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Bourbon-Spiked Caramelized Onion and Bacon Dip

Source of Recipe

From "Southern Snacks" by Perre Coleman Magness


Recipe Introduction

"I have been making a version of caramelized onion dip for ages. I take it to parties, lake weekends, family gatherings, and football-watching events. I get requests for it, and it is always absolutely vacuumed up. But when you are an avid cook, you constantly want to challenge yourself. So after years of making this dish, I set out to rev it up a bit, change things. And now that I've hit on this recipe, I'm not sure why I didn't think of it ages ago. It combines some of my favorite flavors—sweet caramelized onions, smoky bacon, and bourbon—with amazing results. This dip is decadent; it is unquestionably rich. But it will blow those you serve it to away. The bourbon adds this little zip and edge of sweetness. It is delicious hot and bubbly but also pretty darn good cold (that's how I serve my regular onion dip). It's great spread on crackers or served with big corn chips."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 8 strips of bacon
â—¦ 2 medium yellow onions, finely diced (about 4 cups)
â—¦ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
â—¦ ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon bourbon, divided
â—¦ 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
â—¦ 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
â—¦ 1 cup mayonnaise, preferably Duke's
â—¦ 1 cup sour cream
â—¦ Generous grinds of black pepper


Recipe

Cook the bacon strips in a large skillet until crispy. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Leave the bacon grease to cool, then pour it into a bowl or jar. Wipe out the skillet to remove any browned or burned bits. If you cook the onions in the sizzling-hot grease, they are likely to burn.

Pour 2 tablespoons of bacon grease back in the skillet and return it to medium heat. Add the onions and salt and stir well to coat. Cook until the onions are soft and glassy, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Keep the heat at medium to prevent the onions from scorching. When the onions begin to turn a light toffee color, add ¼ cup of the bourbon and the brown sugar, stir well, and cover the pan. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onions are amber brown, the color of that good bourbon. If at any point the onions start to catch on the bottom of the pan, add a splash of water and stir well. Leave the caramelized onions to cool.

When the onions are cool, beat the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and sour cream in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth. Add the onions and the remaining bourbon and mix until combined. Chop the bacon into small pieces and add to the dip, stirring to combine. Season well with plenty of black pepper. Spoon the dip into a 2-quart baking dish, cover, and refrigerate for several hours or overnight to allow the flavors to blend.

When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake the dip for 20 minutes, until it is warmed through and bubbling.

Serves 10 to 12