French onion dip stars in savory chicken dish

I recently found myself with a large amount of French onion dip, homemade, of course, leftover from a party. It'd been in the fridge for a week, and there was enough left that I didn't want to toss it. Nor did I want to sit down with a bag of chips and finish it off — though I will admit the thought did cross my mind because homemade French onion dip is just that good.

Resisting temptation, I searched around online for an idea of how to use it as an entrée rather than a snack and came upon a recipe for French Onion Chicken.

If you've never had homemade French onion dip, let me tell you that you simply cannot compare it to the kind you pick up in the store. With caramelized onions, sour cream, a splash of Worcestershire sauce and some white wine, it really is a remarkable dip with a lovely marriage of flavor and texture.

(READ MORE: Homemade French onion dip is good with chips, smeared on burgers)

So how to turn it into dinner? All it took was some chicken tenders, cheese and French fried onions — a simple combination that resulted in a recipe that will go into my files. The next time I make onion dip, I'll be sure to hold some back to make French Onion Chicken.

The dip already has so much flavor, you need no other ingredients besides the chicken, the cheese and the onions. Does dinner get any simpler than that?

(READ MORE: 5 of the best chicken recipes ever)

The recipe I found online calls for store-bought French onion dip, which would work fine, I would imagine, if you're in a pinch. However, I wouldn't think it would taste nearly as good as that made with homemade dip. So here's the recipe for the dip as well as one for the chicken dish you can make with the leftovers.

French Onion Chicken

For the dip:

2 tablespoons butter or oil

2 yellow onions, sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped

Large splash of Worcestershire

1/8-1/4 cup white wine

Salt and pepper, to taste

For chicken:

2 pounds chicken tenders

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 1/2 cups French onion dip (see note)

1 (3-ounce) can French-fried onions

For dip: Heat the butter or oil in a large sauté pan on medium heat, and add the onions. Stir the onions for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to low.

Continue cooking and stirring the onions for about 45 minutes or until they're soft and golden brown. When there's one minute left on the onions, add the minced garlic and sauté for one minute. Transfer the onions to a small bowl, and place them in the fridge to cool.

After the onions have cooled, add them to a mixing bowl with the sour cream, mayonnaise, chives, parsley, Worcestershire, wine, salt and pepper. Stir everything together until creamy, and garnish with additional herbs to serve as a dip with chips and veggies. Makes about 3 cups of dip.

For chicken: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Lay the chicken tenders close together in the baking dish, and sprinkle with garlic salt and onion powder.

Top the chicken with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Spread French onion dip in a thick layer over chicken. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Top the chicken with remaining cheese and fried onions. Bake an additional 5-10 minutes, and serve warm with a salad and good bread. Makes about 6 servings.

Note: If you use store-bought French onion dip, add a teaspoon of garlic salt and a teaspoon of onion powder to the dip when making French Onion Chicken.

Contact Anne Braly at [email protected] or annebraly.com.