Garlic Herb Pizza Dip Bake

Our Story

This is one of those warm, cheesy dips that feels instantly familiar and comforting. Gab layers a garlicky herb cream cheese base with ricotta, buries it under mozzarella and Parmesan, spoons warm marinara over the top, and finishes it with pepperoni and fresh basil. It tastes like pizza night in scoopable form, and it never makes it off the counter before the first scoop disappears. We hand out toasted bread and let everyone dig straight into the skillet while it is still bubbling.

Quick Stats

• Serves: 6 as an appetizer

• Prep: 10 minutes

• Cook: 18 to 22 minutes

• Total: about 30 minutes

• Difficulty: 1 out of 5

• Cost: $

Ingredients

Base

• 1 block garlic and herb cream cheese, softened

• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Cheese Layer

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Topping

• 1 cup marinara or pizza sauce

• 1/2 to 1 cup sliced pepperoni

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

• Crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. In a small oven safe skillet, spread the garlic and herb cream cheese evenly across the bottom.

3. Spoon the ricotta over the cream cheese and gently spread it out. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.

4. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the ricotta layer.

5. Spoon the marinara sauce evenly over the cheese.

6. Top with sliced pepperoni and fresh basil.

7. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and lightly golden around the edges.

8. Remove from the oven and garnish with additional basil and crushed red pepper flakes if using.

9. Serve warm with toasted bread slices, garlic knots, crackers, or fresh vegetables for dipping.

Brands We Used and Love

• Zia Pia Italianavera basil and oregano marinara sauce

• Simply Organic Italian seasoning

• Lodge Blacklock 10.25 inch seasoned cast iron skillet

• Simple Mills grain free parmesan garlic almond flour crackers, our favorite for dipping

• Olive wood serving paddle board for the bread and veggie spread

Shop the full kit here: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/6260355

Browse everything in our cooking shop: https://shopmy.us/ajdillon/cooking

The Dillon Scorecard

• AJ: 4.75 / 5 (wants more cheese)

• Gab: 5 / 5 (super easy and great to make for gamedays)

• Trey: Loves pizza so this was a hit

What We'd Change Next Time

You can adjust the pepperoni depending on how hearty you want it, and a little extra mozzarella on top before baking makes it even cheesier. It also reheats well if you pop it back in the oven for a few minutes. Next time we want to try a drizzle of hot honey over half the skillet for a sweet heat version.

Estimated Nutrition

With 6 servings, each is roughly 350 to 380 calories with about 14g protein, 7g carbs, and 30g fat before dippers. These numbers shift with how much pepperoni you use and what you scoop with, so treat them as a ballpark.

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