mayonnaise. Whisk until smooth. Add all of the onions, reserving about a tablespoon for garnish, into the cream cheese mixture. Stir to combine and mix well. Transfer to a serving dish and top with reserved onions. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to combine. Serve at room temperature with potato chips.

The BEST spinach Dip

This is my signature spinach dip. I make it all the time and it is soooooo good. To me - it's the best spinach dip recipe I've ever found so I have to share.

Spinach Dip

1 pkg frozen spinach

8 oz cream cheese

8 oz Monterrey jack cheese

6 oz Parmesan cheese

1 can Rotel

Cook the spinach according to package. Add cheeses and melt in microwave for 3-5 minutes until liquid form. Add rotel and mix together. Serve with crackers or bagel chips or melba toasts.

Ranch Oyster Crackers

My mom used to always make these at the holidays. They are SO addictive. She used to send me back to college with a huge tin of them and I won't tell you how long they lasted. They are the BEST snack.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
• 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 (12 ounce) package oyster crackers

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, ranch-style dressing mix, dill weed, lemon pepper and garlic powder. Pour this spice mixture over the crackers in a medium bowl, and stir until the crackers are coated. Arrange the crackers on a large baking sheet.
3. Bake in the preheated 275 degrees F (135 degrees C) oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

Cheese and Pesto Layer Dip

I found this recipe by Paula Deen and used it at Harper's birthday party. I thought it was really good.

Cheese and Pesto Layer Dip

2 8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
16 oz smoked provolone shredded (I used mozzarella instead)
1 5oz parm cheese
1 cup Pesto
1 cup toasted pine nuts

Beat cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Add cheeses and beat until combined.

Line a 9x5 loaf pan with heavy plastic wrap allowing edges to extend over sides of pan. Spoon 1/3 of cheese mixture into pan. Spoon 1/4 of pesto on top and repeat layers twice.

Cover and freeze for 4 hrs & up to 2 wks.

Before serving - unmold onto a platter, remove plastic and let stand for one hour. Press pine nuts on side (this takes a lot of work and I got lazy and just did a row instead of covering the whole thing).
Top with remaining pesto.
Serve with crackers

Roasted Corn and Avocado Dip

{Source: Southern Living Homestyle cookbook, pg 82.  Charlie Ward "Pepper Lovers Club Cookbook, Volume 1"}

I can never say no to avocados.  They are my love language. 

I could eat guacamole until it comes out my ears.

So I saw this recipe that is similar to guacamole but includes roasted corn.  I was intriqued.

I made it and ate as both a dip and a side dish.  And it was SO good!!!!!

And the roasted corn is YUMMY.  I have learned in the last year that you can take any vegetable and add some olive oil and roast in a hot oven and they are DELISH! 

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh or frozen whole kernel corn, thawed and patted dry (I used frozen)

2 tsp olive oil

2 ripe avocados, peeled and chopped

3/4 cup diced tomatos

3 tbls lime juice (use fresh limes)

3 tbls chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbls minced onion

2 small canned jalepeno peppers, seeded and diced (I left this out - I'm not a fan of too hot)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cumin

(You could also leave out the last 3 items - and just use garlic salt)

Combine corn and olive oil.  Bake at 475 degrees for 15 minutes.  Cool.

Combine corn and the other ingredients and stir well.  Serve with Tortilla chips or eat as a salad.