Creamy Pepperoni Dip & Parmesan Dippers

Let's take a break from summer fruit in a big way. Because pepperoni is probably the farthest thing from fruit you can get. Put it in a creamy, cheesy dip to be liberated by crispy, salty pizza-crust dippers and you.will.die.

In the best possible way, of course :)

These pizza-crust dippers are the easiest things to make. I actually used store-bought pizza crust to make these, but you can substitute homemade pizza dough. If I hadn't been in such a hurry making this for a family get-together, I would have used homemade. Simply roll your dough out flat. Then, take a pizza cutter and slice the dough into thin strips. You may want to cut your longest strips in half.  Then make little twists in the dough, and lay them on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Once you've twisted all the strips, sprinkle parmesan cheese over the dough. Bake in the oven until golden brown, and you're done.

So easy!

And the cheesy, delicious dip? It can be prepared the day before, and all you need to do is bake it before serving to guests.

Kids, adults, actually just about anyone, is going to love this dip!

I found this recipe under "Pepperoni Pizza Dip" however, I don't think "Pizza Dip" is the right term. There's no marinara in the dip, which to me, you need in order to call it a pizza dip. The dip is creamy and cheesy, yes, but not reminiscent of pizza. Therefore, "Creamy Pepperoni Dip" is a much more suitable term. But don't worry, you won't miss the "pizza" part on this one. It has its own delectable flavor profile.

So, the new bed? Still loving it but- 

The hubby and I have both agreed that our bedside table lamps look like, well, poo with the new bed. We got our lamps in 2009 at Ikea, so admittedly, they are not the best quality. And that fact is starting to show. Which means, I get to pick out new lamps. Woo hoo! This master bedroom update keeps getting better and better. I'm headed out this morning to hit up a couple of stores to look at options and prices. I'm also hitting up our big-box store for snacks because...

The little brother is coming to visit! He'll be here on Tuesday, same day as our mattress. Tuesday is shaping up to be quite an awesome day! Not to mention that because we'll have our king-size mattress, the little bro gets to have the queen all to himself. What a rough vacation :)

Goodness, it's Friday, isn't it? This week flew by! Have a great weekend friends!

Ingredients:

Pepperoni Dip-

2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup mozzarella, shredded (plus more for topping)

1 cup pepperoni, sliced in half

1/4 cup basil, roughly chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

Parmesan Dippers-

1 (13.8 oz) can of pizza dough

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

3/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a 9 x 9 square pan with cooking spray. Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, add cream cheese through olive oil. Mix until well combined. Move mixture into prepared pan. Smooth top with spoon so the mixture is even. Sprinkle more mozzarella on the top and top with more pepperoni.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbling. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Reset oven heat to 425º.

4. Remove pizza dough from can, lay flat. Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into thin strips. Cut strips in half if any are too long. Twirl each strip 3-4 times, then place on the cookie sheet. Sprinkle strips with parmesan cheese and salt. Bake in preheated oven 5-6 minutes, or until dippers are golden and brown.* Remove from oven, and serve with dip immediately.

*You can also serve tortilla chips or just regular french bread with dip if not wanting to prepare Parmesan Dippers. 

Printable Recipe

Recipe adapted from Table for Two.

If you liked this recipe, you may enjoy these-

Pepperoni and Green Olive Pizza

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Spinach and Artichoke Pizza

Linked to: Create It Thursday, Thank Goodness It's Thursday, Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party, Snickerdoodle Sunday, Treasure Box Tuesday