This Easy Layered Pizza Dip Appetizer recipe is the perfect appetizer for the big game! It is so cheesy and you can dip anything in it. 3 layers of cheese make the perfect gooey dip.
This pizza dip recipe is so easy to make and everyone will love it. Warm gooey appetizer dips are one of my favorite comfort foods. I love hosting football parties just so I can make delicious dips and appetizers like Baked Pepperoni and Cheese Crescent Pizza Rolls and Cream Cheese Pinwheels Appetizer Recipe.
You might need to double the recipe, it’s that good. With three kinds of cheeses and pepperoni and Italian seasoning, this football party appetizer might be the highlight of the game!
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Layered Pizza Dip Ingredients
This is called Easy Layered Pizza Dip for a reason! You only need cheese, pasta sauce, pepperoni and Italian seasoning. You can make it without the Italian seasoning, but I think it adds so much to the dish.
- Cream cheese: very well-softened for spreading
- Mozzarella cheese: shredded cheese spread out gets perfectly melty
- Parmesan cheese: grated is best. If you want to scale back the richness of this very cheesy dish, you can reduce the total Parmesan to 1/2 cup instead of 1 cup.
- Pasta sauce: you can use regular pasta sauce or flavored, such as cheese sauce, meat sauce, or roasted garlic sauce
- Pepperoni
- Italian seasoning: use as little or as much as you want
For this recipe, you will need a glass pie dish. This is ideal for baking in the oven. Of course, you can use a rectangular or square baking dish. I like to use the pie dish because the shape resembles a real pizza.
How to Make this Pizza Appetizer
Easy Layered Pizza Dip really is easy! No mixing needed. Just layer each ingredient and throw in the oven.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- First layer. Using a spatula, evenly spread the cream cheese over the base of a glass pie dish. Evenly sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella over cream cheese. Evenly sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan.
- Second layer. Spread the pasta sauce with a spatula to evenly disperse over the cheese. Because the recipe calls for a “heaping” cup, I use a liquid measuring cup to measure the sauce. Evenly sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella over sauce. Evenly sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan.
- Add toppings. Top with pepperoni slices. Pepperoni slices shrink a little when cooked. If you want more coverage, overlap the pepperoni slices. Sprinkle Italian seasoning to your liking.
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes (I baked for 20 minutes), or until cheese has melted and dip is done to your liking. Allow dip to cool momentarily before serving.
Pizza Dip Substitutes
Think about what your favorite pizza is and try to replicate it as a dip. You can add different toppings such as onion and green pepper. Try a seasoned or meat sauce. If you want more toppings, you could add cooked ground beef on top, or layer veggies inside as well. Use your imagination!
How to Serve Pepperoni Pizza Dip
You definitely want to serve this appetizer hot so everyone can enjoy the melty cheese. It’s also easier to dip in when it is warm. Here are some of my favorite things to dip:
- French Baguettes
- Bagel chips
- Crackers
You can even eat it by the spoonful! No judgment here!
Is Pizza Dip Healthy?
Pizza dip is a low carb appetizer as it contains all the good parts of the pizza without the crust. (No offense to the crust-lovers out there.) I think that makes this an Atkins appetizer, or a keto appetizer, or a Weight Watchers appetizer!
You can use fat free cream cheese, part skim mozzarella, Kraft grated Parmesan cheese, Classico Tomato & Basil pasta sauce, and Hormel pepperonis.
Easy Layered Pizza Dip Appetizer
This Easy Layered Pizza Dip Appetizer recipe is the perfect appetizer for the big game! It is so cheesy and you can dip anything in it.
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese, very well-softened
- 1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup pasta sauce, heaping
- 15 pepperonis
- Italian seasoning, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Using a spatula, evenly spread the cream cheese over the base of a glass pie dish.
- Evenly sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella over cream cheese.
- Evenly sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Spread the pasta sauce with a spatula to evenly disperse over the cheese
- Evenly sprinkle 3/4 cup mozzarella over sauce.
- Evenly sprinkle 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese.
- Top with as many pepperoni slices as you like.
- Sprinkle Italian seasoning to your liking.
- Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until cheese has melted and dip is done to your liking. Allow dip to cool momentarily before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 6 tablespoonsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 159Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 419mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 7g