Hot Pizza Dip is super easy, kids and teenagers love to make it. Layers of any types of cheese, pizza sauce, vegetables, and meats. Dip with toasted crostini for that pizza “crust” component. This is the sure way to satisfy veggie and meat lovers at any party.
Doesn’t this look like a deep-dish pizza you’d get straight out of the oven at your favorite hometown pizza joint? Who can imagine that this is a hot pizza DIP that will rival any craving for the best pizza in town. Plus, you get to make it at home and let me tell you, it is GO-OOD!
Starting with a standard 9-inch pie plate, layer cream cheese mixed with classic pizza seasonings of oregano, basil and garlic, then topped with jarred pizza sauce, mozzarella, Parmesan and whatever other toppings you love on your own pizza. I’ve heard appetizer connoisseurs call this “the best dip I’ve ever had!”.
One of the best things about this dip is you can customize it to fit your favorite toppings, plus you can lighten it up easily for a healthy-ish option.To lighten up the recipe, you can completely skip the cream cheese layer and cut back on the other cheese a little as well. Leave out the meat for a vegetarian option. Or you can go the other direction and pile on the meat and cheese for a meat-lover’s paradise.
No matter what you pile on top of this amazing dip, or what type of bread (or not bread) you serve with it…
…the most important thing to remember is,
…you really MUST make it! Truly, if you’re looking for the ultimate appetizer to please both kids and adults, and you want it to be super easy to put together…look no more.
Hot Pizza Dip
Ingredients
- 8- ounce package cream cheese, softened (Use neufchatal for less fat and calories, if desired)
- 1 Tablespoon freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup mozarella cheese, shredded and divided
- 1 cup good quality jarred pizza sauce
- ½ cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1 Hot or Mild Italian sausage, removed from casing
- 10 fresh mushrooms, sliced
- ½ small onion, diced
- 20-30 mini pepperoni or 10-12 regular size pepperoni slices
- ½ green bell pepper, diced
- 10 black olives, sliced
- Crostinis or sliced baugette for serving
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese, 1 tablespoon Parmesan and spices. Spread mixture into the bottom of an oven safe 9-inch glass pie plate.
- Top cream cheese mixture with ½ cup mozzarella and spread pizza sauce over it to edges. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup mozzarella, cheddar and Parmesan cheese over the sauce.
- In a small saute' pan, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking up into small pieces. Remove sausage from pan with slotted spoon and spread over top of cheese in pie plate.
- In same pan you cooked the sausage, add the mushrooms and onions and cook until just golden (add a little oil or butter if needed). Remove mushrooms and onions from pan and spread over other ingredients.
- Sprinkle the pepperoni, bell pepper, black olives and over top, adding more if desired. For a little spicier dip, sprinkle with extra red pepper flakes before baking.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly.
- Serve immediately with crostinis, garlic toast or sliced baugette.
Notes
- You can assemble the pizza dip ahead of time and then refrigerate it up to 24 hours before baking. I found that serving it fresh the first day it's baked was the best and gave the freshest flavor. Personally, the flavors were not as prominent when I reheated leftovers the second day.
- When I was first making this recipe, I would add the onions at the end along with the black olives, etc. Then my friend Angie, who makes the dip frequently, started sautéing the onions with the mushrooms and this small change became a game changer in elevating the flavors.
I wanted to try something different and this was a big hit!! I love it with breadsticks instead of chips. I bought the Pillsbury breadsticks and halved them before I baked them! I will be making this a lot! Thanks for a great recipe!
Oh my gosh, Amy! This sounds so delicious and I love the idea of breadsticks instead of chips. Definitely going to do this one.
My guests devoured this dip in less than five minutes. Next time I’ll make two! This recipes is fabulous and so easy!
Thanks, Veronica! I think that’s a good plan. Glad everyone liked it so much!
OOOOH this looks really good! It’s like pizza…minus the carbs 🙂 Perfect!
Alright Mila, I just went over to your site and I am in love! I have bookmarked your Peek Behind the Scenes and will be curling up with it tonight on the couch and then I want to make the skinny smashers featured in the post… for starters. Thanks for coming over to Good Dinner Mom, Girl and the Kitchen. 🙂
It’s in the oven now! Ready for game day.
I topped mine with sliced olives, jalapeños, andd sautéed mushrooms. Can’t wait!
Jackie, thanks for making the pizza dip! I’m adding jalapenos next time.
This looks AMAZING, Sally! Seriously! Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks, my friend! It IS ;).