Easy Hot Pizza Dip
I'm a busy stay-at-home mom with a 3-year-old son. I love this recipe because it's easy to prepare in advance and keep refrigerated. Put it in the oven when guests arrive, and by the time you've poured beverages, the dip is ready. It gets gobbled up quickly!
I'm a busy stay-at-home mom with a 3-year-old son. I love this recipe because it's easy to prepare in advance and keep refrigerated. Put it in the oven when guests arrive, and by the time you've poured beverages, the dip is ready. It gets gobbled up quickly!
- Carbohydrate 2.01063461630478 g
- Cholesterol 36.7598827551999 mg
- Fat 10.8613317226752 g
- Fiber 0.252042854525674 g
- Protein 7.06339879998867 g
- Saturated Fat 6.4870516965325 g
- Serving Size 1 1 (54g)
- Sodium 207.125377926796 mg
- Sugar 1.75859176177911 g
- Trans Fat 1.08064194614579 g
- Calories 133 calories
Step-by-step
- In a bowl, combine cream cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder; spread on the bottom of a greased 9-in. pie plate.
- Combine cheeses; sprinkle half over the cream cheese layer.
- Top with the pizza sauce and peppers.
- Sprinkle with the remaining cheeses.
- Bake at 350(F)degrees; for 20 minutes.
- Serve warm with tortilla chips or bread-sticks.
Swapping the part-skim mozzarella for fresh mozzarella changes the moisture content significantly, releasing excess water as it bakes and turning the top layer watery instead of golden. Standard low-moisture, part-skim blocks melt predictably without flooding the pie plate. Small kitchens require equipment that performs multiple tasks, and a standard 9-inch glass pie plate works reliably here because glass conducts heat evenly without scorching the dense cream cheese base.
Cream cheese must be fully softened to room temperature before mixing, or the garlic powder and Italian seasoning will clump unevenly within the dairy fat. Softening takes approximately 30 minutes on the counter if the block is cut into smaller cubes. Thorough blending creates a smooth foundation that anchors the heavier layers of shredded cheddar and chopped peppers.
Baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes ensures the internal temperature rises sufficiently to melt the cheeses completely without burning the surface sugars in the pizza sauce. Finely chopping the sweet red and green peppers prevents them from releasing too much liquid into the bake, keeping the structural integrity intact when scooping with tortilla chips. Letting the dish rest for five minutes after removal from the oven allows the melted dairy to set slightly for cleaner portioning.
