Cheesy Pepperoni Dip with Pizza Crust Dippers

 

Ingredients:

Dip:

• 12 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 cup pizza or spaghetti sauce
• 1-1/3 cup pepperoni, chopped
• 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
• 1/4 cup scallions, sliced
• 3/4 cup cheddar, shredded
• 3/4 cup + 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

Pizza Crust Dippers:

• 2 (13.8-oz) cans refrigerated pizza dough
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. To prepare the dippers, combine the Parmesan, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in a bowl. Set aside. Roll out one pizza dough on a lightly floured work surface and cut into 18 squares. Then cut each square in half diagonally to form two triangles. Arrange the triangles on a baking sheet and brush each one with olive oil. Sprinkle the Parmesan mixture over the triangles. Repeat with the remaining pizza dough. There will be a total of 72 triangles. Bake for 10—12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
3. To prepare the dip, whisk together the cream cheese, sour cream, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, garlic, pizza sauce, pepperoni, bell pepper, scallions, cheddar, and 3/4 cup mozzarella in a bowl. Evenly spread out the mixture in a shallow 2-qt ovenproof dish.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, until bubbly. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella. Bake for 5 minutes more. Serve hot with the dippers.