Mushroom Dip

I'm going to be home in exactly a week for the first time since May, and I can't wait! I get to not have roommates (unless you count my grandma), see my dog, and cook for people that eat more than just frozen pizza and chicken nuggets. Of course I already have my Thanksgiving recipes picked out, but it's also extremely important to have a noshing plan, too. You know, all the snacks you eat during the Thanksgiving parade and while you're killing time before Thanksgiving dinner when you're hungry but still want to save room. Noshing is also incredibly useful for avoiding awkward questions and conversations because talking while eating is obviously more rude than whatever offensive things your family wants to talk about this year. Pigs in a blanket and quiche are staples for my family, and you always need a dip. This one happens to be filled with all my family's favorite ingredients: mushrooms, caramelized onions, wine, and plenty of cheese.

Like most of the best dips out there, the base consists of cream cheese and mayonnaise. I suppose it's ok to eat this raw, but these melt beautifully for a warm, gooey dip. I throw in a handful of parmesan, which doesn't contribute to the melt factor but adds a sharp flavor that helps cut the richness.

The onions are probably the most labor-intensive part of this dish. Caramelized onions have to be watched over and stirred often for the hour or so it takes to brown since the whole point is to slowly caramelize them as opposed to quickly sauteeing them for color. This way, you end up with soft, sweet onions instead of still-crunchy-despite-being-basically-burnt onions. Once the onions are done, you can use the same skillet to sautee the mushrooms with garlic and herbs. I like to throw in a few sprigs of fresh thyme since I typically have some on hand during Thanksgiving anyway. I also add in a splash of white wine to brighten the dish and further soften the veggies.

You could leave the mushrooms and onions whole, but that tends to get clunky and difficult to eat without rummaging around the whole bowl with your crackers just to find one piece. Since everyone still likes the texture of the vegetables, I found a compromise. I grind about half the veggies in a food processor until fine so that they are easy to stir into the cheese mixture and are fully incorporated. I then stir in the remaining half of the veggies whole. This way, you get all the flavors of all the ingredients in every bite but still have some nuggets of whole veggies buried around the dish. That all gets baked until golden and bubbly and served with your favorite crackers or dippables, like baby carrots or just your finger. Making this dip for your family this Thanksgiving basically guarantees that they'll be too busy eating to ask you invasive questions or make drunkenly racist comments (well, it wouldn't be the holidays without them), so do yourself a favor and pregame your Turkey Day festivities with this recipe.

1 Sweet Onion, Sliced Thinly
2 T Butter
12oz Mushrooms
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
2 Sprigs Thyme
1/4 Cup White Wine
4oz Cream Cheese, Softened
1/2 Cup Mayonnaise
1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan

Heat some oil in a skillet. Add the onion and cook for 1 hour or until caramelized, Season with salt and pepper and remove from the skillet.

Heat 1 T butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Remove. Add the remaining butter to the skillet with the garlic and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the mushrooms, onions, and white wine. Cook for 3 minutes or until some of the liquid evaporates.

Transfer half of the mushroom mixture to a food processor and pulse until ground.

Mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and parmesan together. Season with salt and pepper. Add the ground mushroom mixture, then fold in the whole mushrooms.

Transfer the dip to a baking dish and bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly.