Why it works: Cream cheese and cheddar cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 467 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓
Cheesy Pizza Dip
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Make the dip
In a medium baking dish, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, oregano, red pepper flakes, pizza sauce, green onions, garlic, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese and red bell pepper.
Bake and serve
Bake in the preheated oven 5 minutes, or until bubbly and lightly brown.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 11 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Cream Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 99 |
| Mozzarella Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 85 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Red Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| 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.
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 + cheddar cheesetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together467 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Oregano + garlictop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,756 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Oregano + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,449 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Pepper + garlictop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,090 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 a rich, creamy base that melts into a smooth dip.
- Sour cream
- Adds tang and moisture, keeping the dip creamy rather than greasy.
- Cheddar cheese
- Adds sharp flavor and helps the dip turn golden when baked.
- Mozzarella cheese
- Melts into stretchy strands and adds the classic pizza-style pull.
- Pizza sauce
- Supplies tomato acidity and seasoning that give the dip its pizza flavor.
The step that matters
Bake until bubbly and lightly brown. Baking only until the dip is hot and bubbling through keeps the cheeses smooth; overbaking can cause the dairy to separate and turn oily and grainy.
Swap the oregano
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cream cheese, cream, pepper, sauce, onion, garlic, cheddar cheese):
- Cuminfits about as well
- Celeryfits about as well
- Capersfits about as well
- Oreganothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against cream cheese, cream, pepper, sauce, onion, garlic, cheddar 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.
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