Pizza Dip

Recipe by My Baking Addiction http://www.mybakingaddiction.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Yield: 16 servings

Our good friends, Sandy and Jeremy, invited a bunch of us over for the New Year celebration.  This is what we brought to share.  It was gone in no time.  If you have kids/teens, they’re going to LOVE these.  At your next party, make the dip in advance and then pop it in the oven just before your guests arrive.  Serve this with toasted crostini.  Directions for these are at the end of this recipe.

8 ounces cream cheese, softened


1/4 teaspoon garlic powder


½ teaspoon dried oregano; ½ teaspoon dried parsley; ¼ teaspoon dried basil
 or 1 teaspoon pizza seasoning

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese


1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese


1 cup pizza sauce
(I used Local Folks Pizza Sauce.)

1/4 cup minced green bell pepper


1/4 cup minced onion


2 ounces sliced pepperoni
(I chopped the pepperoni to make it easier to serve.)

2 tablespoons sliced black olives, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, garlic powder and dried herbs.

Spread cream cheese mixture into a 9-inch pie pan, and sprinkle ½ cup of mozzarella and ½ cup of Parmesan on the cream cheese mixture.

Top with the pizza sauce and sprinkle the remaining cheeses over the pizza sauce.

Top with bell pepper, onion, pepperoni and black olives.

Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes or until cheese is fully melted and bubbly.

I served this with toasted crostini (sliced baguette).  Here’s how to make them:

You will need one baguette, some olive oil, a large clove of garlic, Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

Cut the baguette into ¼ inch slices.  Place on a baking sheet.  Brush with olive oil.  Place under the broiler.  Watch carefully so they do not burn.  When the crostini is golden brown, remove from the oven.  Rub the toasted sides with the garlic clove.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Turn the crostini over.  Repeat the above steps.

Serve these along side the Pizza Dip.

Stove-top Portobello Pizzas

Serves 2
Husband-Tested Recipe by Alice Wootton

It was one of those cloudy, wet, dreary late winter days when only comfort food would do. Jim had requested a pizza, but I didn’t have any dough prepared. Lost River Market & Deli had just gotten in some lovely portobello mushrooms, kale and bok choy, so I added those to my cart. Then I bought some fresh mozzarella for the comfort part and decided to make a pizza with those ingredients. The other ingredients I already had in my fridge, including Local Folks Pizza Sauce. Feel free to substitute other veggies, nuts and cheeses. This dish had all the flavors of a pizza without using the oven or dirtying up a bunch of pans. The small amount of vegetable broth keeps the mushrooms perfectly moist. Needless to say, this dinner hit the spot! Serve this for a very satisfying Meatless Monday dinner.

4 portobello mushrooms (use a pastry brush to clean mushrooms)
3 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 leaves of kale, discard stems and roughly chop leaves (broccoli florets would be a good substitute)
2 cups, chopped bok choy leaves (spinach would be a good substitute)
¼ of a red bell pepper, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
¼ cup pine nuts (walnuts or pecans would be good substitutes)
¼ cup vegetable broth
¼ cup Local Folks Pizza Sauce (or other pizza sauce)
½ cup fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded or cut into small pieces
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Trim the stems and roughly chop. Set aside the mushrooms. Heat 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic, kale, bok choy, red pepper and the chopped mushroom stems. Sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste. Sprinkle in the pine nuts. Sauté until vegetables are wilted but still brightly colored and nuts are toasted. Pour contents of skillet into a bowl and set aside. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon olive to the skillet. Add the mushrooms. Sprinkle with just a bit of Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat the mushrooms about 1 minute per side. Add the vegetable broth to the skillet. Turn the mushrooms so that the undersides of them are up. Spoon equal amounts of pizza sauce into each mushroom cap. Spoon equal amounts of the vegetable mixture into each cap. Top each mushroom pizza with mozzarella cheese and then parmesan cheese. Place a lid on the skillet. Heat mushroom pizzas until the cheeses are melted. Serve hot. Drizzle the pizzas with the hot vegetable broth, if desired.

Storing Portobello Mushrooms:
Select plump firm and solid mushrooms. Avoid limp or dried looking ones. They should not be shriveled or slippery (which indicates decomposition). The mushroom should have a nice earthy smell.
Remove the mushrooms from any wrapping and spread on a tray and cover with paper toweling. Don't moisten the toweling or the mushrooms and place them in the refrigerator in an area that allows the air to circulate. Avoid placing any other items on top of them. The mushrooms should keep about 5 - 6 days.