What better way to slide into Fall than to enjoy a little cheesy dish while watching football! There’s something really wonderful about dipping bread into a cheese dip and watching the cheese stretch away… And THIS recipe delivers an old world roasted tomato flavor combined with a Margherita style pizza type dip all in one. When you bake this bad boy up, it fills your house with the smell of Heaven (if cheesy goodness is in your Heaven!)
I am a BIG pepperoni fan. I love it on my pizza and I thought what better way to celebrate pepperoni than to include it in this cheese dip. This combined with the mozzarella cheese, Italian spices and basil makes for a cheese dip that has surged way to the top of my go-to cheese dip recipes. The ingredients come together very easily and you can even prep it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until guests come over. Then just pop it in the oven and serve with your favorite warmed bread!
The roasted tomatoes on top and bottom add a classic flavor that you should not skip. You HAVE to roast the tomatoes in the oven with some olive oil, salt and pepper and parmesan cheese. Roasting the tomatoes first makes the flavor pop even more and trust me, your guests will be fighting over this dip like mad!
I know I’m always talking about ingredients and the quality of the ingredients, but we have found that if you go for the better ingredients, your food WILL TASTE SUPREMELY BETTER! In this case, I recommend a higher quality olive oil. Our favorite is the California Olive Oil from Trader Joe’s. We also use fresh mozzarella and parmesan as well as fresh basil. For the dried ingredients, I recommend organic, only because this ensures a more true flavor. Feel free to add or delete ingredients as well. If you prefer sausage over pepperoni, go for it. If you love mushrooms and onions, grill them in a pan and add them to the dip before baking. This really is like making your own pizza the way you love it!
Here’s the recipe:
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 45 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 3 medium Tomatoes Sliced thin
- 1/4 tsp Salt For Dip
- 1/4 tsp Pepper For Dip
- 8 ounces Cream Cheese Softened
- 12 Pepperoni Chopped into quarters
- 2 cups Mozzarella Cheese Shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese For Dip
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Basil Dried or Fresh
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 1/2 tsp Salt For Tomatoes
- 2 tbsp Parmesan cheese For Tomatoes
- 1/4 tsp Pepper For Tomatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil To drizzle on tomatoes. We use Trader Joe's California Olive Oil.
- 12 Pieces Favorite Toasted Bread
Ingredients
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- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Lie the sliced tomatoes on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt and pepper and grated Parmesan cheese. Bake the tomatoes for about 20 minutes. They should start to caramelize and brown around the edges. Remove from the oven .
- Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 inch baking dish.
- In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup parmesan, chopped pepperoni, garlic powder, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano until combined. Lay half the roasted sliced tomatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Spread the cheese mixture on top. (Leave the other half of the tomatoes to bake on top at the end). Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes. The cheese should start to melt and bubble.
- Remove the cheese dish and add the remaining sliced tomatoes to the top. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes or until the cheese starts to turn golden brown. Garnish with fresh basil, pepper and Italian seasonings. Serve with your favorite toasted bread and ENJOY!
*This cheese dip goes great with our Homemade Soft Pretzel recipe!
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