Thanksgiving Appetizer

Baked French Onion Dip with Gruyère and Pancetta

Deeply caramelized onions and crisp pancetta folded into a tangy cream cheese base, then buried under Gruyère and baked until bubbling. It’s the dip that gets demolished before the turkey even comes out.

Serves 8–10 · 25 min active · 25 min bake

Made by HeresYourBite

Ingredients

Ingredients:

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•   2 tbsp olive oil
•   4 tbsp unsalted butter
•   3 yellow onions
•   4 oz pancetta
•   4 garlic cloves
•   1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
•   8 oz cream cheese
•   1 cup sour cream
•   .5 cup mayonnaise
•   1.5 cups Gruyère
•   .5 cup Parmesan
•   2 tbsp fresh chives

Ingredients are subject to availability at local stores. Unavailable items will be automatically substituted at best-effort.

Gruyère is the classic choice, but Comté or a sharp Swiss will work. Let the cream cheese sit out for at least 30 minutes before mixing so the base comes together smooth instead of lumpy.

Directions

Caramelize the onions

1. Start the onions: Heat the olive oil and 2 tbsp of the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced onions and a pinch of the salt, and cook for 5 minutes until they begin to soften.
2. Go low and slow: Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 30–35 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the onions are deep golden brown and jammy. Don’t rush this — it’s where all the flavour comes from.
3. Add garlic and thyme: Stir in the minced garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute more, until fragrant. Transfer the onions to a bowl and set aside.

Crisp the pancetta

1. Brown: In the same skillet (no need to wipe it), cook the diced pancetta over medium heat for 5–6 minutes until crisp and the fat has rendered out.
2. Drain: Lift the pancetta out with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels, reserving about 1 tbsp of the rendered fat in the pan.

Mix the dip base

1. Beat the cream cheese: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the remaining 2 tbsp butter until smooth and fluffy.
2. Add the rest: Stir in the sour cream, mayonnaise, Worcestershire if using, black pepper, and half of the Gruyère until fully combined.
3. Fold in: Fold in the caramelized onions and most of the pancetta, reserving a spoonful of each for the top.

Bake and serve

1. Assemble: Spread the dip into a 9-inch baking dish or cast-iron skillet. Scatter over the remaining Gruyère, Parmesan, and the reserved pancetta.
2. Bake: Bake at 375°F for 20–25 minutes, until bubbling around the edges and deeply golden on top.
3. Broil: Switch to broil for the last 2–3 minutes to get the cheese blistered. Watch it constantly — it goes from golden to burnt fast.
4. Finish: Let it rest for 5 minutes, then scatter over the fresh chives. Serve warm with crostini, crackers, or thick-cut potato chips.

Make-ahead: Caramelize the onions and crisp the pancetta up to 3 days ahead. The entire dip can be mixed and refrigerated unbaked for up to 24 hours — just add 5–10 minutes to the bake time and cover with foil if the top browns too quickly.