My mom, aunt, two cousins, and a dear friend have resurrected the traditional Girls Night Out with the Girls Night In. We rotate each month as hostess, each bringing something to eat and something to share. (This is the same group of ladies who joined me last fall for a Pinterest Potluck Party.) It has become the perfect opportunity to try new recipes on a familiar (and sometimes all-too-honest!) crowd.

On Saturday, as an unseasonably warm winter day turned bitterly cold at dusk, our small group gathered at my mom’s house for a cozy and relaxing dinner. I was asked to bring an appetizer, which is a departure from my usual potluck assignment: dessert.

Eager to try a new (and savory) recipe, I clicked over to Pinterest, which lead me to this scrumptious, salty, soup-inspired cheese dip, originally posted by Elizabeth’s Edible Experience.

Served with sea salt pita chips, the dip was a huge hit. Judging by the small amount left in my baking dish (which my mom saved in her refrigerator for later), I am guaranteed to serve it again.

French Onion Soup Dip

Ingredients

4 bacon slices, cooked, cooled, and crumbled
3 tablespoons of butter
2 large yellow onions, diced
4 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons green onions, chopped
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cook the bacon, either by frying it in a skillet or (my preferred method) baking it in an oven. (To bake your bacon: Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminium foil. Lay out the bacon and place into a cold oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and allow the bacon to cook for 20 minutes. Remove the bacon from the oven and allow to cool on paper towels.)

Melt the butter in a pan and add the diced yellow onions. Sauté the onions on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low and cook for another 10-20 minutes or until the onions are brown, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the yellow onions to a mixing bowl and allow to cool slightly. Add the shredded Gruyère cheese, green onions, mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, and pepper, and mix together well.

Pour the mixture into a ceramic baking dish that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Top the mixture with a few tablespoons of grated Gruyère cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the dip is golden brown and bubbling. Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of green onions on top before serving. Serve alongside sea salt pita chips or small slices of French bread, either toasted or untoasted.