It’s Holiday Dipping Time! (Homemade French Onion Dip)

Denise Gianatasio is a Northport 
Village resident and freelance writer. 
She is a licensed agent at Signature 
Premier Properties, 172 Main Street, Northport 631-754-3600. Denise 
enjoys cooking and sharing her recipes and family stories, as she wants to
inspire a warm sense of home with 
her readers. Please feel free to contact her for any advice you may need at  
dishinwithdenise@yahoo.com.

Here it is the “real deal” … old fashioned, homemade, creamy dip piled into a carved out fresh sour dough bread bowl~ really scrumptious! Serve this dip with your favorite potato chips, crackers or fresh vegetables.  Watch the crowd linger long around this dip ~ until it disappears! A word of…  Caution… this dip has been known to tempt ~ family and friends to …. “double dip!”

4 large Vidalia onions (sliced thin into 
   1/8 " rounds) I use my food processor 
   with slicing blade.
1 large round bakery sourdough bread 
¼ cup (plus) if needed of extra virgin 
   olive oil
2 ½ T of butter
½ t of ground cayenne pepper 
   (more if desired~ taste)
8 ozs of cream cheese 
16 oz of sour cream 
¾ cup of good mayonnaise
1 ½ t of kosher salt
1 t of fresh ground 
   black pepper

    Sautee sliced onions in large frying pan with oil and butter until soft, golden and caramelized.  Keep a watchful eye on this process stirring often. Start out with med heat for 10 minutes and then lower heat, add spices and continue sauté for approx an 
additional 20 more minutes. Let onions cool completely when done.
    Beat in a large bowl with electric mixer the softened cream cheese, mayo, and sour cream until creamy smooth and free of lumps. Now fold in your caramelized onions until mixed through. Taste for seasonings.  Cut top off of round sough dough bread carefully and rip out inner bread until deep enough to hold dip, and then fill with the prepared dip.         Serve at room temperature. Surround with chips and watch it scooped up to the very last scrape! Leftover dip is delicious as a topping to baked potatoes. (that’s if there’s leftover?)