Name: Hot Onion Cheese Dip Bread Bowl
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8 people
Ingredients: 1 Loaf Pumpernickel Bread (round); 1 Block Philadelphia Cream Cheese (room temperature); 1 cup Swiss cheese (grated); 1 cup Yellow/Brown Onion (diced); 1 cup Mayonnaise (full fat)

This Hot Onion Cheese Dip Bread Bowl is a perfect for parties and pot lucks. The Swiss Cheese, Onions and sauce bake right into the crusty bread.

Hot Onion Cheese Dip Bread Bowl

Blame Jennifer McGinley for this recipe. Seriously, it is so good, you won’t be able to stop eating it and you will spoil your dinner. Jen and I worked together at a law firm in West Palm Beach, Florida for many years and had become friends. The hubs and I invited to her house for her daughters birthday and Jennifer was rattling off some of her specialties.

One of the items was a Hot Onion Cheese Dip Bread Bowl. She rattled off the ingredients and I thought, oh yuk, but nodded my head. When we arrived at the party, the following weekend, we spotted several Hot Onion Cheese Dip Bread Bowls around. Great, we were hungry, what were we going to do? I don’t generally shy away from food. Jennifer swore that it was really good, so I gave in! That was it. Seriously, one of the best things I have ever put into my mouth.

Another incredible Holiday, Party, Appetizer, something to do with leftover ham/turkey, recipe that will tickle your taste buds is my Holiday Party Ham Buns. Perfect for parties, even if it is a party of one!

Cast of Ingredients for Hot Onion Cheese Dip Bread Bowl

For the past 10 years, when we lived in Florida, we spent most holidays at my friend Terri’s house. Her brother, John and some of the other regulars, kind of demand that we bring this Hot Onion Cheese Dip Bread Bowl. One Thanksgiving, we brought two of them and they were devoured so fast, that some of the guests had no room for dinner.

Truth be told, one year when we did Thanksgiving at our house, a friend of mine stopped by early and we talked and enjoyed this dip and it ruined my dinner. I had to make another one for when the guests arrived.

Rather than buying a Loaf of Bread at the Grocery Store, bake your own Loaf with my very easy and quick Dutch Oven Crusty Bread. You can even use Beer in place of the liquid and Yeast!

Cut the top off of the Bread

While you are chopping, shredding and preparing the Bread Bowl, make sure to leave the Cream Cheese out, so that it will soften up a bit. It doesn’t need to be out for hours, just out enough, so that you can mix it with the other ingredients.

I like to make my Country Sourdough Bread for this recipe. However, I also really like to use Pumpernickel Bread. The recipe, as presented to me, was made with Pumpernickel Bread. Cut off the top of the Bread and carefully pull out all the soft bread. It will be used for dipping, so you don’t want to make a mess of it. If you are not a bread baker, grab a Pumpernickel or a Sourdough Boule from the Bakery or grocery store.

Shred the Cheese and Chop the Onions

Cheese that you have shredded yourself, taste so much better than pre-shredded. If you can, buy a block of Swiss Cheese and shred it yourself. Otherwise, just use a bag of shredded. Either way, you have got to try this recipe. I use my Food Processor and shred the whole block in a couple of seconds. A Microplane Artisan Ribbon Grater also is good for shredding cheese. Cold cheese shreds better than room temperature cheese.

This recipe works best with Swiss Cheese. I have tried Jarlsburg, which is one of my favorite types of cheese and it just did not cut it. Swiss pairs wonderfully with the other ingredients. Once your cheese is shredded, chop or thinly slice the onions. Just remember, a cup of everything, plus the cream cheese.

Add all Dip ingredients to a Bowl

Add the cream cheese and a cup of everything else into a Medium Mixing Bowl. Try to keep the recipe pretty exact, as you don’t want to throw off the balance. Trust me, I’ve done that. Another thing, use full fat ingredients. Trust me, I’ve not done that and there is no contest!

Use a fork and mix well

It still does not look pretty, does it? Do yourself and me a favor. Don’t taste this, until it has cooked and is bubbly and stringy and gooey. In the state it is in now, it’s just not tasty.

Pour the Onion Cheese mixture into the Bread Bowl

Still looks kinda nasty, huh? Pour the Onion Cheese mixture into the Bread Bowl and pop it into the oven. Make sure to stir it well, every ten minutes. Keep it in the oven until the top begins to brown and is bubbly.

Warm or Toast the Bread

If you feel like it, warm up or slightly toast the Bread. I like it toasty, others like it soft, as is. We usually put a bowl of crackers next to the Hot Onion Cheese Dip Bread Bowl, for those who want to dip crackers. Pretzels work well too, as do veggies, but hey, it is better with a bready thing.

Stringy Hot Onion Cheese Dip Bread Bowl

Oh My Gosh Guys, you are not going to believe this deliciousness. For those who to Sushi restaurants, have you ever ordered Dynamite? It’s actually quite similar, but without the shrimp and crab. Ummmm, shrimp and crab would be great added to this Dip! Maybe a Hot Onion Cheese Shrimp Dip Bread Bowl? No? Maybe in a casserole dish and with a fork!

My very favorite part of this, is to break off pieces of the Bread Bowl and eat that, as the filling has baked into it and it is oh, so good. Enjoy!

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

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