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You won't be able to stop snacking on this caramelized onion, bacon, and gruyere dip. The combination of sweet, salty, savory, and cheesy is unbeatable!
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What makes this dish special
Looking for a great appetizer to start your holiday party or a football outing? Prepare this caramelized onion, bacon, and gruyere dip and you'll be making this for every party! As a host, you know guests are going to be arriving hungry, looking for food as soon as they walk in the door. You want to please your guests without having to spend all your time in the kitchen. Well, say no more because I have the perfect appetizer that you can prepare the day before.
Simply make the spread the day before and pop it in the oven the following day, no hassle, guaranteed! Even if you're not hosting a gathering, make this dip for yourself and enjoy it as a great snack.
For more delicious snack ideas, check out these pigs in a blanket with balsamic onion jam, Mexican samosas, and potato mushroom croquettes!
Ingredients
- Bacon: Adds a rich, savory flavor and a crispy texture to the dip, while also providing a delicious contrast to the sweetness of the caramelized onions.
- Onions: Essential for creating the dip's base flavor. When caramelized, they develop a sweet and rich taste. Use yellow onions or sweet onions such as Vidalia or Walla Walla for the best result.
- Mayonnaise: Provides creaminess and moisture, helping to bind all ingredients together.
- Sour cream: Adds a tangy flavor and creamy texture.
- Gruyere: Adds a nutty and slightly sweet flavor, which melts beautifully into the dip.
- Chives: Provide a fresh, mild onion flavor that brightens up the dip.
Substitutions and variations
- Cheese: You can use mozzarella, cheddar, Emmental, or Jarlsberg as alternatives to gruyere.
- Vegetarian: Omit the bacon or use vegetarian bacon.
Recipe
Caramelized Onion, Bacon and Gruyere Dip
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cups onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup shredded gruyere cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place bacon on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until crispy. Cut into small chunks.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add sliced onions and saute until softened, about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until onions are caramelized, about 30 more minutes. If the pan becomes too dry, add a couple tablespoons of water. Remove onions from heat and cool.
- Mix together onions with bacon, mayonnaise, sour cream, ¼ cup gruyere, chives, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Pour dip mixture into a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle ¼ cup gruyere on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Serve warm with chips, crostini or crudite.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Caramelize onions
The most difficult step in preparing this caramelized onion bacon and gruyere dip is making the caramelized onions. Properly caramelizing onions takes at least 40 minutes. You want to slowly cook the onions over medium-low heat to prevent them from burning while still breaking down the natural sugars.
Start by heating a touch of oil in a large saute pan. Add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally.
Once the onions begin to soften, reduce the heat a touch and continue too cook until they're beautifully browned. If you notice the pan drying out, add a little bit of water to the onions. If the onion starts to burn, reduce the heat.
Make sure to stir occasionally while the onions are cooking, but not too often that the onions are constantly moving. Stirring too frequently won't give the onions enough time with the heat of the pan, which means it will take longer for them to properly caramelize.
As the onions become darker, stir more frequently until they reach a deep brown color.
Step 2: Bake dip
Once the onions are cooked, mix all the ingredients and transfer them to a baking dish. Sprinkle a little extra gruyere on top and bake until the cheese is lightly browned.
If preparing this dish ahead of time, you can chill the dip until you're ready to bake. I recommend waiting until you're ready to serve to bake it since the dip is best fresh out of the oven.
I thoroughly enjoyed this caramelized onion, bacon, and gruyere dip. The sweet onions with the salty bacon and the creamy texture of the cheese spread is a wonderful combination. I had mine with crostini, whole wheat baguette, and even tortilla chips, all appropriate dipping sides!
If your guests are heavy dippers, I recommend making a large batch because this dip is addicting. Trust me, if they like the dip as much as I did (which I'm sure they will) you'll need a big portion!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: You can prepare the dip mixture up to a day in advance and refrigerate. Bake just before serving.
- Store: Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven before serving.
Frequently asked questions
Fresh bacon is recommended for the best flavor, but in a pinch, you can use pre-cooked bacon bits.
Serve it with crostini, crackers, potato chips, or even as a spread for flatbread.
While it's best baked for a crispy top, you can keep it warm in a slow cooker after baking for serving at parties.
More dip recipes
Looking for dip ideas? Try these:
Betsy @ Desserts Required says
You had me at 'onion', 'bacon' or 'gruyere'. This combination is INCREDIBLE!
cma0425 says
Thanks Betsy! I devoured this spread all by myself it was so delicious 🙂
Nila @ The Tough Cookie says
Hi Christine,
I jut noticed you left me a message on my blog and I so glad you found me! You're blog just looks amazing! Beautiful photo's and delicious recipes!
Can't wait to try the cronuts or the shakshouka with feta!
xoxo
cma0425 says
Thank you!