Description
A warm, baked pizza dip of herbed cream cheese, marinara, sweet pepper, pepperoni, mozzarella, and Asiago, wrapped in string-cheese “bandages” with pepperoni-and-olive eyes.
Ingredients
Scale
- Olive oil spray
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 cup shredded or grated Asiago
- 8 oz spaghetti sauce (such as Rao’s)
- 1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper
- 4 oz pepperoni, diced (reserve 2 whole slices for eyes)
- 2 slices green or black olive, for eyes
- 5 sticks mozzarella string cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray an 8-inch baking dish or pie pan with olive oil.
- In a bowl, fold together the cream cheese and seasonings. Spread evenly across the bottom of the pan.
- Combine the mozzarella and Asiago. Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture over the cream cheese.
- Spoon on the spaghetti sauce, covering all the way to the edges.
- Layer on the diced bell pepper and diced pepperoni.
- Top with the remaining cheese mixture.
- Place the 2 reserved pepperoni slices near the top of the dish and top each with an olive slice to make eyes. Peel the string cheese into thin strips and crisscross them over the dip, around the eyes, to bring the mummy to life.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, until hot and bubbling at the edges. Serve warm.
Notes
Make ahead: Assemble through step 6 up to 1 day ahead, cover, and refrigerate. Add the eyes and bandages just before baking, and add 5 to 10 minutes to the bake time.
Dairy-free: Use plant-based cream cheese, dairy-free melting shreds, and strips of dairy-free mozzarella-style block for the bandages.
To serve: Baguette toasts, pita chips, crackers, or fresh vegetables such as bell pepper, celery, cucumber, and carrot.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About 1/3 cup
- Calories: 290