Coca-Cola Caramelized Onions

 

When I was a little girl, supermarkets had cozy restaurants inside, like “The Station” at Schnuck’s market. They weren’t fancy, but I loved the table service or sitting at the counter. Going out to eat was a treat, especially when my dad was out of town. My mom and I would head to The Station for dinner. One night, we sat at the counter, and Mom stepped away to grab something from the store, leaving me to order. She wanted a Reuben, and I chose a cheeseburger with pickle and onion, just the way dad liked it. When the waitress, with her pencil tucked over her ear, asked, “Grilled or raw?” I recoiled in horror! Grilled or raw, I thought to myself, who would eat a raw burger? “Grilled!” I blurted, proud of my choice at eight years old. But when my burger arrived topped with limp, grilled onions, my heart sank—those weren’t dad’s crisp, raw onions. Hungry, I took a bite anyway. To my surprise, those grilled onions were heavenly! I’ve been hooked on them ever since. 

Recently, I stumbled across a unique burger recipe topped with caramelized onions, the unique twist was that they were Coca-Cola caramelized onions—yes, you read that right! The soda adds a sweet, tangy depth that elevates any burger. It takes a bit of time, but it’s simple and so worth it. If you want the recipe for the entire burger, you can find it here. If, like me, you’re just interested in the onions, the recipe is below.Coca-Cola Caramelized Onions

4 Melissa’s sweet onions

1 T. olive oil

2 t. kosher salt

½ t. freshly ground black pepper

1 c. Coca-Cola (NOT diet. I cannot emphasize this enough.) 

Peel onions and slice into ¼-inch rounds. Separate into rings.

 Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, onions, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat onions evenly.

 Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until onions are translucent and soft.

 Pour in Coca-Cola and stir. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned, caramelized, and most liquid is gone.

 Remove from heat. Serve warm atop your favorite burger.

 These onions are sweet, savory, and perfect for jazzing up any meal. Try them—you won’t be disappointed! 

Carolina White Pimiento Cheese

 

By now, you, my faithful readers, are well aware that I am a big fan of pimiento cheese. Recently, I received a wonderful pimiento cheese bowl for my birthday. The bowl is from the fabulous Mud Pie, and I am totally in love with it (as I am with all of their products). Yes, I have tried the recipe illustrated on the side of the bowl, but today I was feeling a little spicy. I was interested in trying a white variety of pimiento cheese, which got me thinking about white barbecue sauce. So I combined ingredients that would normally be present in pimiento cheese along with a few other ingredients that would be found in white Carolina barbecue sauce, and thus Carolina White Pimiento Cheese was born. It’s a zesty winner!

Carolina White Pimiento Cheese

 1 8-oz. block white cheddar cheese, grated

2 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

½ c. chopped Melissa’s Fire Roasted Red Peppers

3 T. Duke’s mayonnaise

1 T. apple cider vinegar

1 t. Worcestershire sauce

1 t. brown mustard

1 t. horseradish

1 t. fresh lemon juice

Pinch cayenne

Pinch paprika

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 Place above ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Using a fork, combine ingredients thoroughly. Turn out into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the refrigerator for at least four hours to meld flavors.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Creamy Giardiniera Dip

 

This is the time of the year when I start thinking about holiday food — dips, snacks, side dishes, mains. I’m interested in trying things that I’ve never made before so that I can offer something fresh and new to my guests. I spotted this recipe in Bon Appétit. I was attracted to it by virtue of the fact that I had all of the ingredients on hand, including the giardiniera that I had bought during the summer to use in a sandwich recipe, and never used it again. Bon Appétit had you stirring together all of the ingredients with the exception of the giardiniera, using it on top, with the oil from the relish drizzled overall. That didn’t particularly appeal to me for two reasons. First of all, I didn’t like the idea of the oil drizzled on top. Ew. Second, once that top layer containing the giardiniera is eaten away, you end up with basically just cream cheese at the bottom. Seasoned cream cheese, sure, but cream cheese, nonetheless. So I decided to put everything into the food processor to ensure that the bold taste of the spicy relish was enjoyed in every bite. It worked! This is a snack that you can make one to two days ahead (maybe more, if I’m honest), and pull it out when you need it. After all, during the holidays, you just never know who’s going to happen by. It’s great on chips and crackers, even wavy potato chips work here because this tends to be on the creamy side. Me? I loved it with Fritos.

 Creamy Giardiniera Dip

Adapted from Bon Appétit

 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

½ c. finely grated Parmesan

½ c. sour cream 

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 c. well drained, coarsely chopped, oil-based giardiniera

Process cream cheese, Parmesan, and sour cream in a food processor until combined and smooth; season with salt and pepper (to taste) and pulse until incorporated but dip is not completely smooth. Add giardiniera and pulse until combined.

 Transfer dip to a small bowl and serve with the dippers of your choice. This can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Zippy Horseradish Cheese Spread

You are going to love this spicy little number, particularly if you have some nasal congestion. This stuff will open those sinus passages right up. Horseradish has amazing medicinal powers; you don’t have to use a lot of it to benefit. What I’m trying to say here is that this can be as strong or mild as you like it. This is a wonderful spread for crackers, chips, crudites, and can also be an excellent topping for a baked potato, absolutely luscious on top of a burger, and makes stellar cheese fries. Easy to prepare, it keeps in the refrigerator for 7 to 10 days. Give it a try.

Zippy Horseradish Cheese Spread

1 1-lb.box of Velveeta
½ c. Duke’s mayonnaise
3 to 4 oz. creamy horseradish
3-4 drops Frank’s Hot Sauce
Pinch of garlic powder

Cut Velveeta into cubes and melt in the top of a double boiler (if you don’t have a double boiler, a Duralex bowl over a saucepan works quite well), stirring occasionally until smooth and creamy. Remove from heat and immediately add remaining ingredients, stirring until combined. Pour into individual ramekins, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Everything But the Bagel Dip

This post contains affiliate links.

These days it’s highly unlikely that someone will drop by unannounced; if they dare they would no doubt be dressed like a beekeeper. So, while this four-ingredient, easy-to-put-together, absolutely wonderful dip is perfect for drop-in guests, you and your family will enjoy it too. It is so stupidly simple as to not be believed. In fact, I wasn’t sure I quite believed that it would be good at all because it was so easy. I was wrong. This goes well with chips, crackers, crudités, or chunks of bread (I know because I’ve tried all of these things), as well as an excellent topping on a burger (ditto). You’re going to want to keep this recipe in your repertoire just for those occasions when you need something delicious in a hurry.

Everything But the Bagel Dip
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

 ⅔ c. sour cream (Not low-fat)

4 oz. cream cheese, softened 

⅓ c. Duke’s mayonnaise 

1½ T. Everything But the Bagel Seasoning

Place all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl, and beat until creamy, 2 minutes. When it’s smooth and creamy, scrape it out of the bowl into a refrigerator container. The flavor enhances the longer it sits. Keeps in the refrigerator 7 to 10 days.

 

Trader Joe’s Inspired Roasted Pecan Blue Cheese Spread

This post contains affiliate links.

I have always felt that there is good and bad in everything, even a pandemic. One of the good things is that I can get my favorite food, from my favorite restaurant, brought right to my door. I have to admit that, initially, I went a little crazy ordering food (my hips will back me up on this).  But, that can get to be a little expensive, which caused me to wonder why I couldn’t re-create some of these dishes on my own.

If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, then you know that my favorite food is a cheeseburger. I like any kind of cheeseburger with any kind of cheese, single patty or double, broiled or grilled, topped with a variety of condiments, or plain, as long as there is meat and cheese on a bun, I’m a happy girl. I do have a particular liking for the bacon bleu cheese burger at Red Robin, and that got me thinking. Why not make my own delicious burger, top it with thick slices of Applewood-smoked bacon, and a dollop of blue cheese spread? The blue cheese spread that I had in mind was the kind that is sold at Trader Joe’s. Sadly, TJ’s doesn’t deliver, so I was determined to make my own. The result of that effort is the recipe below. It makes a fabulous blue cheese bacon burger, but it’s also very tasty on its own with fresh fruit and crackers. Perfect for a snack, perfect to top a burger or steak, easy to make, and keeps in the fridge for 7-10 days. What are you waiting for?

Trader Joe’s Inspired Roasted Pecan Blue Cheese Spread

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup chopped pecans

4 oz. container blue cheese crumbles

2 T. sour cream

1/8 t. Worcestershire sauce 

Pinch of salt

Few gratings freshly ground black pepper

 In a 9-inch sauté pan over medium heat, toast pecans until fragrant and golden.

 Place remaining ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until well blended. Turn into storage container and chill at least an hour before using.

 Use it as a dip or spread on its own with fresh fruit and potatoes, or as a topping for steaks and burgers.