Baked Caramelized Onion Spread

Need a quick and easy appetizer for your next football gathering? Here is one that is so easy, delicious and made with ingredients you may already have in your home. All you need are sweet onions, mayonnaise, shredded cheese and a baguette or crackers for serving.

Every time I make this recipe I am reminded of a fall weekend gathering at a dear friend's home in Ohio shortly after they moved there from Wisconsin.  They had been a big part of our social life and were in our gourmet group.  They invited six of us (3 couples) to Chagrin Falls, Ohio to spend the weekend and see their new home.  We all cooked together in their kitchen and shared two wonderful dinners in their home that weekend...one of which started with this appetizer which I helped prepare. My friend shared the recipe with me before we returned home.

I don't know the original recipe source but there are many similar recipes on the internet - some much more elaborate. I love the simplicity of my friend's original recipe which really lets the flavor of the onions shine through. I only add a dash of cayenne for a little 'kick'. 

The most time-consuming part of the recipe is the caramelizing of the onions which might take 20-30 minutes. You want them to be soft and golden. The caramelized onions are then mixed with mayo, shredded Swiss, Gruyère or Jarlsberg cheese, a touch of cayenne for a little 'zip' if you like, then the mixture is spread into an oven-proof baking dish and baked for 30 minutes.

So simple - so good!

Slather on a fresh baguette slice and grab a little parsley too! It's a perfect fall appetizer with a wonderful earthy flavor~

Baked Caramelized Onion Spread
Printable Recipe

After making this many times, I've increased the onions and cut back a little on the cheese and especially the mayonnaise with no damage to the great flavor of this recipe. (The original recipe calls for equal amounts of sliced onion, cheese and mayonnaise)

2 cups sliced Vidalia, Walla Walla, or other sweet onion
1-1/2 cups Swiss, Gruyère or Jarlsberg cheese, shredded (I used Jarlsberg this time)
3/4 cup mayonnaise (I always use Hellman's Light)
Some cayenne for ‘kick’, about 1/2 teaspoon

Sauté the sliced onions in a heavy frying pan over medium heat with a little olive oil until soft, translucent and golden (don’t let them burn!).

Mix the caramelized onions with the shredded cheese, cayenne and mayo and pour into a shallow, oven-proof dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Garnish with parsley and serve with fresh baguette slices or an assortment of crackers.

Enjoy!