Happy “Fri-yay” (as my boys say)! Are you ready for the weekend? I know I am!
Last week I made this wonderful cheesy hot Pizza Dip for my family to kick off of the NBA Playoffs and it was a HUGE hit!! At our house Friday night is synonymous with PIZZA night! It is tradition and my boys hold me to it. If for some reason we have an event or something on Friday night, they think we have to have pizza on Saturday or Sunday night–it is a must for every weekend, in their minds. My boys are crazy about pizza. I have gotten creative over the years with our pizza night, with these Pizza Twists, Pizza Rolls, Stromboli and now we have even had pizza in a bowl with this fun Pizza Dip!
I used mini pepperonis, just for fun, but I think regular sized ones would be great too. My boys are kind of boring with their pizza—only cheese and pepperoni, but I think this recipe would be awesome with sliced black olives, sweet bell peppers, any of your favorite toppings sprinkled on top. Also, I used Victoria brand marinara sauce. Have you ever heard of that brand? I get it at Costco (and I have seen it in my local grocery store) and it is FANTASTIC. I think the sauce makes a big difference–so use your favorite for one for this dip. If you feel like making your own sauce, I bet the 5 minute Marinara Sauce or this authentic Italian Red Sauce would also be great! I hope you enjoy this cheesy fun dip as much as we did!
Have a great weekend!
xoxoxo
PS
This reminds me of my personal favorite dip Hot Caprese Dip…oh yum! Have you tried that one yet? I am looking forward to having garden fresh cherry tomatoes and basil this summer that makes the Caprese dip so incredible!!
Hot Pizza Dip
Ingredients
- 8 ounce block of cream cheese,softened (lite or regular)
- 1 teaspoon Italan Seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided (3/4 cup + 3/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, divided (1/2 cup + 1/2 cup)
- 1 heaping cup pizza sauce (or your favorite marinara or red sauce)
- pepperoni slices, or other favorite pizza toppings** see note below
Serving Suggestions – toasted baugette slices, breadsticks, pita chips, crackers, or even tortilla chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Spray a 9-inch pie dish (I used a stoneware one) with cooking spray.
- In a bowl combine softened cream cheese and Italian seasoning and garlic powder.
- Spread the prepared cream cheese mixture over the base of the pie dish.
- Sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella( or Italian blend) and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese over cream cheese.
- Spread a heaping cup of the pizza sauce to cover cheese (use more or less sauce according to your preference)
- Cover the sauce with the remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.
- Evenly top with pepperoni slices and other pizza toppings you like (bell peppers, olives etc)
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until cheese has melted and the cheese on top is bubbly and toasted a bit.
- Serve with toasted baugette slices, breadsticks, pita chips, crackers, or even tortilla chips
- ** I like to microwave your pepperoni slices in the microwave for 30 seconds on a paper towel before putting on top of the dip, to keep them from getting too greasy on top.
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