I still have one more cookie to bake, but I had to take a break. I did cut down and made only made 7 things this year. We’ll see how it pans out.
The sale of alcohol is controlled by the Government in Ontario. The LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) is the single largest alcohol buyer in the world! Crazy, but true. Recently, the Auditor General conducted a study (see article in the Toronto Star) that found Ontarian’s pay too way much for booze since the LCBO is the single largest purchaser in the world! We’ll see what happens with that! The LCBO has an enormous marketing budget and they produce some very classy promotional material. One such promo is their Food & Drink magazine. This magazine promotes booze, of course, but it also contains a huge number of recipes that are exceptionally beautifully photographed.
Entertaining season is in full swing and I always like to have a quick something that I can easily serve in case friends drop by; the recipe below is a delicious dip of sharp cheddar, caramelized onion and goats cheese. I noticed our local grocer had old cheddar bricks on sale, so I stocked up (I usually grate the cheese and freeze in a zip-lock baggy — it’s great for baking and cooking). Click here for the original recipe.
Caramelized Onion and Cheddar Dip
Makes about 3 3.5 oz ramekins or one really big one!
Ingredients:
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp (25 mL) cider vinegar or beer
- 1 tsp (5 mL) butter
- ¼ tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper
- 4 oz (125 g) goats cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cup (250 mL) shredded aged cheddar cheese
- ½ tsp (2 mL) dry mustard or Dijon
- 1 tbsp low fat mayo
- 1 tsp (5 mL) chopped fresh thyme, or ¼ tsp (1 mL) dried
- Thick pretzels or crackers, for dipping
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF (230ºC) or barbecue to medium-high.
- Combine onion, vinegar, butter and pepper in a shallow baking pan (for oven) or in a foil pan (for barbecue). Roast, stirring twice, for 15 to 20 minutes or until soft, translucent and starting to brown. Let cool slightly.
- Mash softened cream cheese with the mayo, mustard and thyme in a bowl. Add onion mixture and cheddar cheese stirring until well blended. Pack into an ovenproof ramekin or serving dish or a foil pan. Cover and refrigerate. To freeze, line your individual ramekins with plastic wrap and freeze. Once frozen, remove the little package from the ramekin and store in a zip lock bag. The dip freezes in the shape of the ramekin and all I need to do is remove the plastic wrap and tuck back into the ramekin and it’s ready for baking. (Make sure you try to remove the folds in the plastic wrap, otherwise you may not be able to get it all off).
- To serve, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) or barbecue to medium-high.
- Heat dip, uncovered, in oven or on grill, for about 15 minutes or until hot and bubbling around edges. Stir and serve with thick pretzels or crackers for dipping.
[…] If you are making this for the future, line three half-cup ramekins with plastic wrap (like this). […]
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[…] The long weekend presented the perfect time because we were in need of hors d’œuvres for cocktails; this time I did not skimp on the olive oil. Sawsan, I MUST say it was marvelous! JT said the BEST he has had. I had a hard time not sampling them (I did try a couple, OK, maybe a few, but that’s IT!). We shared them with JT’s sister (known as Sid) and husband and the Ceement Boy (nephew Brian — I’ll get into that story sometime soon). We had polished most of it off when Ceement Boy dropped his wine glass onto the side of the dish and it broke into smithereens! He was trying to keep up with me as I broke a wine glass the night before! The cheddar dip can be found here. […]
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[…] Replace the caramelized onion in LCBO’s Cheddar and Onion Dip […]
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What a wonderfully delicious dip 😀
I am a huge fan of onion and cheddar so together = happiness!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Latest: Strawberry Hot Fudge Choc Cobbler
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I’m not about overpaying for booze, but at least you have a large selection…something lacking in Utah.
That dip sounds delicious.
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That’s true Jed, we do have an unmatched selection that’s for sure!
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Hi Eva, this sounds like a small-scale fondue, though for dips only. Sounds wonderful. Cheese and onion is one of the best flavour pairings… you only have to look at one of England’s most popular potato chip flavours to realise that. I’m always on the search for new dips – this looks wonderful, thanks for sharing!
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Thanks Charles. I love it that it can be frozen so I always have a tasty treat if we have unexpected drop-ins!
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Oh my! I love sharp cheddar, add caramelized onions and make it into a dip and resistance is useless
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That’s so true Sawsan, although the dip is quite rich so you really have to pace yourself!
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OMG this sounds amazing! I love caramelised onion and cheddar separately so together as a dip sounds great!
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Thanks Lorraine, it was a very tasty dip!
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Oh, Eva…these are great! What a terrific idea to make extras and freeze! I am making fewer cookie recipes this year, too! I usually make a dozen different kinds, but I’ve made 2 cookie batches, one sweet bread and a savory snack. I’m hoping to make 3 more cookies, but it’s pretty late….we’ll see!
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It’s always a bit of a balancing act when baking goodies at Christmas, Ann. I’m hoping I can gift them all this year so there isn’t any temptation left for us this year!
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Warm cheese has got to be one of life’s greatest pleasures… add caramelized onions and you’re pretty close to heaven 🙂 (I love Mary’s crackers too!)
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Hi Kelly, we buy them at Costco and they are significantly less expensive than in the grocery store. Sadly Costco doesn’t always carry them, but they had them last week, so we stocked up. I love that they are gluten free and filled with flax (such a lovely nutty flavour that goes so well with the cheese).
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Yum, Yum, Yum! Dips always go so fast!
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The little dash of cider vinegar in the onions really cut the richness of the dip, Greg. It does get gobbled up fast!
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Oh! Cheese and onions. Mmmmmmm. It’s too bad we don’t live closer or I’d definitely drop by. 😉 You are such a great hostess Eva!
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Thanks Kristy, that would be fun! I’d be popping by all the time to try your exotic dishes!
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Great idea. I’m going to make this one for sure, as we’re having a lovely couple over on Christmas Eve for nibblies….
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He he he! Your efforts will be appreciated, for sure! Looking forward to seeing everyone.
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What’s not to like about cheese and caramelized onions? This would make a great appetizer for any holiday party, Eva. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks John, serve in a little heated pot because it cools down fast and the texture changes a bit — still tasty though!
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Food and Drink is a great source of inspiration but seemed to be impervious to the cocktail recipes and ads. Flipping the pages with a glass of red in handdoes seem to be appropriate. There typically is a mad dash of foodies to the LCBO when the new issue comes out.
With all this talk of alcohol, I thought that there would be booze in the recipe! Looks very rich.
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Thanks Pam. The recipe is rather rich, that’s why I typically divide into smaller portions and freeze. I’ll usually stick to one cracker and let our guests enjoy the rest. I suppose a dash of cognac might work with these flavours, I’ll have to try it next time I whip up a batch!
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The dip sounds fantastic with the combination of caramelized onions and cheese!
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I do like the food and drinks magazine they give out at the LCBO. Didn’t get this season’s however as I was too early with my meagre purchase of beer and hard cider. 🙂
I am impressed at the crackers you are using for the dip in your final presentation picture. Did you make them yourself?
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I did not Maria. I used to make the crackers (a version very similar to these) but then we found this brand; they are reasonably priced at Costco, not so much elsewhere. They are called Mary’s Organic Crackers http://www.marysgonecrackers.com/crackers
They are gluten free; I love the flaxy taste.
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I was just reminded that I have caramelized onions in my freezer that I need to use up and a big chunk of old cheddar. It’s still a race between this dip and some sort of pizza but the dip is pulling ahead. 🙂
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Hi Maria, I remember when you made the caramelized onions the first time you had mentioned that they were too acidic, so based on that observation, I would strongly recommend you reduce the cider vinegar in the dip recipe, or change it to white balsamic which adds a bit more sweetness than cider, but more to your taste.
I hope the dip wins out, there are not a lot of days left for a warm dip, might as well take advantage of the cooler days while you can!
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The second batch of caramelized onions I made (reducing the amount of vinegar dramatically and reducing the heat) were amazing and I’ve used much of it on pizzas so this dip would be a nice change.
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I’m so glad you’re getting good use out of the recipe. I just made a caramelized onion with goats cheese naan for a hors d’œuvres yesterday, so tasty. We also use it a lot for a pizza base.
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For someone who came late to an appreciation of goat cheese, I love it. 🙂 Did you put the onions and cheese on TOP or INSIDE your naan?
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Hi Maria, I put them on top like a pizza. It was incredibly delish!
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