Warm Mushroom Bacon Dip

We painted the nursery. The room that's been holding boxes since we moved in finally got cleared, primed, and painted a color called Harbor Fog—a grayish-blue that looked different on the swatch than it does on the walls but I actually like it better on the walls. Sean painted and I supervised, which is the correct division of labor at twenty-one weeks when your center of gravity has become a daily negotiation.

My mother came to help and spent most of the time moving the crib to different walls and saying "here?" and "what about here?" until Sean put it where she'd suggested first, which had been my preference all along. We ordered pizza and sat on the drop cloth eating it with paint still drying, and my mother held up a onesie someone had given us—tiny, absurdly small, like a garment for a doll—and said "I can't believe you're going to have a little person."

I can't either, honestly. I'm a nurse. I understand fetal development, delivery timelines, the mechanics of what's happening inside my body right now. I've sat at bedsides through the worst hours of people's lives with clinical steadiness. And still the idea that Liam will be a person—with opinions about things and a face I haven't seen and a whole life ahead—lands on me sideways sometimes in the middle of the night.

I made corn chowder on Sunday, thick New England style with bacon and whole milk, because November calls for exactly that kind of soup and the apartment needed to smell like something warm. The days are getting short. I keep the kitchen light on early. It helps more than it should.

The corn chowder scratched that particular itch on Sunday, but the whole week had me reaching for anything I could make with bacon and something earthy and warm—the kind of food that justifies keeping the kitchen light on before four o’clock. This Warm Mushroom Bacon Dip has become my answer to exactly that mood: it’s savory and a little indulgent and it fills the apartment with a smell that makes everything feel more settled than it actually is. We’ve been making it with whatever bread is on the counter, and I think my mother would approve.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

6 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
8 oz cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese, divided
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Crusty bread, crackers, or crudités for serving

Instructions

Cook the bacon. In an oven-safe skillet over medium heat, cook the chopped bacon until crispy and rendered, about 6–8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons of drippings in the skillet and discard the rest.
Sauté the vegetables. Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid and begin to brown, about 6–7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook 1 minute more. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 375°F.
Mix the dip. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, and mayonnaise until smooth. Fold in the mushroom mixture, three-quarters of the cooked bacon, and 3/4 cup of the shredded cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Bake. Transfer the mixture to a greased 8-inch oven-safe baking dish or leave it in the skillet if oven-safe. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and reserved bacon. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until bubbly around the edges and lightly golden on top.
Serve warm. Let the dip rest for 5 minutes before serving. Offer alongside sliced crusty bread, sturdy crackers, or raw vegetables for dipping.

Nutrition (per serving)

Warm Mushroom Bacon Dip — The Comfort of a Kitchen That Smells Like Something Good