Did you grow up with “onion dip?” You know what I mean: buy a package of dried onion dip powder, add sour cream and done! It was simple, you didn’t need a culinary degree to put it together — heck college frat boys could make this and still chug a beer.
Well, I’m here today to tell you that, just like improved cheese balls, there’s more to life than this 1960s version of onion dip. Oh, it has most of the expected features: good onion flavor, creaminess and it goes well with your favorite chip.
But, let’s rock our Onion Dip world a bit shall we? I mean, isn’t this what you’ve come to expect from me…take “known” dishes and turn them a bit on their ear to make them new and special?
Here’s what I did…and it takes a bit of planning. Take a fresh onion — we’ve outgrown dried onion, no? — slice it and grill the slices on a charcoal or gas grill until the onion is somewhat charred but still holds together. We let it steam a bit more in a foil packet and then blend it with equal parts mayo and Greek yogurt, a clove of garlic (or two…up to you), and then the surprise ingredient: Gorgonzola cheese! Yes, of course you can substitute your own favorite blue, but I love the Gorgonzola here because of it’s creaminess and just enough character to add depth without being overpowering.
The nice thing about this dip is you can make a giant batch…and you can make it up to a week in advance. Now, at your next potluck or even football gathering (yes, we’ll have those again after all the COVID turmoil is behind us) and I defy you to go back to that dried mix ever again!
Grilled Onion & Gorgonzola Dip
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, trimmed and peeled
- olive oil or oil spray for onions
- Kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 3 oz Gorgonzola, crumbled
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 medium clove garlic, coarsely chopped
- hot sauce, to taste
- snipped fresh chives, for garnish
Instructions
- Slice onions crosswise into 1/2 inch thick slices. To make slicing easier, you can insert a toothpick on each side of the onion at 1/2 inch width intervals and slice between them for even slices that don't fall apart. Leave toothpicks in while grilling.
- Brush onion slices with olive oil or, alternatively spray with oil spray. Season with salt and pepper.
- Prepare a medium-hot gas or charcoal grill fire (350-375°F).
- Grill onion slices until nice grill marks appear on one side, 8-10 minutes. Flip and continue to grill other side. Place onions in a sheet of heavy aluminum foil and seal to close. Allow them to continue to grill on a cooler side of the barbecue for approximately 10 more minutes. Onions can made ahead to this point and stored in their foil wrapping or in a sealed container until ready to use. Use onions within two days of grilling.
- To continue with dip, place cooked onions (remember to remove toothpicks if you used them) in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. Add all remaining ingredients except for chives and pulse until mixture is combined but still chunky. Chill for at least an hour before serving.
- To serve, top with snipped chives and another grind or two of fresh black pepper. Serve with chips, crackers or cut vegetables of your choice.
