This Pizza Dip is a total spin out. It looks like pizza, tastes like pizza – but it’s a DIP. You will blow your entire calorie budget for a whole week with this. Ask my sister. She came round for a taste test, inhaled about 1/3 of the entire dip before she finally collapsed on the sofa, unable to move for hours. True story. Classiness runs in the family.
“The first bite will really throw you off balance because it’s a flavour that is so familiar and yet, it is in dip form!”
Other than the base which is made with a cream cheese mixture instead of a pizza crust, everything else that goes into this dip is what you would put on a pizza, including the pizza sauce. So when I say that this tastes like pizza, it really truly does. The first bite will throw you off balance because it’s a flavour that is so familiar to you and yet, it is in dip form. It really is a total spin out!
I don’t claim this as my original idea. Pizza dip has been done by others. And this is my take on it. Many use a base made with cream cheese and mayonnaise which I think is too heavy and oily. There is enough calories in this without adding mayo! So I lighten it up somewhat by mixing cream cheese with sour cream.
Then you top the cream cheese base like you would a pizza. Which means you can go wild and let your inner-pizza-demon lash out. I kept it quite traditional and used mushrooms, onion and lots of pepperoni (chopped up as well as slices on top of the cheese). But I can see myself getting creative, adding other pizza toppings like anchovies, olives, prosciutto, maybe even blue cheese (that would be INSANE!).
You could serve this with corn chips, but one of the things that really makes this taste like pizza is serving it with toasted bread rubbed with garlic because this is what tastes like the base of a pizza.
Have you seen enough stretchy cheese yet to convince you that you need to run to the kitchen and make this now? Maybe just one more – here you go!
Everything Pizza!
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Hot Mushroom and Pepperoni Pizza Dip
Ingredients
Base
- 8 oz / 250g cream cheese , at room temperature
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream (light or full fat)
Pizza Topping
- 1 cup pizza sauce (see notes for fast homemade pizza sauce recipe)
- 1/2 cup pepperoni , roughly diced
- 1/3 cup onion , diced (brown, white, yellow or red)
- 1/2 cup mushrooms , roughly diced
Cheese topping
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese , grated
- 1/2 cup tasty cheese , grated (or any other melting cheese with flavour) (see notes)
- 12 slices pepperoni
Garlic Toast
- 2 french sticks , cut into slices
- 2 cloves garlic , halved (skin on)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Heat a non stick fry pan over high heat.
- Add the diced pepperoni and fry for 1 minute until it starts to brown.
- Then add the onions and sauté for 1 minute. Then add the mushrooms and cook for 30 seconds.
- Remove onion mixture from the fry pan and place onto a plate with a paper towel (to drain the excess fat).
- Combine the Base ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth and combined.
- Spread the Base in a 20 cm / 8 inch base with a 24 cm / 9 inch rim pie dish.
- Spread the pizza sauce over the Base, then sprinkle with the onion mixture.
- Sprinkle over the tasty cheese, then the mozzarella cheese.
- Place sliced pepperoni over the cheese.
- Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling. Check it at 15 minutes.
- Serve immediately with Garlic Toast.
Garlic Toast
- Spread french stick slices on 2 baking trays (or one very large one).
- Bake for 5 to 8 minutes until crispy and lightly browned.
- Remove from oven and rub each piece lightly with the cut side of the garlic.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Amanda says
Hello, this looks amazing! Do you think I could make it up now and pop it in my freezer till Xmas? 🙂
Dee says
I love all your recipes and am looking at making this one for work — can I make it the night before and heat it up in the microwave at work the next day? Thanks!
Julie says
What do you recommend for tasty cheese? This looks so awesome, can’t wait to make it!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Julie! I’m sorry, I’m confused by your question! In Australia, “tasty cheese” is a type of cheese we can get, like “cheddar cheese”, “mozzarella cheese”. Do you have tasty cheese where you are??
Adam says
I’ve never heard of “tasty cheese” in the USA, and I’m a bit of food geek. It must be an Aussie thing.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Adam! I didn’t know that, thanks for letting me know, I’ll bear it in mind when I write up recipes! It is very similar to cheddar cheese – any semi-firm cheese that is salty and has flavour (unlike, for example, mozzarella) that melts well 🙂 Hope that helps!
Maggie | Omnivore's Cookbook says
Who can say no to this? Love mushroom, love pepperoni and love huge amount of cheese! Really like the idea of adding sour cream to the base. Sounds so moist and delicious! 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks Maggie! Any cheese lover goes nuts over this!
Kathleen | hapanom says
OMG, Nagi! You’re making me SO freakin’ hungry!!!! When we order pizza, we always get pepperoni and mushroom, but in dip form!!!? Ooey, gooey, melty cheese… my stomach literally just let out a very large growl! Baguette, tortilla chips, even burrito form – I bet this dip would be amazing on all of it!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
This dip is SO WRONG it’s right!!
Fleur says
Nagi…this scares me (in a I-will-become-obese-but-love-it kind of way). Crazy lady!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I know, I’m mad! This is seriously an insane dip. It’s dangerous!
Sarah @ Savoring Spoon says
Ah! Dip in pizza form? I’m sold. Pinned for next time I have friends over!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Believe it, it’s true Sarah!!
Immaculate says
Oh My goodness Nagi, you are seriously tempting me today with this awesome Mushroom Pepperoni Pizza Dip! Just love love love it. Never made one but will with this recipe, I would be soon.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
This is a good one to start with Imma!!
Janette@culinaryginger says
This is the ultimate dish for a pizza-lovin’, cheese lover like me. Love it.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks Janette!! I’ll join you in the pizza-lovin’ cheese loving’ support group 🙂
Becky | The Cookie Rookie says
I cannot deal with how awesome this looks!! THAT CHEESE!!!!!! I have to try this immediately. Thanks for the recipe!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Becky! Lovely to see you over here!! I know right? Stretchy cheese. Kills me every time!!
Mira says
Pizza dip, how exciting! Great for a friday night appetizer! Pinned!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks Mira!! Yep, I can’t think of a better way to kick off a Friday night!
Amallia @DesireToEat says
I love the melted mozzarella cheese, I can see you play around with those stretchy cheese haha.:-)
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I can’t get enough of stretchy cheese Amallia!