Caramelized Onion, Bacon Dip

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream, room temp (you can also substitute with greek yogurt)
½ cup mayo, room temp
1–2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Dry Ingredients
4 oz mozzarella, shredded
2 oz mozzarella (for topping)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp brown sugar

Crispy fried onions (for topping) or fry up a shallot

Vegetables/Produce
4 large yellow onions, sliced
2 shallots, sliced
6 cloves garlic, minced
1–2 tsp fresh thyme

Meat
1 lb thick-cut bacon, cut into small pieces

Seasonings
Pinch of salt
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Splash of water (for caramelizing)

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a skillet over medium/high heat until crispy. Remove and set aside, keeping ¼ cup bacon grease in the pan.

2. Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt + a splash of water. Cook over medium/low heat.

3. Continue adding small splashes of water and stirring frequently until caramelized (about 1 hour- 1.5 hours.)

4. In the last 2–3 minutes, add garlic, thyme, balsamic vinegar, and brown sugar. Stir to combine.

5. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, sour cream, mayo, cheddar, 4 oz mozzarella, Worcestershire, pepper, and most of the bacon.

6. Let caramelized onions cool slightly, then fold them into the cheese mixture.

7. Transfer to a baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella, crispy onions (I like to fry up some shallots if I have on-hand), and leftover bacon.

8. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, then broil 2–3 minutes until golden crust and bubbly.

9. Serve warm with crackers, toasted baguette, or pretzels.

This recipe takes a couple hours so I tend to make it a day before or morning before, then warm up half an hour before apps are served!