Hot Muffuletta Dip Recipe
I’m so excited to share this Hot Muffuletta Dip Recipe recently submitted for inclusion in my friend, Beth Peterson’s new cookbook- The Tailgate Cookbook.
You may remember two things.
First, that I already have a signature Muffuletta Dip that is hands down one of the most popular recipes in my Picnics cookbook.
I gave it a creamy, warmed up makeover! 
Hot Muffuletta Dip Recipe
Creamy, warmed up version of my beloved sandwich turned Muffuletta Dip recipe.
Ingredients
- 1- 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup Italian olive salad, drained
- 1 cup diced salami
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus an additional 1/4 for topping
- ¼ cup chopped pepperoncini salad peppers
- 4-ounce provolone cheese, diced
- 1 celery rib, finely chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, chopped
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- French bread crostini
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine all ingredients with exception to the parsley. Spread mixture into an oven-safe dish, top with the additional 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and bake for 25 to 30 minutes; until cheese is hot and bubbly. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with French bread crostini.
And secondly, that several years ago I hosted a party at my home called “Cookoff Before Kickoff” with Beth and TV personality, BBQ pitmaster and celebrity chef Ray Lampe…. also known simply as Dr. BBQ.
It was all a little random but Beth introduced herself to me through Twitter and asked if I would like to open up my home to her and her team traveling the country in search of the nation’s top tailgater. They were shooting a pilot, hoping to have it make it onto the Food Network (where both she & Ray have competed, by the way).
Obviously, I wasn’t being asked to compete in the top tailgater event but rather, I was asked to host the pre-game party festivities.
Not one to turn down a party, I popped up a tent in the backyard, hung my LSU chandelier and invited everyone I could think of that could quickly come over (I had about a week of prep time) for a fun night complete with a competition cooking team that set up in my backyard frying fish, and boudin balls- keeping everyone full and happy.
Fast forward to today, and now Beth has debuted her cookbook capturing her time spent on those nationwide travels.
The book features 75 recipes that elevate any previous thoughts you may have had on tailgating food. From Bloody Marias, to Chicken & Waffle Cupcakes it’s full of fun and inventive food. She also highlights a handful of folks representing different areas of the country (some with extremely impressive food resumes) and those recipes are always the most interesting for me- I love the “why” behind why certain recipes are favorites.
You can find Beth’s book on Amazon and most large retailers.
Get ready for this weekend’s LSU/Alabama game, y’all. Win or lose, make sure your snacks impress!
