Game Day

I am not much for televised sports. I love to go to live games of every variety (except for perhaps golf), if not just for the extraordinary people watching and the thrill of the mob mentality, but for the sheer excuse to drink large quantities of cheap beer and eat stadium food. 

If for some godawful reason I must stay home in order to "watch the game" with Chef, which luckily only happens maybe once a year, when his Alma Mata UGA plays UF, I justify this torture by making one of my favorite junk food delights of all time...French Onion Dip. I grew up in a home where professional football was on the television throughout the season. Admittedly, we often cracked open a can of Frito Lay onion dip and a bag of Ruffles and munched out watching grown men tackle, toss, and grope their way to victory or defeat.

The next sentence may be shameful to some, but I will confess.  I had to go online on Tuesday to find out who was playing in the Super Bowl this Sunday.  The Colts, I had a feeling were in, but I had no clue who the hell they were up against.  The Saints.  Uncastrated young horses verses canonized virginal humans. Should be a good game.

Okay, enough sports talk.  Back to the dip. Being that I try to avoid processed foods of any kind, I searched out a fantastic recipe for French onion dip and for the second year in a row I have made it from scratch. Those dark chunks in the picture above are caramelized onions. I am telling you the stuff is unbelievable. Ruffles now makes a preservative free, trans-fat free, artificial flavor free "natural" potato chip...so I indulge in a bag or two of the dip friendly snack food.  They are not organic, but they are krinkle cut which is essential in the scooping technique of French onion dip.

This is the perfect game day chip and dip combo. There is no french onion salad dressing mix involved. No ma'am. This is the real deal. I thank Ina Garten for making this junk food into a whole food...giving me justification to eat it in massive quantities.  It is a beautiful thing.

French Onion Dip/ Ina Garten:  This dip is worth every last calorie of fat.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 2 large yellow onions
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temp
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup good mayonnaise

Directions

1. Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8 thick half-rounds.  (about 3 cups of onion)
2. Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat
3. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized
5. Allow the onions to cool
6. Place the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth.
7. Add the onions and mix well.  
8. Taste for seasoning and serve at room temperature