Burst Cherry Tomato & Pepperoni White Bean Bake

I’ve got a brand new bubbly hot, cheesy, baked dip for you for all of your game day, holiday, and just really good snacking needs. After you all fell in love with my pizza dip a couple of years back, I knew I wanted to create a version that packed in a little more freshness and a heartier texture.

Say hello to my burst cherry tomato and pepperoni white bean bake with the perfect amount of sauciness from juicy cherry tomatoes, plus a delicious texture and boost of protein from two cans of white beans. Cook down everything in a pan, top with plenty of gooey, melty cheese and savory pepperoni, and bake it up to cheesy perfection.

I’ve included tons of our favorite ways to enjoy this dip, plus easy ways to make it your own!

Ingredients in this pepperoni white bean bake

You’ll use up tons of simple pantry staples to bake up this gloriously cheesy white bean bake. Here’s what you’ll need:

• For the crostini: start by slicing up a French baguette and baking the slices with a little olive oil and fresh garlic for the perfect crunchy crostini.
• Produce: you’ll cook down a whole pint of cherry tomatoes with garlic and onion for the base of the dip.
• For the herbs & spices: get extra flavor by adding in dried oregano, sweet paprika, salt, red pepper flakes (if you like a little heat), and tomato paste.
• White beans: you’ll add 2 cans of your favorite white beans like cannellini beans, Great Northern, or butter beans, which will give the bake/dip a hearty texture and big boost of protein and fiber.
• Cheese: we’re mixing parmesan cheese into the white bean bake mixture, AND topping the whole thing with mozzarella cheese to get it nice and bubbly and cheesy.
• Pepperoni: give this white bean bake a pizza twist by adding regular or mini pepperoni slices on top of the mozzarella before baking. YUM.
• To garnish: I love topping the whole pepperoni white bean bake with a little extra parmesan, fresh basil, flaky sea salt, and a drizzle of hot honey.

Is the dip spicy?

You can easily choose your own spice level in this white bean bake.

• If you like spice, I recommend adding the red pepper flakes AND a drizzle of hot honey (options to top the bake with more red pepper flakes if you’d like, too!) You could also add a mixture of mozzarella and pepper jack cheese to really kick up the heat.
• If you DON’T like spice (or are feeding kiddos) simply leave out the red pepper flakes. Hot honey, in general, isn’t too spicy, but you could always use regular honey for a sweet and savory combo without the kick of heat.

Can I make it vegetarian?

Absolutely! Simply omit the pepperoni and just enjoy a cheesy burst cherry tomato white bean bake. It will still be DELICIOUS.

Try a new meat option

Feel free to use ground Italian sausage or even shredded chicken in place of (or in addition to) the pepperoni! To do so, cook the meat, drain off any juices, and stir the cooked meat in with the white beans before continuing with the recipe.

How to make this pepperoni white bean dip

1. Cook the veggies. After you’ve started baking up the crostini, cook down the garlic, onion, and tomatoes in a little olive oil and salt until the tomatoes soften. Once they do, use the back of your wooden spoon to gently “burst” them so that they release their juices.
2. Add the spices. Stir in the tomato paste, herbs, and spices, and cook down a bit to let the flavors bloom, then stir in the water and let the mixture simmer.
3. Add the beans. Stir in both cans of white beans and the parmesan cheese until they’re well combined.
4. Top & bake. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top of the pan, then arrange the pepperoni slices on top of the cheese, and bake it all up. I recommend broiling the bake for a couple of minutes as well to get that golden brown cheese!
5. Garnish & serve. Garnish the dip with extra parmesan, basil, flaky sea salt, and hot honey, then serve with your crostini!

Delicious ways to serve this pepperoni white bean bake

I, of course, love serving this white bean bake (or dip) with the toasted garlic crostini from the recipe, but it’s also delicious with:

• Your favorite cut-up veggies
• Pretzels
• Toasted pita
• Pita chips
• Crackers
• Naan bread

Make your own hot honey

I love using Mike’s Hot Honey (on literally everything) but you can easily make your own hot honey! Add 2 tablespoons honey and ½ teaspoon hot sauce (or a pinch of cayenne pepper) to a small bowl and microwave for 10-15 seconds. Then drizzle it on up!

Storing & reheating tips

If you have any pepperoni white bean dip left over, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat the portion you want to eat in a microwave safe dish until it’s heated through.

More dip recipes you’ll love

Get all of my appetizer recipes here!

I hope you love this burst cherry tomato and pepperoni white bean bake! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

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Ambitious Kitchen
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125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day

Burst Cherry Tomato & Pepperoni White Bean Bake

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

ServesServes 8 servings

Savory cherry tomato and pepperoni white bean bake loaded with burst cherry tomatoes, plenty of herbs and spices, and layers of melty cheese. This easy pepperoni white bean bake is a protein-packed appetizer that guests will devour with crostini, crackers, veggies, and so much more!

Ingredients

• Baguette:
• 1 french baguette, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch slices*
• Olive oil, for drizzling
• 1 garlic clove, cut in half
• For the white bean bake:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ white onion, finely diced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (about 2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• ⅓ cup tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, but recommended for spicy flavors!)
• ⅔ cup water
• 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans (such as cannellini, Great Northern or butter beans), drained and rinsed
• ⅓ cup (1 ounce) grated parmesan cheese
• 3 to 4 ounces pepperoni slices (mini is great too!)
• 1 ½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Italian cheese blend or mozzarella
• To garnish:
• Grated parmesan
• Small fresh basil leaves
• Flaky sea salt (I like Maldon)
• Optional: Hot honey, for drizzling

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

• Place baguette slices on the prepared baking sheet and brush or drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and rub with the halved clove of garlic. If you can’t fit all of the crostini on the baking sheet, you’ll need to use two baking sheets. Bake for 5-7 minutes until crostini is somewhat toasted along the edges.

• Meanwhile, place a 10-inch oven-safe skillet and over medium high heat and add in the olive oil. Once oil is warm, add in garlic, onions and cherry tomatoes and ½ teaspoon kosher salt and saute, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes begin to break down and release their juices, 8 to 10 minutes. Once tomatoes have softened slightly, gently press the tomatoes down with the back of a wooden spoon to release their juices, then immediately stir in the tomato paste, oregano, paprika, red pepper flakes and remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and cook for 1 minute until tomato paste deepens in color, which will allow the flavor to bloom. Stir in ⅔ cup water and allow sauce to come together and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat, then stir in the white beans and parmesan cheese until well combined.

• Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top, then evenly arrange pepperoni slices on top.

• Place the skillet in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 8 to 10 minutes. Switch the oven to the broiler setting on high and broil until the cheese is slightly golden in places, 1 to 3 minutes.

• Top and serve: Sprinkle with the Parmesan, basil, and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Serve warm with garlic crostini for dipping and scooping up the beans. Optional to drizzle with a little hot honey if you like sweet and spicy flavors!

Recipe Notes

*Easily keep this recipe gluten-free and grain-free by serving it with toasted gluten-free bread or grain free crackers / chips.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (based on 8, with baguette slices)Calories: 435calCarbohydrates: 45.4gProtein: 21gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6.4gFiber: 7gSugar: 4.4g