French Onion Soup Cheese Dip
Maryland’s most recent storm happened to land on my friend Kristin’s birthday. What to do? Why host her very own Snow Day Birthday Party, of course. Invite called for lunch at 1pm, bring whatever you’ve got. Lentil soup, quinoa salad, marscapone stuffed dates and Snickerdoodle cookies rolled in. Snow boots, jackets and hats piled up in the mudroom. By the time the 14th kid tumbled through the door, everything was one big wet mess and we knew that this was going to be a good one. Fast-forward through hot dogs being passed on a platter, pizzas delivered, the obligatory kitchen floor dance party, youngest children melting down at 11pm, and well, you get the picture. Happy Snow Day!
There’s nothing like a legitimate snow day–as opposed to Maryland’s all-to-frequent, “the forecast calls for up to 1″ of mixed precipitation therefore school has been cancelled for tomorrow”–to make you crave a decadent, rich, cheesy dip. So along with Spinach Salad with Mango Vinaigrette and Cashews, a cheesy dip is what I brought to the party.
This French Onion Soup Cheese Dip is a little thicker than fondue so best served hot and with a spoon or knife for spreading. Or, if you serve it in a shallow enough dish, you can dive right in with hunks of crusty bread. I found this recipe on Serious Eats around the time of the Super Bowl and just hadn’t gotten around to giving it a try. It’s a great winter indulgence and would be perfect for dipping into in front of a good football game. I guess if this winter weather keeps up on the East Coast we can make it again during March Madness, but here’s to hoping that Spring will soon spring and we will be craving some lighter fare.
French Onion Soup Cheese Dip
- 1/2 lb Gruyere cheese, grated
- 1/2 lb Emmentaler cheese, grated
- 1 Tbls cornstarch
- 3 Tbls butter
- 2 large yellow onions, diced medium
- 1 can evaporated milk (12 oz)
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbls finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- sliced baguette, for serving
- Place cheese in a medium bowl and toss with cornstarch until evenly coated. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add in onions and cook, stirring frequently, until bottom of saucepan is glazed in a pale brown fond, about 5 minutes.
- Add 2 Tbls water and scrape up fond with wooden spoon. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until fond has built up again, about 2 minutes longer. Add 2 more Tbls water and scrape up browned bits. Repeat cooking, adding water, and scraping until onions are completely softened and a deep, dark brown, 20-30 minutes total. Transfer to a small bowl.
- Place evaporated milk and Worcestershire sauce in now empty saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, scraping bottom of pan with wooden spoon to release any remaining fond.
- Reduce heat to low and add in cheese. Stir constantly until cheese is melted and smooth.
- Stir in caramelized onions and thyme.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately with sliced baguette.