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    Home » Recipes » 7 ingredients or less

    Easy Warm Italian Dip

    Published: Feb 16, 2015 · Modified: Jan 24, 2021 by Alyssa · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe Share via Email

    The idea for this warm Italian dip has been bouncing around my noggin for a while now. A few weeks to be exact, but when you're talking about something this creamy, gooey, melty, cheesy...that might as well be forever.

    A bowl of dip on a plate of pita chips.

    After the week of technological troubles I've had, I was craving comfort food. It also had to be incredibly simple, because Lord knows what kitchen processes the cause-all-technology-to-go-haywire aura I was giving off could have messed with. I seriously couldn't handle a comfort food fail on top of it.

    Italian dip melted and combined in a medium saucepan with a wooden spoon.

    Nothing major happened, thankfully, but it was a WEIRD couple of days. One of my worst blog nightmares came true when the post for these pineapple ginger cocktails posted itself before it was ready. My ancient laptop played dead for a panic-inducing couple of seconds TWICE. Mid Insta-stalk I liked strangers' posts from months and months ago (so not used to the big iPhone 6 screen yet).

    Then I thought I'd be cleverly efficient and order Panera online for lunch one day at work, and just run over and pick it up without waiting. So smart, Alyssa! I checked out and noticed on my confirmation page that instead of sending my order to the Nashville location, I sent a bowl of turkey chili and a salad to San Diego instead. Ugh! The same internet gnomes that prematurely posted those cocktails struck AGAIN.

    So when it came to this dip, I wasn't taking any chances. Blending, heating, and stirring are all that's required. Easy peasy!

    A pita chip in a bowl of dip (left) and being lifted out by a hand (right).

    Besides cheese and more cheese, there's a whole can of cannellini beans in here, too! After rinsing and draining them, I gave them a whirl in the food processor with a drizzle of olive oil until they were just about all smooth. The beans added some substance to the nutrition here, but also worked so well in bulking up the dip and giving it some heft. Flimsy chips beware!

    On the stove top, I mixed together marinara sauce (use your favorite!), cheese, and spices until the cheese is smooth and melted. Resist the urge to stop here and grab a spoon...you're not done yet! Soon. Throw in the beans and stir, stir, stir until everything is heated throughout and combined. Now you've got yourself a warm, creamy dip bursting with Italian flavor. So good, it'll make you forget all about hurried post status changes and frantic calls to Panera customer service. Promise. 🙂

    A bowl of dip on a plate of pita chips.

    Easy Warm Italian Dip

    Alyssa
    This easy warm Italian dip is creamy and flavorful, featuring two kinds of cheese and cannellini beans. It only uses seven ingredients and takes fifteen minutes to make.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 15 mins
    Course Dips
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 16 (estimated)
    Calories 90 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 15-oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 ½ cups marinara sauce
    • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used part-skim)
    • 1 8-oz block neufchâtel cheese (or regular cream cheese)
    • 1 teaspoon dried basil, or to taste
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste

    Instructions
     

    • In the bowl of a food processor, blend cannellini beans and olive oil until mixture is just about smooth. Set aside.
    • In a medium sauce pan set over medium to medium-high heat, add marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. Let mixture heat and stir so that the cheese melts. Once mozzarella has melted completely, add neufchâtel and stir so it melts and everything is combined.
    • Add bean mixture to the sauce pan along with basil and garlic powder. Stir so all ingredients are evenly distributed and dip is heated throughout. Serve warm.

    Notes

    Depending on the type of marinara sauce you use, you may wish to adjust the spice quantities to fit your tastes.
    If you like things zippy, feel free to add red pepper flakes!
     
    This recipe yields approximately two cups of dip.

     

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    Comments

    1. Kim says

      February 08, 2016 at 6:57 pm

      Can u make this ahead of time? And put in fridge?

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        February 08, 2016 at 7:10 pm

        Hi Kim, yes that shouldn't be an issue! When we have leftover portions of this dip, we will refrigerate it and then reheat it on the stovetop over low-medium heat before serving, stirring occasionally until it gets back to that melty cheese/creamy consistency.

        Reply
    2. Catherine says

      January 04, 2016 at 6:01 am

      Dear Alyssa, how delicious! This dip is perfect for parties, game day, and is the perfect comfort food after a stressful day. Happy that everything was resolved. xo, Catherine

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 05, 2016 at 10:33 pm

        Thank you Catherine! I'm a big fan of this dip no matter what the occasion. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Chris @ Shared Appetite says

      March 04, 2015 at 12:17 pm

      My fave party food is hands down... dips. I love them. I devour them. And I'm always looking for new creative ones! This one sounds amazing!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        March 05, 2015 at 9:01 am

        I can't get enough of dips! You can definitely find me at a party hovering over the dip haha! Thanks Chris!

        Reply
    4. Terri says

      February 19, 2015 at 4:07 pm

      I'm loving that recipe and thinking pita chips as a perfect companion... A perfect duo on a cold, blustery day!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        February 20, 2015 at 7:32 am

        Thank you Terri! Pita chips were great with this dip, we had the sea salt ones! 🙂

        Reply
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    Hi! I’m Alyssa and welcome to my food blog. Here you can find a variety of food and drink recipes, running the gamut from better-for-you main dishes to holiday fare, and from lighter bites to some serious desserts. All with the occasional cocktail recipe thrown in for good measure, too. ♥ Learn more →

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