My sister brought over the yummiest dip ever the other day.  Of course I asked for her secret recipe so I could share it with you!  This dip is based on a recipe from my absolute favorite TV chef, Ina Garten, the one and only ‘Barefoot Contessa’.  Her recipes are so consistently tasty and easily replicated at home, I am never disappointed with the results.  Ruth and I just added some flavor tweaks to the original, making the recipe a new family classic that we serve at all major holidays!

Ingredients

2 large yellow onions

4 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp harissa spice (ground cayenne pepper is another options)

Secret:  I don’t like too much spice or heat in my cooking, but you will see that this spice doesn’t pop, it hangs in the background rounding out the overall balance.

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tsp brown sugar or balsamic vinegar to help the caramelization

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

Tip:  Go full fat, it’s a party for goodness sake.

1/2 cup good mayonnaise

Cut the onions in half, then make very thin slices.  Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan on medium (for caramelizing onions, I prefer cast iron skillet).  Once hot, add the onions, harissa, salt and pepper to the hot pan and saute for 10 minutes.  Lower the heat to medium-low, add in a dash of brown sugar or a splash of balsamic vinegar and cook slowly for another 20-30, until nice and brown and caramelized.  Cool onions while you prep the last few ingredients.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise in the bowl of a Kitchen Aid blender with a paddle attachment, beat until smooth.  Add the onions once cooled, and mix well.  Taste for seasonings.  Serve at room temperature.  Keeps for a few days in the refrigerator, we love leftovers the next day!

Best served with potato chips, crackers, pretzels, cut carrots and celery