One thing my husband and I both adore (besides each other, our children and a cheap vacation) is French onion dip.

Unfortunately, I’ve found that prepared French onion dips are not what I want them to be.

He prefers the type found in a metal can, which I agree is delicious… but it weirds me out to buy dairy that is shelf stable.

What is it made of? How can it just sit next to the chips like that? If it’s not safe to home-can dairy, then how is it safe to do it commercially? Is this really even a dairy product? I have so many questions. (You too? No? Just me? OK, then.)

So I buy the type in the dairy case, but I’ve found the flavor to be… lackluster. It tastes less like onion and more like dried seasonings mixed into a tub of sour cream.

I guess that’s why I remembered I could make my own version of onion dip the other night when Zack asked whether we had any on hand.

We tracked down a packet of powdered seasonings in the pantry and mixed it up.

It was pretty good, but of course that experience awakened in me a vague memory of delicious onion dips made with a tub or sour cream and a Lipton onion soup mix packet.

We couldn’t use many seasoning mixes for the years one of our kids had a soy allergy. During that time, I learned that almost every processed food in the grocery store had a less expensive (and frequently better-tasting) homemade alternative.

So of course, making that dip with the things we already had on hand also made me wonder whether I could do it better… and cheaper.

I found out that the answers were yes and yes. The thing is, sometimes I have to sacrifice convenience or storage space to keep things homemade.

Making cream soups from scratch is better and cheaper… but it takes time, or it takes valuable freezer real estate.

Not so with this mix. I can store it in the pantry. Of course, making a jar of onion dip mix made me remember the days when I made taco seasoning.

I didn’t think it was terribly different from the store-bought packet. And then I went back to the store-bought packet and realized the homemade stuff was indeed far superior in flavor.

So today’s recipe is really a twofer: one a large-quantity version of the onion dip mix and the other an upsized version of the taco seasoning.

FRENCH ONION DIP MIX (BIG BATCH)

Ingredients
2/3 cup dried minced onion
1/3 cup granulated beef bouillon
1/4 cup onion powder
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/8 cup salt
1 Tablespoon black pepper

Directions
■ Pour all ingredients into a pint-sized canning jar or similar lidded container. (I prefer a canning jar topped with the flip-top lid that came on a jar of parmesan cheese. They fit perfectly.)
■ Shake before using to mix ingredients that may have settled.
■ Mix about 2 Tablespoons of mix with 16 ounces of sour cream to make a dip; allow to rest in refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving. Can also be used in place of the Lipton packet for pot roasts, soups, etc.

TACO SEASONING (BIG BATCH, ADAPTED FROM THIS OLD GAL BLOG)

Ingredients
2/3 cup chili powder
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon onion powder
1 Tablespoon minced dried onion flakes
1/3 cup cumin
1 Tablespoon oregano
2 Tablespoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I use a scant 1/2 teaspoon to make the equivalent of a mild taco seasoning)
2 1/2 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons black pepper

Directions
■ Pour all ingredients into a pint-sized canning jar or similar lidded container. (I prefer a canning jar topped with the flip-top lid that came on a jar of parmesan cheese. They fit perfectly.)
■ Shake before using to mix ingredients that may have settled.
■ Use about 2 Tablespoons of this mix to substitute for a packet of taco seasoning. To make tacos, brown ground beef, drain fat, and add seasoning plus about half a cup of water or beef broth. Simmer until most liquid has evaporated off.

Amelia Plair is a mom and high school teacher in Starkville. Email reaches her at [email protected].

Amelia Plair is a Starkville resident who writes occasional food columns.