This is my favorite holiday appetizer. The cranberries are so very festive and combined with the blue cheese mixture it’s slightly sweet, tart and tangy. It hits my taste buds in all the right places. But be warned it does have blue cheese, and there tend to be some people with a hatred for blue cheese. I should know I use to be one of them, but this recipe has turned me around to really loving blue cheese. Try it for your next holiday party.
Ingredients: 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened, 4-ounce package crumbled blue cheese, room temperature, 1 cup (4 ounces) finely shredded Cheddar cheese, room temperature, 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, 1 medium sweet onion, sliced, quartered, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 cup Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)
To start dice your onion
and add oil to the skillet over medium high heat
soften the onions for a few minutes
and then add sugar, mix well, and then let continue cooking to caramelize the onions, lower the heat slightly and stir every few minutes, will take about 10 minutes
While the onions are caramelizing,
start on the cheese spread, in your mixer of by hand (if you want a work out)
add a block of cream cheese
crumble in the blue cheese
then beat until smooth
then add in the shredded cheese and beat until incorporated
Be sure to scrape the sides down
then layer the cheese mixture into a serving dish and refrigerate for at least 1 hour
Once the onions have caramelized, remove them from the skillet and set aside
In the same skillet add the cranberries
and sugar
and water, stir until sugar has dissolved
turn the heat up to about medium and wait for the cranberries to pop open and soften about 5-6 minutes
once the mixture has thickened add the balsamic vinegar
and the onions back in
stir well and let cool
when your ready to serve just spoon the cranberries on top of the cheese mixture
and go ahead and try some
no one will ever know!
Print This RecipeCranberry Caramelized Onion Cheese Spread
Ingredients:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 4-ounce package crumbled blue cheese, room temperature
1 cup (4 ounces) finely shredded Cheddar cheese, room temperature
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium sweet onion, sliced, quartered
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup Fresh or Frozen Cranberries
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)
Directions:
Combine cream cheese and blue cheese in a medium mixing bowl; beat with electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add Cheddar cheese; beat until well blended. Spread in shallow serving bowl. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir 2 to 4 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in 1 teaspoon sugar. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until onion is soft and golden, stirring occasionally. Remove onion from skillet; set aside,
In same skillet, combine cranberries, remaining sugar and water. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until cranberries pop and mixture thickens, stirring occasionally. Stir in vinegar and onions. Cool slightly.
To serve, bring cheese spread to room temperature. Spoon cranberry mixture over cheese spread; sprinkle on pecans. Serve with assorted crackers.
listed @ Eat at Home
That looks delicious! I wonder if my husband would notice the onions…
That looks like a really good combination:-)
OMG you had me at blue cheese! 😉
This looks fantastic. We have my family over Christmas afternoon and I need a new festive appetizer. This may be IT!
Oh my goodness! That looks amazing!! I’ve made a dip with just blue cheese, almonds and cream cheese, and I imagine the rest of the ingredients would make it spectacular!
two of my favorite ingredients, cranberrries and carmelized onions. I’m going to bookmark this one and try it for new years eve. We always have clam chowder and shrimp. I love to serve crackers and cheese too so this will be perfect.
I love anything with blue cheese in it…the carmelized onions are just icing on the cake! This looks SO good!
I was wondering where you were since I usually come to your blog via the link in my blogroll and I hadn’t seen an update! I love your new digs!
PS – I updated your link in my blogroll. Whew….thought I lost you for a minute, there!
I am not a cranberry fan but, this sounds delicious. I love the caramelized onion part of the dip… I might have to try this!
Great dip!!! Thanks so much for linking up 🙂
Hey babe just was looking at your new blog and it looks great keep up the good work and I Love U very much and remember to kiss the boys for me. Got to go marathon pipeline needs me to inject more product down the system so we can finish and come home love u.
DT
That looks great! I think it might work its way onto my Christmas menu.
🙂 Thanks for sharing with TATT!
This just sounds so tasty. I love all the different flavors you have in this.
@Double Trouble, Thanks Babe!! This is a record, first time you’ve ever commented on my blog! Be careful and safe, love you!
Nice pictures! This recipe sounds interesting. I’m not fond of blue cheese either, but I may actually attempt this. I love to try new flavors.
This looks like a holiday hit!! Thanks for linking to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays!
This looks yummy — and such a festive Christmas type appetizer!
You had me at hello (tee-hee). Seriously though, you caught my attention as soon as I read the title of this recipe. Sounds divine and I plan to serve it to dinner guests tomorrow!
Thanks so much for sharing it. Have a great weekend!
🙂
ButterYum
This looks delicious!
WoW!!!!!!!! Going to make this for the holidays. Thanks for posting.
Ohhhh, yummmmmy! This sounds delish!! 😀
I can see why this is your favorite. It looks wonderful. I wish I could reach right in my computer screen and have a bite.
WONDERFUL!!! recipe, I like the idea of the caramelized onions. Sounds YUMMY!!!
Geri
This looks great and is so easy to do. Thanks for sharing this with us. Have a great Foodie Friday.
I don’t think I’ve ever had bleu cheese anything, but that looks so pretty!
How unique! Sounds delicious!
Hope to see you December 14-18 for the Holly Bloggy Christmas Bash! We’ll have events all week, including a recipe linky on Thursday, Dec. 17. And we’ll have prizes too! Check out my blog for more details!
Oooh! I love cranberries and blue cheese! This sounds like a recipe I will use again and again!
Love this dip/s[read recipe. Looks sooo yummy! My sisters and I just started our first themed blog hop over at http://everydaysisters.blogspot.com every Sunday!. This weeks theme is appetizers. We would love for you to come over and share these or any of your favorite appetizer recipes with our blog readers. Have a great weekend.
Nanci
Just found your blog thru “eat at home” – of course fresh canberries and making your own sauce is the best, but have you ever used the wholeberry sauce and “doctored” it up?
Kelly, Hi and welcome, I bet using the wholeberry sauce would be an excellent choice, I would still cook it the same way as the fresh. This is my hands down favorite app for the fall!
Oh my goodness! That looks amazing! I have almost all the ingredients for it. Yum!