Ah, the warm weather is back, and you know what that means—picnics. I prefer the backyard barbecue, mostly because I like the convenience and necessities (private bathroom) of a home. Also, the one time I tried to eat breakfast at the beach, pigeons attacked me, and Emeril wasn’t there to protect me from the birdies.
Every self-respecting picnic includes potato chips—because how you can eat a burger and drink beer without chips? You can’t. So naturally you need a proper dip. Sure, you could use one of those ready-made dips (and if you do–the caramelized onion dip from Trader Joes is a-mah-zing!), but it doesn’t take long to whip up your own version at home. This dip features both leeks and onions that are caramelized in bacon fat.
Yup. I said bacon fat.
Bacon fat makes everything taste better. This is a scientific fact. 😀
It’s delicious with potato chips. Or veggies for those who want to feel less guilty eating this dip. And to die for with my roasted fingerling potatoes with onion and fennel. I bet it would also be excellent with a baked potato too. I love a versatile dip. This will be a welcome addition at any picnic. Just don’t let the pigeons take it.
Caramelized Leek and Onion Dip
Adapted from Anita via Allrecipes
Ingredients:
- 2 leeks, roughly chopped*
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 6 slices bacon
- 1-2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Fry bacon until completely cooked. Remove bacon from skillet and drain on paper towels.
- Add leeks and onions to skillet and cook in bacon fat* until softened, 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add garlic and cayenne pepper and cook for another minute.
- While the onions caramelize, combine cream cheese, mayo and sour cream in a medium bowl. Stir in sugar and white wine vinegar.
- Once onions and leeks have softened and slightly caramelized, remove from heat and set aside until room temperature.
- Add crumbled bacon and onions to cream cheese mixture and carefully combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.
Makes approximately 2 cups of dip.
Special Notes:
*Be sure to clean the leeks carefully as dirt often gets stuck in between the layers. After slicing the leeks, put them in a bowl and run cold water over them to remove any lingering dirt.
*If you have a lot of bacon fat, drain some of it off. You only need a tablespoon or two to cook the onions and leeks.
Enjoy!
Tanya
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