Hot Caramelized Onion Dip with Bacon and Gruyere

Ingredients
4 bacon strips
2 sweet onions, halved and thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon dry sherry
¼ teaspoon tabasco
½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 cup shredded Gruyere Cheese
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayo
¼ teaspoon freshly, ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to cool. Crumble.
3. Add onions, sugar, and salt to bacon fat in the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until onions turn a deep golden brown color. This can take as long as 20 minutes. If onions start to burn, turn heat down to medium-low.
4. Add sherry and cook 1 minute. Stir in thyme and tabasco. Remove from heat.
5. Mix together sour cream and mayo in a medium bowl. Add crumbled bacon, cheese, onion mixture, and black pepper. Mix together well and transfer to a 2-cup baking dish.
6. Bake 20 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown on top.