Baked Mushroom & Onion Dip

This time of year I’m always looking for new and exciting appetizers to make (of course, I’m always looking for new and exciting holiday cookie recipes this time of year too!).  That’s because on Christmas Eve my family has a feast of hors d’oeuvres and appetizers.  In addition to a few favorite staples that always grace the table, (such as a spinach-artichoke dip that’s almost fondue-like and sausage-stuffed mushrooms) every year there are also new additions to our spread. 

 

Recently, the nice people at Stonyfield Farms contacted me to let me know about a sweepstakes they’re hosting.  Since one of the ways to enter is to share a recipe that was created using an Oikos ingredient, I decided to come up with an appetizer recipe and enter it into the Oikos contest.  (You can read more about Oikos on their Facebook page.) 

 

This dip is delicious served with crudités, crostini, pita chips, bagel chips, crackers, etc.  The only thing is that the day after a party I usually have extra dip that I’m left wondering what to do with.  Here are a few delicious ideas on what to do with the leftover dip:

 

·         Add it to eggs to make an omelet or scrambled eggs.

·         Thin it out with a little milk or cream and use it as a pasta sauce.

·         Thin it out with a little milk or cream and serve it as a sauce to accompany chicken cutlets.

·         Use it as a replacement for mayo and/or cheese on a sandwich.

·         Use it as the base sauce for a white pizza (perhaps topped with tomatoes, black olives, and fresh basil?).

·         Make eggplant, chicken, or beef rollatini with this dip as the stuffing.

·         Mix it into mashed vegetables (such as potatoes or cauliflower).

·         Use it to dress steamed vegetables (like green beans or asparagus).

Baked Mushroom & Onion Dip

 

(Yield:  2 c of dip)

 

1 TB olive oil

2 oz mushrooms (any variety), chopped

2 medium onions, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

5.3 oz plain Greek yogurt

4 oz cream cheese

¼ c mayo

¼ c minced fresh parsley

Salt and pepper

½ oz grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Crudités, crostini, pita chips, bagel chips, etc. (to serve with)

 

Cooking spray

 

Preheat the oven to 375F.  Heat the oil in a pan over medium to medium-high heat; add the mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes until golden.  Use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms from the pan; to the same pan add the sliced onions and sauté on medium to medium-low heat for about 20 minutes until the onions are softened and starting to turn color.  In the last minute or so that the onions are cooking, add the minced garlic.  Allow the mushrooms and the onion/garlic mixture to cool.

 

In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, cheese, mayo, and parsley.  Once the mushrooms and onion/garlic mixture are cooled, add them to the yogurt mixture.  Add salt and pepper to taste. 

 

Transfer the dip to an oven-safe dish that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray.  Sprinkle the Parmesan on top of the dip and bake about 20 minutes, until the dip is warmed throughout and the Parmesan is lightly browned.  (If the cheese isn’t brown on top by the time the dip is warm, run it under the broiler to brown the top.)