Name: Pepperoni Pizza Dip
Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese, softened; 1/2 cup sour cream; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/3 cup pizza sauce; 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni, chopped smaller; 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions; 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese; 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

Why it works: Cream cheese and mozzarella cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 137 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓

Pepperoni Pizza Dip

Oven350°F

Time10 minutes, then 5-7 minutes more

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup pizza sauce
1/2 cup sliced pepperoni, chopped smaller
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Prepare

Stir together cream cheese, sour cream, oregano and garlic powder in a small bowl until smooth.
Spread mixture into a pie plate.
Spoon pizza sauce evenly over cream cheese mixture.
Top with pepperoni and green onions.

Bake and serve

Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over dip in pan.
Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top.
Bake 5-7 minutes more, or until cheese is melted and dip is heated through.
Serve warm, with breadsticks or slices of baguette.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

447Calories

37 gProtein

24 gFat

21 gCarbs

Counts 7 of 9 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 7 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Parmesan Cheese	1 oz (28g)	110
Yogurt	170g plain Greek	100
Cream Cheese	1 oz (28g)	99
Mozzarella Cheese	1 oz (28g)	85
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Oregano	1 tsp dried (1.8g)	5
Garlic	1 clove (3g)	4
Pizza	not in our table	0
Sauce	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Cream cheese + mozzarella cheesetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together137 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Mozzarella cheese + parmesan cheesetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,093 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Cream cheese + parmesan cheesetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together311 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Garlic + oniontop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together29,058 recipes

Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
Oregano + garlictop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,756 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cream cheese: Provides the creamy, smooth base that holds the dip together.
Sour cream: Adds moisture and tang, keeping the dip soft and spreadable.
Mozzarella cheese: Melts into a stretchy, browned topping that gives the classic pizza character.
Pepperoni: Releases savory fat and flavor as it heats, adding a pizza aroma.

Swap the oregano

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cream cheese, cream, garlic, sauce, onion, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese):

Capersfits about as well
Basilfits about as well
Oreganothe original
Celeryfits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against cream cheese, cream, garlic, sauce, onion, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.