As each of our children turned five or six, they already knew how to make their own Taco Dip. Yes, this is true.
We are a family which holds a deep and abiding love for our appetizers and some of my favorite food memories are just a sampling of them for dinner. When people host parties and ask everyone to bring a dip to pass, you know it’s going to be a wonderful evening. I always make sure we have our Buffalo Chicken Dip Recipe, our Wisconsin Beer Dip (and I don’t even like or drink beer), as well as the infamous Little Smokies Cocktail Sausages.
In fact, by the time our eldest kids reached high school, they could whip up a variety of dips and hold their own with the best of them. This also means that if mom happens to be gone, they are set for dinner. 😉
Now that I’ve shared our food priorities, I’ll let you know that this easy and deliciously cheesy Vidalia Onion Dip is incredibly versatile. We’ve enjoyed it for the last few years and I always make it just a tad different based on the ingredients I have on hand.
While I realize this makes many of you recipe followers nervous because you want a tried and true recipe with exact directions, just know that there’s freedom in preparing this and it’s ALWAYS good.
What can go wrong with onions and tons of cheese? Not much! This dip is the epitome of comfort food and the more you play around with the recipe to make it your own, the more you will crave it!!
Let’s just say this is one of those pleasure foods that people curl up by during a party and pretty much don’t leave its side until the plate has been licked clean.
You can even add in some bacon crumbs to really elevate the flavors or a friend suggested crab meat, but my palate is not quite that fancy. I just love the mix of these hot cheeses.
When I first saw this Vidalia Onion recipe years ago, it called for even amount of all ingredients, so that makes it perfect to remember. I love having a few good appetizer recipes memorized. It makes things far less stressful.
I’m sharing both options for you to decide on. This first one makes a bit less than mine. It’s more creamy and a bit more rich, but always a winner. When I make it this way, sans cream cheese, I add in an extra cup of onions to give it a tad more substance.
Vidalia Onion Dip (option 1)
Ingredients:
2 cups finely chopped Vidalia onion or the sweetest onions you can find.
2 cups mayonnaise (use the good stuff)
2 cups shredded cheese (your favorite – Cheddar, Swiss, Gouda, mixed blend – they are all great)
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Clove of garlic, minced (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Stir together all ingredients and spread in a 2-quart baking dish. Bake 45 minutes or until golden brown (time may vary based on the oven.) If there’s a bit of grease on top from the cheeses, just tad with paper towel before serving immediately with your favorite dippers (Ritz, Corn Chips, Pita Chips, pretzels etc.)
Now, here’s how I’ve changed it up just a bit. Remember, I don’t even use a recipe anymore, so any combination of the ingredients above or below will never steer you wrong. I tried to make this a bit more substantial with an additional onion and a bit less mayo. I’ve even used low fat for all the ingredients as well and it was still delicious, but honestly, if we are embracing cheeses and mayo, let’s just do it right. 😉
Recipe: Easy Cheesy Vidalia Onion Dip
Summary: This amazing combination of sweet and savory is the epitome of comfort food.
Ingredients
- 4 cups finely chopped Vidalia onions (or sweetest onion you can find)
- 3 cups cheese (mixture of 2 cups shredded and one cup Parm)
- 2 1/2 cups real Mayo
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- garlic clove, minced *optional
- shot of Texas Pete or favorite hot sauce * optional
- Pepper*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Soften Cream Cheese in microwave.
- Add all the ingredients to large bowl and stir to combine.
- Spoon into large baking dish (7×11 or 3 quart. I only have 9×13 and it works.)
- Bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until top is golden brown and mixture is bubbling. Amount of time will depend on depth of your pan.
- Serve with your favorite dippers – Ritz, Corn Chips, Pita Chips, pretzels etc
Preparation time: 5 minute(s)
Cooking time: 45 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 12
I can’t wait for you to enjoy this yourself. It’s so easy and is sure to become a new “Go To” recipe in your repertoire.
What’s the one recipe you always bring to parties? I’d love to add to my list!
Um YEAH this looks good! Love the cheese… and the onion… and, well, pretty much everything! Thanks for sharing this! 🙂
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Jen Reply:
December 2nd, 2014 at 10:23 am
Right? Anything is good when so much cheese is mixed in. 🙂
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Our family makes something similar, with finely minced regular onion, bell pepper, pimentos, worcestershire sauce, mayo and extra sharp cheddar (this is key). We have it stuffed in celery at all of our family holiday dinners, but it also makes a fantastic cheese ball or dip, and leftovers make a killer grilled cheese sandwich later. I’m with you — if you’re gonna be measuring your mayo and cheese by the cup, it’s time to just go all in and forget low-fat. This is not the place to save on calories. 🙂
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Anything with this much cheese has to be good! This would be perfect not only for the holidays, but for football watching or just about any time. It looks so easy and so good!
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