Pepperoni Pizza Dip

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Makes about 5 cups

Serves 6 to 8

Cooking Time 1 to 2 hours on Low

Slow Cooker Size 1½ to 7 quarts

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Too often pizza dips try to incorporate the flavors of pizza but end up as dense, greasy cheese bombs. We wanted a pizza-inspired dip that we could actually dip into—without losing half our chip along the way. To start, we combined rich, meltable cream cheese and flavorful pizza sauce for a creamy, tangy base. Then we gradually added mozzarella until we found the perfect balance between a creamy dip and stringy, chewy pizza cheese. Next we added our favorite pizza toppings—spicy pepperoni and earthy mushrooms. To remove the mushrooms’ excess moisture and the pepperoni’s grease, we briefly microwaved them before stirring them into the slow cooker. Though we liked the idea of further imitating pizza by sprinkling an extra layer of cheese over the top, in practice the extra cheese made our dip over-the-top greasy. Instead we reserved a quarter of the mushrooms and pepperoni for the top and garnished it with a little fresh basil. Margherita Italian Style Pepperoni is the test kitchen’s winning brand. Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, and/or Melba toast.

1	pound white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
4	ounces sliced pepperoni, quartered
1	pound cream cheese
1	cup canned pizza sauce
2	cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2	tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1. Line plate with double layer of coffee filters. Spread mushrooms and pepperoni in even layer over filters and microwave until mushrooms have released their liquid and fat begins to render from pepperoni, about 3 minutes. Reserve one-quarter of mixture for topping.

2. Microwave cream cheese and pizza sauce in large bowl, whisking occasionally, until smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in three-quarters of mushroom-pepperoni mixture and mozzarella until well combined.

3A. FOR A 1½- TO 5-QUART SLOW COOKER: Transfer mixture to slow cooker and top with reserved mushroom-pepperoni mixture. Cover and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 hours on low.

3B. FOR A 5½- TO 7-QUART SLOW COOKER: Transfer mixture to 1½-quart soufflé dish and top with reserved mushroom-pepperoni mixture. Set dish in slow cooker and pour water into slow cooker until it reaches about one-third up sides of dish (about 2 cups water). Cover and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 hours on low. Remove dish from slow cooker.

4. Sprinkle dip with basil and serve. (Dip can be held on warm or low setting for up to 2 hours.)