Cranberry, Caramelized Onion, and Goat Cheese Dip

Monday, January 11, 2010

Cranberry, Caramelized Onion, and Goat Cheese Dip

I made this dip for a holiday gathering with Hubby’s family. The original recipe called for blue cheese, but I substituted goat cheese and it came out fantastic. The combo of sweet and tart from the caramelized onions and the cranberries was great. And it was really easy to throw together.

I mixed up the cheese layer a day in advance. Since it has to be chilled anyways, I just threw it in the fridge (covered) overnight and then made the onion/cranberry layer just prior to serving it. This dip was a big hit and was devoured by the six of us in no time flat. I served it with a variety of crackers.

Cranberry, Caramelized Onion, and Goat Cheese Dip

Ingredients:

8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
4-ounce package goat cheese, room temperature
1 cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

In a mixer, combine the cream cheese and goat cheese. Beat until smooth. Add the cheddar cheese and mix until well incorporated. Spread into the bottom of a baking dish. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.

Heat oil in a skillet over med-high heat. Add the diced onions and saute until softened. Add sugar and mix well. Continue cooking to caramelize the onions. Lower the heat slightly and stir every few minutes. This should take about 10 minutes.

Once the onions are caramelized remove them from the skillet and set aside. Add the cranberries, water, and sugar into the skillet the onions just came out of. Stir to dissolve sugar. Turn heat up to medium and cook until cranberries pop open and are softened, ~5 minutes. Once mixture thickens, add the balsamic vinegar and return the onions to the skillet.

Stir well and then let cool.

Just prior to serving dip, spoon the cranberry mixture on top of the cheese mixture.

Recipe adapted from Blissfully Domestic

Appetizers / Snacks

10 comments »

8 Responses to “Lemon Cupcakes”

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1

MrsPresley — February 16, 2008 at 7:55 pm

i love lemon! these cupcakes look great!
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2

Katie — February 17, 2008 at 12:48 am

Vegan Cupcaks Take Over the World are one of my brother and my FAVORITE cookbooks. These look great. I love the idea of folding in lemon curd!
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3

CB — February 17, 2008 at 1:19 am

I am a fan of lemon after the DB challenge and putting it in a cupcake is just genius! Yummy!
-Clara
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4

Alanna — February 19, 2008 at 12:09 am

Oh my gosh…these sound AMAZING! I must try them…
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5

Carrie — February 19, 2008 at 1:45 am

These look great!
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6

Renea — February 20, 2008 at 3:35 pm

Wow, my mouth is just watering looking at those!
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7

June — February 24, 2008 at 8:01 pm

You’ve been tagged! Please check out my blog for more details.
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8

Humanclone — March 3, 2008 at 5:05 am

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