Baked Pizza Dip
Who doesn’t love pizza? It’s difficult to top the combination of gooey cheese, savory tomato sauce, and your favorite toppings. Pizza is always a hit here whether it is of the homemade, local pizzeria, or takeout variety. I knew that a bubbly, gooey baked pizza dip would be something that we would all love.
After a little experimenting with cheeses, sauces, and toppings, we settled on our favorites and started assembling our dip. It was simple to put together and ready to bake in about twenty minutes. After another twenty minutes in the oven, it was bubbling and ready to serve. It smelled delicious and filled the entire farmhouse with its intoxicating aroma.
I served the dip with slices of warm Italian bread and garlic bread. It was delicious on both. The combination of the smooth cheese and tangy tomato sauce were perfect. Everyone came back for more. It was so good that we were talking about making it again before we had even finished it.
This recipe would be perfect for a comforting snack on a snowy afternoon, a get together with friends, or an easy party appetizer. No matter the reason, you’ll be glad that you made enough of this to share with everyone!
Baked Pizza Dip
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 14 ounces tomato sauce/puree
For the dip
- 8 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese , shredded
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese , grated
- assorted pizza toppings if desired
- dried oregano
- Italian bread, garlic bread, or your favorite crackers for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small pan over medium heat, sauté the garlic for one minute. Add the tomato paste and stir to cook briefly, approximately one to two minutes. Add the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer to thicken slightly, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese and ricotta. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to an oven safe casserole dish, spreading to evenly cover the bottom. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta mixture.
- Top the cheesy layer with the tomato sauce, distributing it evenly. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella over the tomato sauce. Top with the Parmesan cheese and your favorite pizza toppings. Sprinkle a bit of dried oregano over the top.
- Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. The mixture will become bubbly and slightly browned on top. Your bread can be warmed for a few minutes in the same warm oven.
- Remove the bubbly dip from the oven. Allow to cool slightly as you slice and plate the bread. The dip can be served family style from the casserole dish or in small bowls or ramekins for dipping. Enjoy!
Notes