“The Works” Pizza Dip

My Co-worker shared her Creative Slow Cooker Recipe Magazine and there were several fun recipes that looked really good and worth trying. I had a party to attend and we were all asked to bring an appetizer or two. I thumbed to the Pizza Dip page and paused – I like pizza… I like dip… next thing you know, I was signing up to bring  just that. There was no turning back, it was going to be me and my crockpot for a pizza dip showdown… too dramatic?

Pizza Background: I’ve always been a cheese pizza kind of girl. Sometimes with olives or mushrooms, mostly just plain. Over the years I’ve developed a medium “like” for fully loaded “Supreme” pizzas. At some point in my childhood, I decided that I didn’t like bell peppers or sausage, now I can handle both in moderation.

Random Fact: I also used to hate licorice  – now I actually like it. BTW, I refer to Red Vines® as red licorice and it drives Dan crazy. It’s NOT LICORICE – it’s flavored candy! I’m sorry, it will forever be red licorice to me.

Back to the dip…

The Ingredients:
8 Ounces Bulk Italian Sausage
1 Medium Onion – about 1/2 cup chopped
1 Clove Garlic – minced
1 15 Ounce Can Pizza Sauce
1 Cup Cooked Turkey Pepperoni – thinly sliced – you could also use Canadian style bacon
1 Cup Fresh Portobello or Cremini Mushrooms – coarsely chopped (I used white because I had them)
1/2 Cup Green Bell Pepper – coarsley chopped
1/4 Cup Pitted Ripe Olives – sliced
1 Cup Four Cheese Pizza Cheese – shredded, about 3 ounces
1 Baguette

Note: The recipe called for special pizza chips, made out of sliced Boboli, but I’m not a huge Boboli fan, so I just went with the baguette. You can never go wrong with fresh bread.

Directions:

• Cook sausage, onion, and garlic over medium high heat in a skillet. Drain off any fat.
• Stir in pizza sauce, pepperoni, mushrooms, green pepper, and olives.
• Transfer mixture to slow cooker and sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese.
• Cover and cook on low-heat setting for about 4 hours or on medium/high-heat setting for about 2 hours or until bubbly.
• Serve warm – Makes 32 (2 Tablespoon) Servings – It was plenty for 10 guests.

I added all of my toppings to the sausage, onion and garlic mixture before adding the pizza sauce.

I got everything mixed up and then transferred it to my crockpot for the 4 hour low heat simmer.

I added the shredded cheese to the top of the mixture before setting my timer. I went with the 4 hour setting, stirring occasionally. The house smelled like a pizzeria – I couldn’t wait to dive in. I sliced my baguette right before the party – took a million photos and then headed to the party. I brought a 1/4 cup of cheese to place on top right before serving.

The dip was a crowd-pleaser. There was barely any left for the trip home – always a good sign. I also brought a Lemon Artichoke Dip… I will be posting that one soon.

Do tell: What is your “go to” appetizer? One you make, and one you order… with Super Bowl parties around the corner, I’m definitely up for trying something new.