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
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
Stunning color!!
beantownbaker — October 8th, 2013 @ 7:06 pm
It just makes me smile 🙂
Oh gosh, I love this recipe! So creative 🙂
We’re making this for dinner tomorrow, sounds perfect! And what a great way to contribute to Breast Cancer Awareness month. Keep it up!
Snowy hello’s from Oslo, Norway/ Tanja Simone, http://somekindashuffle.wordpress.com
beantownbaker — October 23rd, 2013 @ 12:27 am
Thanks! I hope you enjoyed the pasta.
I made this tonight and it was truly one of the worse things I’ve made; the sauce was really chunky and dry, and stuck in my throat every time I took a bite, and the garlic made it even drier. I would not recommend this to anyone.
This is very good. Leaving some of the pasta water is important, as well as adding the olive oil. Grating the beet into the pasta made a gorgeous colored magenta. Eating pasta right away prevents drying out. An optional addition could be adding a can of coconut milk to make a pink saucy dish. Topped with nuts and cheese, yes!