Pepperoni Pizza Dip

Posted by: Maggie

Does anyone else out there only care about the Super Bowl for the commercials and the food? Good, me too. This year, I tried valiantly to get into football, only to lose interest 3 weeks into the season. You may remember that I even joined a fantasy football league, only to get fed up with my players' inability to run around for a few hours without injuring themselves. Lame. 

I think one of the big reasons I've always wanted to like it is because some of my favorite movies and television shows involve football - The Blind Side, Remember the Titans, Varsity Blues, and Friday Night Lights to name a few. I've determined that if professional football was shot in slow motion and set to dramatic music I would be super into it. I love Hollywood-generated football. Just not the real kind.

I know the Super Bowl is still almost 2 weeks away, but I wanted to post this recipe far enough advance for you to include it on your game-day menu. This spinach dip recipe used to be my favorite appetizer on the blog until I made this recipe. It is absolutely delicious, and super quick to whip up.

Here's what you'll need:

12 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Generous pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup pizza sauce
Pepperoni slices, halved (I didn't measure these, just eyeball how much you want)
3 scallions, green parts thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a mixer, combine cream cheese with spices. Evenly spread mixture in the bottom of a pie plate, and top with half of the mozzarella. Top mozzarella with the pizza sauce, and then layer on the remaining mozzarella.

Top with pepperoni slices and scallions, and bake for 15-20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, and serve with toasted baguette slices or crackers.

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Source: Adapted from Salad in a Jar