Girl's Night Out Pizza Dip

Saturday night was girl's night out (GNO) in West Chester with some of my favorite lovely ladies!  GNO always starts the same way, meeting at Jen's and filling ourselves with apps and other tasty treats to get a good "base" for all the alcohol we are about to consume.  My dilemma was that I already had a cheat dinner the night before in Philly with my brother and sister-in-law so, I had to make my contribution as healthy and lo-carb as possible.  While snooping around on some of the other food blogs I read I saw a pepperoni pizza dip that she suggested serving with chips, crackers or bread...well obviously that is no bueno..
I started trying to think of other options because I knew I could make the dip healthier then the original recipe but, the dippers is the problem.   Then, it hit me, I literally had the little light bulb go on over my head...GREEN PEPPERS!  I LOVE green peppers on my pizza, they are sturdy and would be able to hold all the delicious cheese and pepperoni that the dip had to offer!  The dip was very simple.

As Healthy As Possible Pizza Dip:

What you need:

• 2 blocks of 1/3 less fat cream cheese
• 2 cups of mozzarella
• cup of turkey pepperoni
• tbs of Italian seasoning plus more if desired
• cup of pizza sauce
• garlic powder (if desired)
• Parmesan (if desired)

In a mixing bowl mix cream cheese, tbs Italian seasoning, 2/3 cup quartered turkey pepperoni and a cup of mozzarella

Mix well and spread into an oven save dish (an 8x8 square dish is what I would have preferred, the only reason that I didn't use that size is because my mom has been keeping my 8x8 dish captive since Christmas)

Place the rest of the turkey pepperoni in a layer on top of the cream cheese mixture

Then spread roughly a cup of pizza sauce on top, enough to cover up all the pepperoni (i know it is a sin to cover up something that delicious but, it will pay off in the end)

Then I added what I typically put on my pizza, a sprinkle of garlic powder, sprinkle of extra Italian seasoning, and some Parmesan

then coat everything in the rest of the mozzarella

 Then this saucy little number is ready for the oven!  375 degrees for about 20-25 mins or until all the cheese is melted.

For the dippers I sliced a baguette (for my non free-style dieting friends) and cut the green peppers into cracker-ish shapes

 

Be prepared for all of this dip to go!  I thought I was going to have some to bring home to mike but, it all went to his dismay.  The combination of the dip on the pepper is out of this world, I could stop myself from going back. 

The rest of the night was AMAZING!  We danced at kooma (that burns calories, right?) and definitely worked out our eye hand coordination (glass to mouth...repeat...).  My abs still hurt from laughing with my girls...