Pizza Dip with Breadstick Bites

This easy Pizza Dip with pepperoni and sausage is the true winner of any game day celebration. Make garlic pizza crust bites to scoop up these hot layers of cream cheese, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni and Italian sausage. It’s the perfect hot appetizer for a crowd.

Easy Pizza Dip recipe

Somehow, football season is coming to a close. The Big Game is just weeks away!

I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since my city was painted blue and black in honor of the Carolina Panthers. (This season was kind of a letdown, but oh well. There’s always next year?)

It was super nice, though, to be invested in the big championship for my team. In other years, I’ve only been in it for the commercials, maybe even the halftime show. Sometimes, I’m just in it for a chance to hang out with friends over food, drinks and football.

This year, I’ll be watching at a friend’s house, and I know I’ll be bringing this Sausage Pepperoni Pizza Dip along with a batch of homemade garlicky pizza crust bites.

This Sausage Pepperoni Pizza Dip is based on one my mom makes. I was a big fan of it in high school so I learned how to make it and it became my go-to appetizer in college that I would bring to parties. You could even say it was one of the first appetizers I learned to make.

Ingredients

Pizza dip is super easy to make and you can customize it with your favorite pizza toppings.

For the dip, here’s what you will need.

• Italian sausage links
• cream cheese
• pizza sauce
• mozzarella cheese
• pepperoni
• medium red pepper
• parmesan cheese
• red pepper flakes

What to serve with pizza dip

Don’t forget to stock up on stuff to serve with this pizza dip!

You can serve it with breadstick bites (my favorite) or you can use one of these ideas:

• crusty bread
• breadsticks
• crackers
• scoop-shaped tortilla chips
• carrot sticks
• celery sticks

Pizza dip toppings

This appetizer is seriously easy to make, and you can tailor it any way you like with your favorite toppings. Chris and I always order sausage and pepperoni on our pizza, so that’s what I went for this time.

But you have plenty of options and you can make it different every time! You can even use pesto instead of the traditional red pizza sauce.

Meat options

• pepperoni
• sausage
• bacon
• pulled pork
• chicken
• ground beef
• diced meatballs
• ham and pineapple

Vegetarian options

Pizza dip can easily be made vegetarian. Skip the meat and parmesan and try one or a few of these vegetarian toppings:

• roasted red peppers
• mushrooms
• onions
• black olives
• tomatoes and basil

For a vegan pizza dip, use plant-based cream cheese and plant-based cheese sprinkles. For parmesan, use a sprinkle of nutritional yeast instead.

How to make pizza crust bites

In a sense, this easy dip is a deconstructed pizza, right down to the homemade pizza crust bites to enjoy it with. You can make those with your own small batch pizza dough or store-bought.

You’ll need:

• pizza dough
• olive oil
• minced garlic
• salt

To make them, first preheat the oven to 350°F.

Roll out pizza dough. Cut into 1-inch strips and arrange 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet.

In a small bowl, stir together olive oil, garlic and salt. Brush the dough with the garlic mixture.

Bake for 10-12 minutes (or according to package instructions) until puffed up and golden brown.

Cut into 1-inch squares with a knife or kitchen shears.

How to make pizza dip

Start with a layer of cream cheese and top it with pizza sauce.

Then add mozzarella cheese and whatever toppings you desire diced red peppers and more cheese before popping it in the oven.

Serve it warm with your favorite dippers, and everyone will scoop it up! I guarantee it will be gone before halftime.

More game day menu ideas

• Pizza Popcorn
• The Ultimate Bloody Mary Bar
• Baked Brie with Honey, Bacon and Walnuts
• Marinated Cheese
• Popcorn Shrimp
• Beer Cheese Dip
• Deconstructed Nachos Recipe

Note: This post is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by the National Football League (NFL) or any of its teams. All opinions and views expressed on our blogs are our own, not that of the NFL and/or any of its 32 teams. Any team names, logos or other symbols referenced are properties of their respective organizations. We are just big fans — and we want to share our love for our teams, the game and the food that brings us all together on game day.

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