This Caramelized Fennel and Onion Dip is delectable, cheesy goodness! Fennel and sweet yellow onions are caramelized and finished with white wine and garlic. Mixed with creamy ricotta cheese and gruyere, it’s topped liberally with parmigiano reggiano and baked until bubbly. Scoop it all up with toasted baguette and let the world melt away.
Let’s get one thing straight: I am not a cheese person.
I know. Bold statement, right? Like, who on earth isn’t a cheese person?
And before you angrily go to click out of this article because you yourself aren’t a cheese person, kinda refer back to sentence number one of this article. But let me elaborate a bit more…
Technically, I guess you could say I’m not a dairy person. About 7 years ago, I actively started cutting out a lot of the dairy I was consuming: greek yogurt parfaits, dairy milk, ice cream (ASK ME HOW WELL THAT WENT), and did my best to cut out as much cheese as I could. It wasn’t that I didn’t like dairy, or cheese…it just didn’t always like me back.
I know you know what I mean.
None the less, it went “ok”. Like many of us trying to remove ingredients from our diet that don’t always suit us, it wasn’t always easy for me.
- The extra cheesy pasta at the best-in-town Italian restaurant BEGGED me to eat it.
- It was just ONE slice of cheese on my chicken burger.
- I took the SMALLEST spoonful of goat cheese from the salad bar.
- I just HAD to have that one (ahem…4) spoonful(s) of cottage cheese after my run. I needed protein!
YEA. As you can see, excuses started to creep in. Although, it made me realize something. Unless one has a significant intolerance or allergy, some things can be good in moderation.
So…I started slowly adding more cheese back in to my diet. Getting a little more lax with my chili toppings (hello, sour cream). Splurging at the ice cream shop (only a once in a while treat!).
See there is a time and a place to limit one’s cheese consumption.
THIS RECPE IS NOT ONE OF THOSE PLACES.
*Silently weeps, asking the Cheese Gods for forgiveness*
I mean….look at that CHEESE. Is your mouth watering? Can you smell the nutty gruyere from here? The salty parm? The bubbly ricotta?
There aren’t many words that describe the pure elation I get when digging in to this cozy appetizer. It’s a mood, you guys.
Do me a favor:
- Invite your pals over (as I did in the photo above).
- Pour some drinks (preferably a Soave, per the rec of my friend Carin of Pairs Well With).
- Sit outside.
- Bundle up.
- Have another bite of this dip.
Now tell me you’re not a cheese person. I sure as hell know I am.
Caramelized Fennel and Onion Dip
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- 1 yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup dry white wine such as Soave
- 2 cups shredded gruyere cheese
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Instructions
- Melt olive oil and butter in a large saute pan. Once fragrant, add thinly sliced fennel and yellow onion. Use a mandoline to get precise and uniform slices! Toss to coat in the olive oil and butter, sprinkling with a pinch of salt and a few grinds of freshly cracked pepper.
- Sauté, tossing fennel and onions every 2 minutes. After 5 minutes, add a splash of wine every 2 minutes, allowing the wine to absorb before adding more. Continue this until fennel and onions are thoroughly caramelized, with a rich golden brown color. This should take between 10 and 15 minutes, depending on how thinly you sliced the fennel and onion. Be careful to not let the fennel and onion burn - if you notice any sticking in the pan, add a small amount of olive oil or water to the pan to loosen things up, and reduce the heat.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Freshly grate the gruyere and Parmigiano. Freshly grated cheese melts and tastes better in my opinion!
- Mix gruyere, ricotta, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Reserve Parmigiano. Add caramelized fennel and onion. Toss thoroughly to combine.
- Transfer to an 8 inch oven-safe baking dish. Top with Parmigiano cheese and a few grinds of freshly cracked pepper.
- Bake for 10 minutes, or until parmigiano is toasted and bubbling. Serve with toasted baguette or crackers. DIG IN!