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. 
some of our faves are asparagus and brussels sprouts too 🙂
This is the only way we eat our asparagus as well. Do people still boil asparagus? Seriously, it’s kind of a waste that way…
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best to share. 🙂
One of my all time faves. Roasted anything, actually, but asparagus gets so crispy and flavorful!
We love to grill asparagus that has been rubbed with olive oil and sea salt–so good! 🙂
Hi there, I’ve been reading your blog for so long now and just wanted to say thanks for all your wonderful recipes. I’ve used so many that have been awesome and really tasty thank you so much! Keep up the good work!
p.s asparagus season is one of the highlights of our year to hehe. So many fantastic things you can do with it! Have you tried roasting it in orange juice and silvered almonds? Devine.
Sezasaurus – Orange and almond does sound tasty! Thanks for the idea.
I can’t remember if I’ve ever had roasted asparagus – roasted broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts definitely but roasted asparagus could be a new one. Sounds awesome! 🙂
We made this last night with grilled pork chops and homemade mac and cheese. I tossed in the olive oil, garlic salt, and pepper and then probably ate 1/4 of them cold while I was waiting for the oven to heat up. Hubby and I each took a serving for our plates after they cooked and then stood in the kitchen eating the rest off the baking sheet before we had dinner! So good and so easy for our favorite veggie!