Skillet Pizza Dip Countdown Clock

Ring in the New Year’s by serving this cheesy Skillet Pizza Dip Countdown Clock loaded with pepperoni and bacon. The four cheese dip is surrounded by 12 cheese filled pizza puffs each decorated with a number on a clock and makes the perfect appetizer for your New Year’s Eve party.

What are your plans for New Year’s Eve?

Hopefully, I’ll be in my p.j.’s watching a movie, maybe even asleep before midnight.

Boring, maybe. But, I’m so tired and have been going non-stop all year long. It would be nice to start the new year a little more rested.

We had 5 days of non-stop parties this week, and I made this Skillet Pizza Dip Countdown Clock for the game night we attended last night. It was a hit.

The dip is loaded with four different cheeses, bacon and pepperoni, plus the pizza crust puffs that surround the dip are filled with cheese too.

Your party guests can easily break off a cheese filled pizza puff and scoop up some dip.

There’s just the right amount of dip to bread ratio and it stays nice and hot because it’s baked and served in a skillet.

You can use a non-stick skillet or a cast iron skillet to make this dip. Just be sure your skillet is oven safe with a heat proof handle. My skillet has a metal handle so when I pull it out of the oven I cover it with a silicone grip so that no one burns themselves on the handle.

To keep this recipe quick and easy, use Pillsbury Pizza Dough. Unroll the dough and cut it into 12 rectangles. Brush egg wash over the dough.

Cut 3 string cheese strips into 4 equal pieces and set one piece on each rectangle of dough.

Pull the dough up over the cheese and pinch together the seams. Roll dough into a ball then set it into a buttered 10 inch oven proof skillet. Repeat, putting all 12 dough balls around the edge of the skillet.

Spread some pizza sauce in the middle of the skillet. Blend together cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, Ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, and salt together then spread it in the pan. Top with more sauce, half of the bacon and pepperoni, and half of the  remaining mozzarella cheese.

You’ll add the rest of the ingredients after it bakes for a while. If you add them now, they’ll ooze out over the pizza puffs and wont look very nice.

So, bake the dip for 25 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

When the dip comes out of the oven, top with the remaining sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, bacon, and pepperoni. Bake for another 7-10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the pizza puffs are deep golden brown and are baked through.

While that is baking, cut numbers out of slices of mozzarella cheese and arrange them like a clock on top of the pizza puffs. Cut one hour hand and one minute hand out of cheese and place in the center of the dip so that the clock looks likes it about the strike midnight.

Serve immediately.

Print

Skillet Pizza Dip Countdown Clock

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

35 mins

Total Time

50 mins

 

Cheese filled pizza puffs surround cheesy pizza dip filled with bacon and pepperoni all decorated like a countdown clock for New Year's eve.

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: American

Keyword: new years appetizer, skillet pizza dip

Servings: 12

Author: Beth Jackson Klosterboer

Ingredients

• 1 Pillsbury Classic Pizza Dough
• 3 sticks string cheese
• 1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water
• 1 8 ounce block cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup pizza sauce
• 5 slices cooked bacon crumbled
• 1 cup mini pepperoni
• 1 8 ounce block mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Grease a 10-inch oven-safe non-stick skillet (or cast iron skillet) with some butter or non-stick baking spray.
3. Brush egg wash over pieces of pizza dough.
4. Set one piece of the string cheese on a square of dough.
5. Attach opposing corners of the dough, then pinch around the edges to seal the dough. Pinch and roll into a ball.
6. Set balls of dough around the edge of the buttered skillet, creating one row of 12.
7. Combine cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, and salt.
8. Spoon 1/4 cup pizza sauce in the bottom of the skillet.
9. Spread the cream cheese mixture over top.
10. Spread 1/2 cup pizza sauce over top and sprinkle on half of the bacon, half of the pepperoni, and half of the remaining mozzarella cheese.
11. Bake for 25 minutes.
12. Remove and top with remaining sauce, bacon, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese.
13. Return to oven and bake for 7-10 minutes until the pizza puffs are deep golden brown and the dip is hot and bubbly.
14. While the dip is baking, cut the block of mozzarella cheese into 1/4 inch thick slices. Cut slices using number cutters, creating 1 though 12. Cut a minute hand and an hour hand for the clock too.
15. When dip is ready, arrange the numbers on the pizza puffs and the hands in the center of the dip creating a clock.
16. Serve immediately.

For more fun New Year’s Eve Appetizer and Dessert Recipes, check these out…

Parmesan Artichoke Cheesecake Countdown Clock and Mini Time’s Square (Cheese) Balls • Sugar Cone Party Horns
Confetti Cupcakes with Party Horns • Cheese Filled Won Ton Clocks
No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake Clock  • New Year’s Eve Taco Dip
Fireworks Topped Brownie • Ball Drop Candy Filled Cookies

Have a Happy New Year and enjoy your Skillet Pizza Dip.