pepperoni pizza dip

this past sunday was super bowl sunday which meant, for many of us, lots of eating, drinking, commercial-discussing + football-watching. i knew i wanted to make at least one type of dip, + was leaning towards spinach + artichoke dip until a few days before the super bowl, when i saw guy fieri make this pepperoni pizza dip on his food network show.

it looked so delicious + flavorful, + i knew that this had to be my super bowl dip. while it has a pretty long ingredient list, we already had 95% of the ingredients, which made it surprisingly inexpensive to make. the result? this dip is delicious! the vegetables add lightness + texture to the dish, while the fresh + dried herbs add layer after layer of flavor. the dip is surprisingly light, which i loved, as some dips can be oh-so-heavy. i served it with toasted baguette slices, although it would also be great with pizza dough strips or pita chips. looking for a dip for your next party? try this!

pepperoni pizza dip

makes 8-10 servings, adapted from guy fieri

ingredients

for the pizza sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (recommended: fire roasted muir glen)
1 tablespoon julienned fresh basil leaves, plus sprig for garnish
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

for bottom layer

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup grated parmesan
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes

for pizza toppings

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 cup thinly sliced pepperoni
1/2 cup diced (1/4-inch) red bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/2 cup quartered + thinly sliced crimini mushrooms
1 cup small-dice buffalo mozzarella cheese (* after reading reviews of this recipe, i used shredded mozzarella rather than diced buffalo mozzarella, since people said it made the dip too heavy).
1/4 cup grated parmesan

serving suggestions: toasted pizza dough strips, toasted pita strips, or crackers

directions

preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

for the pizza sauce: add the olive oil to a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat +, when hot, add the onion. saute until translucent. add the garlic + red chile flakes, cook for 1 minute, + then add the crushed tomatoes. reduce the heat to a simmer + cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. when the mixture has thickened, stir in the fresh + dried spices. simmer for an additional 15 minutes + adjust seasoning, if necessary. remove from the heat.

for the bottom layer: in a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, ricotta, parmesan, egg, garlic + spices. spread the mixture evenly into an oven-safe casserole (2-quart capacity or a 9-inch pie pan). set aside.

for the toppings: in a small saute pan over medium heat, add a drizzle of olive oil + the pepperoni. saute until the pepperoni is just crisp, 4 – 5 minutes, + then drain on a paper towel-lined plate. add the remaining olive oil + the red bell peppers, sauteing over medium-high heat until just starting to soften. add the shallot, cook for 2 minutes, + then add the mushrooms. cook for 7 – 10 minutes + remove from the heat.

to assemble: spread the pizza sauce over the top of the bottom layer of cheese, sprinkle with the pepper/mushroom mixture, + then the pepperoni. evenly distribute the mozzarella over the top + bake for 20 minutes. remove from the oven + sprinkle with parmesan. garnish with the basil sprig + serve hot with pizza dough strips, toasted pita strips, or crackers.

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