• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Recipes
  • Chicken
  • Beef
  • Pork
  • Seafood
  • Sides
  • Dessert
The Seasoned Mom
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact
    • Disclosure
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » What We're Eating » Easy Pizza Dip Recipe

    Easy Pizza Dip Recipe

    Published: Dec 6, 2018 by Blair Lonergan

    Jump to Recipe

    Need a crowd-pleasing appetizer, a potluck dish, or just a family-friendly dinner? This Easy Pizza Dip recipe is the perfect solution! Whether you're hosting a holiday party, a New Year's Eve bash, or a Super Bowl get-together, this simple make-ahead appetizer is always a winner.

    Dipping bagel chip in easy pizza dip recipe

    After eating the left-overs for lunch at the office, Keith actually sent me an email with the following message: "Pizza Dip. The best recipe all year!" So, if that's not convincing, I don't know what is! It obviously got two-thumbs-up in our household.

    While this baked pizza dip is perfect for holiday parties, football parties, or New Year's Eve snacking, the meaty dip eats like a meal -- so you can serve it to your family for supper, too! It’s not just a party food!

    Gray baking dish with pepperoni pizza dip

    How to Make Pizza Dip:

    This is an easy layered pizza dip that is packed with hearty, flavorful ingredients. It's basically like a casserole!

    Let's start with the meat. You'll need sliced mushrooms, diced onion, and bulk Italian sausage.

    Onion Italian Sausage and sliced mushrooms for pizza dip recipe

    Brown the sausage in a skillet with the mushrooms and onion until no longer pink. Drain the fat from the pan and set aside.

    Browned Italian sausage in a skillet with wooden spoon

    Now it's time for the cheese portion of this pizza dip with cream cheese! You'll need mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese, and softened cream cheese. Triple the cheese!

    Mozzarella cream cheese and Parmesan cheese for pizza dip recipe

    Combine the cheeses in a bowl,

    Cheese mixture in a glass bowl for layered pizza dip

    and spread half of the cream cheese mixture in the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish.

    Cream cheese layer in baking dish to assemble pizza dip

    Pour a layer of marinara pasta sauce over the cheese,

    Jar of marinara sauce for pizza dip

    and top with half of the sausage mixture. Sprinkle pepperoni on top, and then repeat the layers again.

    Layers of ingredients for easy pizza dip recipe in baking dish before oven

    Sprinkle the top of the casserole with the remaining mozzarella cheese, and add a few slices of pepperoni on top (if you like).

    Sprinkling mozzarella cheese over pizza dip

    Place the baking dish on top of a baking sheet (for easy cleanup) in case any of the dip bubbles over. Then bake the pizza dip in a 400 degree F oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the dip is hot.

    Pizza dip on baking sheet before oven

    The layers of cheese will get nice and melty and gooey, making this pizza dip recipe perfect for scooping!

    Overhead image of easy pizza dip surrounded by bread for dipping

    How to Eat Pizza Dip:

    You can either set this pizza dip out on a counter and let your party guests serve themselves, or you can spoon out individual portions onto a plate or bowl for dinner! Again, it's a lot like a pizza casserole, so it totally works as an entree.

    We like to serve the dip with sliced baguette rounds, with bagel chips, or with pita chips.

    Eating pizza dip with bagel chips

    Can you freeze the Dip?

    Yes! You can freeze the assembled pizza dip before baking.

    If you have leftover dip that you would like to freeze after baking, that will work as well. The quality of the frozen dip may not be as high as when it was fresh, but you can safely store it in the freezer for a few months. The higher the fat content in the dip, the better it will freeze. A full-fat cream cheese dip is less likely to separate after freezing.

    Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:

    • For convenience, look for bulk Italian sausage. This way you don't have to remove the casings from the sausage on your own!
    • I used Sweet Italian Sausage, but you can substitute with Hot Italian Sausage for a spicy dip. You can also use turkey Italian sausage if you prefer.
    • For another shortcut, look for a container of sliced mushrooms and use frozen pre-diced onion. You won't even have to pull out your cutting board!
    • I prefer mini pepperoni, since I don't have to chop it before adding it to the dip. You can substitute with chopped pepperoni or turkey pepperoni as well.
    • Bake the dip on top of a baking sheet in case any bubbles over! It makes cleanup easy!
    • Prep ahead! You can assemble the dip in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake it for your party!

    Casserole dish full of easy layered pizza dip recipe garnished with parsley

    Looking for other delicious dinner appetizers for your next party? Try these:

    • Make Ahead Ham and Cheese Sliders
    • Slow Cooker Bourbon Barbecue Bites
    • Mom's Best 10-Minute Holiday Crab Dip
    • 3-Ingredient Spicy Jalapeno Queso
    Print Pin
    3.50 from 2 votes

    Easy Pizza Dip

    Need a crowd-pleasing appetizer, a potluck dish, or just a family-friendly dinner? This Easy Pizza Dip recipe is the perfect solution!
    Course Appetizer
    Cuisine Italian
    Keyword easy pizza dip, pizza dip recipe, pizza dip with cream cheese
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes
    Total Time 45 minutes
    Servings 8 people
    Calories 362kcal
    Author Blair Lonergan

    Ingredients

    • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
    • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
    • 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided
    • 1 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
    • ½ cup diced onion
    • 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
    • 1 (25 ounce) jar marinara sauce
    • 1 cup mini pepperoni or chopped pepperoni
    • For serving: bagel chips; pita chips; sliced baguette rounds

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
    • In a large skillet, brown sausage, mushrooms, and onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Drain.
    • In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, Parmesan, and 1 cup mozzarella. Spread ½ of the cheese mixture onto the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
    • Top first layer of cream cheese with ½ of the marinara sauce.
    • Top the marinara with ½ of the sausage mixture. Sprinkle ½ of the pepperoni on top.
    • Repeat layers.
    • Top with an additional 1 cup of mozzarella and additional pepperoni, if desired.
    • Bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

    Notes

    Can you freeze Pizza Dip?
    Yes! You can freeze the assembled pizza dip before baking. 
    If you have leftover pizza dip that you would like to freeze after baking, that will work as well. The quality of the frozen dip may not be as high as when it was fresh, but can safely store it for a few months. The higher the fat content in the dip, the better it will freeze. A full-fat cream cheese dip is less likely to separate after freezing.
    COOK'S TIPS AND RECIPE VARIATIONS:
    • For convenience, look for bulk Italian sausage. This way you don't have to remove the casings from the sausage on your own!
    • I used Sweet Italian Sausage, but you can substitute with Hot Italian Sausage for a spicy dip. You can also use turkey Italian sausage if you prefer.
    • For another shortcut, look for a container of sliced mushrooms and use frozen pre-diced onion. You won't even have to pull out your cutting board!
    • I prefer mini pepperoni, since I don't have to chop it before adding it to the dip. You can substitute with chopped pepperoni or turkey pepperoni as well.
    • Bake the pizza dip appetizer on top of a baking sheet in case any bubbles over! It makes cleanup easy!
    • Prep ahead! You can assemble the dip in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator until you're ready to bake it for your party!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/8 of the dip | Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1954mg | Potassium: 747mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 860IU | Vitamin C: 24.8mg | Calcium: 351mg | Iron: 7.5mg

    This recipe was originally published in February, 2013. It was updated in December, 2018.

    « Christmas Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
    Dump-and-Bake Wagon Wheel Pasta Casserole »

    Follow The Seasoned Mom on Instagram and show us what you're making! Use hashtag #theseasonedmom

    LIKE THIS POST? THEN STICK AROUND!

    GET FREE EMAIL UPDATES WITH EASY, QUICK-PREP RECIPES THAT ELIMINATE MEALTIME STRESS!

    Success! Now before I can send you the free 10-Minute Miracles download, you need to check your email to confirm your subscription. That confirmation email should be waiting for you in your inbox!

    There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

    Powered by ConvertKit

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Fredregen@aol.com

      February 21, 2013 at 7:33 am

      Looks awesome and I bet it tastes even better!!! Big hugs to you and boys. I'm a big fan of the seasoned mom. Keep up the good work.

      Reply
      • Blair

        February 21, 2013 at 7:08 pm

        Thanks, Fred! It definitely tastes even better than it looks. 🙂 Thanks for reading -- I'm so glad that you can keep up with what we're doing!

        Reply
    2. Kevin

      February 21, 2013 at 5:18 pm

      Send some to Alexandria 🙂

      Reply
      • Blair

        February 21, 2013 at 7:09 pm

        You got it. After all, I believe that you have a birthday coming up...

        Reply
        • Uncle Kevin

          February 22, 2013 at 5:40 pm

          I believe that I would be very excited to try the pizza dip 🙂 That would be incredible if you made some for our party on March 9th.

          Reply
    3. Megan

      December 06, 2018 at 7:40 am

      5 stars
      That looks delicious! I'm definitely going to try it in the next couple weeks. Thank you for sharing it.

      Can I ask the brand of the blue pan that you cooked it in? So pretty.

      Reply
      • Blair

        December 06, 2018 at 8:45 am

        Hi, Megan! There are two different pans shown in the photos. One is a large blue skillet by Le Creuset, which I used to brown the sausage. You can find a similar one here: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/le-creuset-signature-deep-skillet/?pkey=s%7Cle%20creuset%2010%20inch%20skillet%7C561%7Cnewcore%2Basc%7C1%7C72%7CLe%20Creuset%20Signature%20Cast-Iron%20Deep%20Skillet

        The dish that I baked the dip in is a Le Creuset Cast Iron Oval Baker in French Grey: https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/le-creuset-cast-iron-oval-baker/?pkey=s%7Cle%20creuset%20cast%20iron%7C85%7Cnewcore%2Basc%7C1%7C72%7CLe%20Creuset%20Cast-Iron%20Oval%20Baker

        Hope that helps! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Gina

      December 26, 2019 at 4:41 pm

      This looks like a great dip!! Our family loves dips, I am going to add this to the list. I may just serve it with bread sticks and call it dinner.

      Reply
      • Blair

        December 27, 2019 at 5:49 am

        Thanks, Gina! I've definitely done the same thing. It's such a fun dinner -- especially with kids!

        Reply
    5. Stella

      February 03, 2020 at 8:59 am

      2 stars
      Tried this for a Super Bowl party. It didn’t go over to well. If I were to make again I would use pizza sauce and ground beef. I think between the pepperoni and sausage it was just too greasy.

      Reply
    6. Chantel

      January 03, 2021 at 5:29 pm

      Could this be done in a crockpot instead of the oven?

      Reply
      • Blair

        January 03, 2021 at 5:31 pm

        Yes, I think so -- you would just need a small(ish) slow cooker since there wouldn't be enough dip to fill the bottom of a larger 6-7 quart slow cooker. I would just cook the dip on low for a few hours until everything is melted and gooey. The only difference is that the cheese and pepperoni on top will not get browned and crispy in the oven.

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hey, I'm Blair!

    Welcome to my farmhouse kitchen in the foothills of Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspired by local traditions and seasonal fare, you'll find plenty of easy, comforting recipes that bring your family together around the table. It's down-home, country-style cooking!

    Read More

    Want Quick-Prep Recipes?

    Sign up for my exclusive emails and get this free guide!

    Success! Now before I can send you the free 10-Minute Miracles download, you need to check your email to confirm your subscription. That confirmation email should be waiting for you in your inbox!

    There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

    No spam guaranteed. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit

    © 2017–2022 The Seasoned Mom     About     Privacy