herb and cheese pepperoni pizza dip

Happy Super Bowl week, fools.

I remember last year I mixed up the date of the Super Bowl and kept claiming for a week that the upcoming Sunday was the big game – when indeed it wasn’t. I always forget there’s a bye week in between the championship games and the grand finale.

So, I very begrudgingly waited to share this recipe. But the day is nigh, folks! And I’m pretty hyped about this baby.

I created this sucker on the day of the Gasparilla parade, a very obnoxious event that takes place every January in Tampa and was basically the city’s bid, long ago, to put itself on the map. I placed myself on house arrest and shoveled down an embarrassing portion of this Herb and Cheese Pepperoni Pizza Dip. My stomach eventually wasn’t happy (thanks, lactose intolerance) but my soul was.

This easy, cheesy skillet will be a smash at your Super Bowl tailgates, or whenever you’re entertaining and need something big and indulgent to share. Very simple ingredients, a fairly quick prep time, and a stunning reveal once all is shaked and baked. Well, not shaked. It just rhymed.

Apparently shaked isn’t even a word so I double failed there with my humor. Whatever. This dip, however, will not fail.

Definitely Not Skinny Dipping

Nay, this is not a healthy recipe. It’s a big greasepile of a pizza sans the crust. Though, I suppose the toasty bread counts as crust.

First off, make sure your cream cheese is nice and soft. I take mine out in the morning a couple hours before I plan to make the dip – this can go for any recipe that requires room temp cream cheese.

Combine the cream cheese with minced garlic, fresh oregano, dried fennel and parsley, and a mix of shredded mozzarella and provolone cheeses. Block-style provolone can be tricky to find, so feel free to buy pre-shredded; as far as the mozzarella goes, I buy the low-moisture type for this dish.

Set aside the rest of your shredded cheeses. You’ll need these for topping the skillet before baking. *Lip smack sound effect*

Layer Up!

Pizza layering is the best kind of layering.

Pull out your big cast iron skillet, or a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Pour in a jar of your favorite marinara sauce: I used a roasted garlic variety.

Then, spoon in the cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle the remainder of your shredded cheeses overtop.

Finish off with a layer of pepperoni. I use my favorite vegetarian slices but you can use regular pepperonis too.

Hold on a sec. Is the singular of pepperoni, pepperono?

Ahem. Toss your skillet in the oven and bake until golden, bubbly, and gooey. Well, the contents, not the skillet itself. If the skillet melts your shit probably won’t be edible and you might have a fire on your hands.

Switch your oven to broil and prepare some bread for dipping. I slice up a big ciabatta loaf, brush with oil, and broil for a couple minutes on both sides to get it nice and toasty. A baguette or a sturdy sourdough loaf work nicely for this, too.

Finish off with a handful of fresh herbs to fool people into thinking the greenery makes it healthy, and voila!

A big time pleaser for a big time game. I’m probably not going to watch much of the Super Bowl anyway because it occurs past my bedtime, but while I rest I might be dreaming about pizza dip. Or not. That kinda just sounded like a good food bloggery thing to say to convince you that ThiS Is JuST thE bEsT.

I suck at this. Bye bye.

Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!

For your Super Bowl spread:

Easy Smoky Chili Con Queso

Whipped Goat Cheese with Herb Marinated Olives

Cheddar Ranch Jalapeno Poppers

Chipotle BBQ Sweet Potato Nachos

Hot Baked Cheddar Bay Shrimp Dip