Easiest, Cheesiest Skillet Dip
Photo by Ty Mecham
- Serves
- 8 or more as an appetizer
- Prep Time
- 25 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 12 Minutes
This is the crowd-pleasing skillet dip I make when I’m having a big gathering and can’t be bothered with anything fussier. It draws inspiration from baked cheeses everywhere—hi, hello honey-baked brie, queso fundido, and broiled feta. It's super cheesy (like, three kinds of cheesy), surprisingly nuanced (thank you onions and enoki mushrooms), and comes together in about 10 minutes. And it's endlessly customizable: swap in any alliums or mushrooms, sub in your favorite melty cheese, and top with whatever you please (tomato jam! hot sauce! spicy breadcrumbs!). Thanks to the scientifically proven fact that hot cheese is delicious, your guests will love it no matter what.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a little more for sprinkling
- 1 1/2 cup enoki mushrooms (if still attached at bottom when you get them, cut that part off so you have lots of little stems)
- 1 1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese (white or orange is fine)
- 1 cup grated low-moisture mozzarella
- 2 tablespoon sour cream, thinned a little with lime juice or water, for drizzling
- 2 tablespoon spicy honey (I like Mike’s Hot Honey)
- 2 tablespoon very finely chopped chives, plus more if desired
- Hearty crackers, tortilla chips, or hunks of crusty bread for serving
Featured Video
Easiest, Cheesiest Skillet Dip
This skillet dip is the definition of low risk, high reward. Naming something the "cheesiest" already has us on board, but it's the savory additions of sautéed enoki mushrooms and just-browned onions (imbuing the dip with just a touch of caramelized sweetness)—plus a bit more sweetness from spicy honey—that really bring this cheesy dip to the next level. Do not skip the broiling step: This technique will give the dip an almost crust-like browning; similar to deliciously browned pockets of a pizza. We suggest serving this alongside sliced sourdough baguette, crunchy pretzels, or hearty whole-wheat crackers.
Directions
- Step 1
Heat oven to 475°F.
- Step 2
Set a 10-inch oven–safe skillet over a medium flame. Add butter. When it has melted, add the onion and salt. Sauté the onion, moving it around only every so often, until it’s soft and golden brown and just beginning to caramelize in places, about 5 to 8 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add the enoki mushrooms. Sauté another minute or so until they’re soft and have shrunk a bit.
- Step 3
Add the grated cheeses, and mix thoroughly with the onion and mushroom. Transfer the skillet to the oven, and bake a few minutes until cheese is bubbling. Turn on the broiler and broil for just a minute or two, until cheese is browned in spots across the top—watch closely to make sure it doesn’t burn!
- Step 4
Remove from the oven. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the cheese. Then, drizzle the top with spicy honey and sour cream. Sprinkle with chopped chives. Serve right from skillet—you may want to wrap the handle with a dish towel!—along with sturdy chips, crackers, or bread.