Ina's Pan Fried Onion Dip

A wise friend once said to me, "chips are nothing more than a vehicle to get dip into your mouth." Truer words were never spoken, especially when in reference to this particular dip. This dip is so damn good. It's sinful almost. It's super-dee-duper, and if Ina had her way, it would be a lot more fattening than the version that I made.

Ina's not too worried about calorie count, or fat content or anything remotely healthful, so I tend to stay away from her recipes, but this one was so easy to alter with lower fat or fat free substitutes. I love Ina, I love watching her putting two sticks of butter into a fry pan to make a sauce, then look at the camera and say with a big smile on her face, "I know this looks like a lot of butter, but it's the sauce for the whole dish."

Keep telling yourself that Ina, as you arteries continue to clog and your cholesterol hits astronomic levels, pretty soon you'll be on Lipitor and you can regulate everything via the wonderful world of pharmaceuticals. I actually have a family history of high cholesterol, so I try to stay away from foods that scream ATERY CLOGGING!

Anyway, the recipe posted is Ina's original recipe; I altered it by using fat free or reduced fat cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise.

Ingredients:
2 large yellow onions
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (I used reduced fat)
1/2 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
1/2 cup good mayonnaise (I used reduced fat)

Cut the onions in half, and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds. (You will have about 3 cups of onions) Heat the butter and oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt and pepper and sauté for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes, until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well.

Taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.