Name: Insanely Awesome Pizza Dip
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1/2 lbs turkey burger; 8 oz cream cheese; 1/2 cup pasta sauce; 1 tsp garlic; 1 tsp basil; 1/2 tsp oregano; 2 cups Italian cheese; red pepper flakes (for topping)

I ~~may have~~ definitely did eat an entire sleeve of crackers with this pizza dip after [while] I photographed it. It’s just that addicting. Warm gooey cheese with tomato sauce and flavors like basil and oregano. Just like pizza, but in dip form. Can we all agree, everything is better in dip form?

I dip. You dip. We dip.

Dip is the quintessential “I need to bring something to the party” dish. But y’all. Dips don’t have to stay waiting in the wings for a social gathering. I’ve been known to make some on a weekend afternoon and dive right in.

This dip is ok room temperature, but really shines warmed.

Hot and you won’t be able to resist the temptation to eat all of it. Maybe there’s a reason dips are reserved for food sharing occasions?

This pizza dip has all of the essential pizza flavor but in dip form.

So pizza dip?

Last year I posted my Super Addicting Corn Dip and it was incredibly popular. It’s also cream cheese based with a ton of flavor. I’m a firm believer that everything is better with cream cheese, so why not try it with pizza flavors?

OTHER RECIPES WITH CREAM CHEESE: Alfredo Chicken Lasagna | Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Cream cheese, tomato sauce, and spices nail pizza flavor.

Tomato based pasta sauce gives in instant pizza vibe. Garlic, basil and oregano solidify that statement. While I love pepperoni on an actual pizza, I didn’t want this dip to be greasy. Instead I went with ground turkey. It’s the same protein I used in pizza gnocchi so I knew the flavors would work out well. You can use whatever meat you want, or even skip it. I like my pizza [and pizza dip] veggie free, but peppers, onions, or mushrooms chopped small could be good here.

A few notes.

If you’ve read any of my other ground turkey recipes, you know I’m a fan of browning it with a beef bouillon cube to amp up the flavor.
Aldi sells ground turkey in 1.2 lbs packages for the same price, or often cheaper, than other stores.
Buying cream cheese in the plastic tubs means you can recycle those tubs. The foil from the blocks has to be thrown away. I’m trying to be conscious of waste.
I didn’t add any salt because with salty pretzels or Ritz, I didn’t think it needed any. Taste yours before serving to see if you agree.

But what to dip with?

Pairing the correct dunkable with your dip might be just as important as what’s in your dip. My preference here is Ritz Crackers. Their buttery, flakiness is a perfect crust-like addition to pizza dip. But because they flake easy, using a knife to spread dip on the cracker was more successful than dipping. I also enjoyed pretzel crisps with it. They added a nice saltiness and were strong enough to stand up to thick pizza dip. Tortilla chips and Triscuits, two other of the best dippable foods, were not as good a pairing for pizza dip IMO.

Will you make pizza dip for your next gathering, or are you going to enjoy it all on your own?