1 February 2012

Cooking Light Supper Club Warms You Up With a Caramelized Onion Spread


The holidays are over and now we get down to the serious business of getting through these cold winter days! When it is cold outside, nothing is better than a warm home with all the comfort foods that you adore. So that is what it is is all about this week at the Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club. With the cold weather, comes the urge to find warmth in our favourite meals. Warm comforting foods nourish the soul as well as our bodies and tend to be familiar foods that remind us of simpler times or of a contented childhood. Your senses can be awakened with anything from a caramelized squash soup to a large bowl of comfortable macaroni and cheese. It is not uncommon for my home to be filled with warm, fragrant and earthy aromas of a slow cooked roast or bubbling crock pot.


There’s no reason to let calories rob you of the opportunity to cozy up with a plate of any of your favourite dishes. Enjoy your winter comfort favorites by consciously keeping lighter in mind. You’ll still get the entire flavour with none of the guilt. With the Super Bowl looming this is an excellent choice. 

For this reason we are so glad you have decided to join us once again for our Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club. This is a monthly event where a group of ladies and one gent in two neighbouring countries get together on the first Wednesday of every month to create a delicious meal with a theme in mind. This is our third year of the Virtual Supper Club where we continue to share a love for Cooking Light magazine with an emphasis on healthy eating and living.This is a team effort where we combine what Cooking Light readers like best...good food with great company!!! This months theme "Winter Warmth" was chosen by our very own Jerry of Jerry's Thoughts, Musings and Rants. How can you join in? If you would like to add your own "warm winter dishes"  join the Linky below.


I brought along an appetizer of some gooey, cheesy Caramelized Onion, Gruyere and Bacon Spread (recipe below) Serve with crackers or bread slices. If you can't find Gruyère, substitute raclette, fontina, or Swiss cheese.

Jerry of Jerry's Thoughts, Ravings and Rants wowed us with his version of winter warmth "inside and out" with a steaming bowl ofTuscan White Bean Soup. 



Roz  of La Bella Vita  brings us a stunning main dish with Sirloin Steaks with Mushroom Sauce and Chive-Garlic Potatoes. Talk about a treat!!

Sandi of Whistlestop Cafe ties it all together with a comforting dish of Macaroni and Cheese with Smoked Gouda and Spinach.


Giz of Equal Opportunity Kitchen ends the meal with a BANG with a comforting Double Ginger Pumpkin Flan.

Here's the recipe........

**Caramelized Onion, Gruyère, and Bacon Spread**

Cooking spray
3 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 ounces (1/2 cup) Gruyère cheese, shredded and divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
1/3 cup canola mayonnaise
1/3 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled


1. Preheat oven to 425°.


2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan lightly with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to low; cook 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.


3. Reserve 2 tablespoons cheese. Combine remaining cheese, caramelized onion, 1 tablespoon chives, and the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Transfer the mixture to a 1-quart glass or ceramic baking dish coated lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle with reserved 2 tablespoons cheese. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon chives.


You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.
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20 comments:

  1. Oooohhh, that spread is fantastic and must taste really good!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  2. Love this wonderful spread! these are all the ingredients that will make my sons happy for a visit this weekend. Going to check out Cooking Light.
    Rita

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  3. Oh wow! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Ina Garten's caramelized onion dip, but I don't dare eat it more than once a decade. Excellent recipe to tone it down so I can have it maybe two or three times a decade. :-)

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  4. Oh Val - swoon!! Thihs dip/spread has my name all over it - and astonoshing that it is avtually not that fattening! Goes to show you don't have to comprmise on flavour to lighten up :)

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  5. This sounds heavenly! I'd go full fat and enjoy every bite. Mmmmmm.

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  6. What a great spread. Your recipe is just in time for game day. It will be a welcome addition to many tables. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  7. Val, your cheese spread looks incredible. I adore Gruyere! This will probably be made for the Super Bowl to nosh on. The steaks were AMAZING! Who would have thought we could lighten up comfort foods so deliciously?

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  8. This looks awesome..Yummy Recipe

    Aarthi
    http://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/

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  9. This really looks yummy!
    Cheesy comfort food~

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  10. Oh man do I EVER want to make all of these! The spread...the mac and cheese...the flan...but which to make first?

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  11. One of my favorite apps is an onion spread and so cool to find a 'lighter' version. It looks delicious!

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  12. Oh my, Val, this is delectably ooey-gooey and so savory. Yum!!

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  13. I've seen this recipe floating around on Pinterest a lot, and it looks great. You really can't go wrong with caramelized onions and gruyere!

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  14. I love Cooking Light magazine too! What a great idea for a group blog!

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  15. I hope I will be able to join the next club. I wanted a nice spead for a party I was asked to do and this will be it. Hope all is well Val. Again, catching up to my e-mails

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  16. Everything is good with bacon Val, nice dip for the Super Bowl.

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  17. This would warm me up nicely, thank you! It sounds so delicious, it's hard to believe it's Cooking Light! I love caramelized onions, especially with bacon and that lovely gruyere cheese- Yum! :)

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  18. I am going to try that without the bacon Val. Thanks x

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  19. i've become obsessed with caramelized onions (though i detest raw onion!), so this is fantastic!

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Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

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