Creamy Italian Hoagie Dip

Creamy Italian Hoagie Dip is that game day snack that’ll satisfy the whole crowd and is equal to a touchdown!

When I was a kid, I’d beg my mother for two things; a dipped cone at Dairy Queen and Shoprite Creamy Italian Hoagie Dip. Otherwise known as American hoagie dip, the creamy spread was all I craved on my Saturday morning bagel.

This unique Italian dip is made with cream cheese and Boursin as its base. It’s then packed with superbly savory ingredients like chopped sundried tomatoes, chopped pickled banana peppers, shredded Provolone cheese, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, and the best, a half pound deli meat such as ham, capicola, or salami. I like all three! One taste of this easy recipe is reminiscent of an authentic Italian hoagie.

Wooey, Hot-N-Sweet! I am biased. I use my own Pickled Sweet Peppers with Shallots & Thyme in lieu of banana peppers in this hoagie dip. There is a tang that I just don’t get from the store bought pickled cousins to my homemade youngsters. See my trick here – Pickled Sweet Peppers with Shallots & Thyme

Did I mention this ‘dip’ is also a fabulous spread for bagels? Ahhh, yes! A savory and indulgent schmear atop your fave breakfast comfort food…

Watch my video for an easy visual instruction on how to make THE BEST game day cheesy Italian Creamy Hoagie Dip!

In the new year, everybody is sticking to their resolutions, many of which are healthy cooking related resolutions. I get it. I am, too. More or less. My resolution is to make the calories I take in count for something. Healthy recipes, low carb food, lunch recipes and main dish recipes for salad of all kinds…it’s all on my list.

This cheesy Italian hoagie dip recipe is low carb. It’s been in my personal recipe index for years. Yes, I love it as a dip with fresh vegetables, crackers, and on sliced bread. But, I REALLY like it when used as a spread for a bagel. It’s my highest rating of the stuff!

Open faced and lightly toasted with a healthy schmear of this easy hoagie dip. Oh, and a thin drizzle of a really good quality olive oil. Yes, this hoagie spread, chock full of Italian hoagie ingredients, is the pinnacle of Italian dips and spreads.

Either hot or mild, a cup of chopped pickled peppers MAKES THIS DIP. Instead of tasting ‘peppers’ you get the tanginess from them. If I’m not using my own Pickled Peppers With Shallots & Thyme, I do a half cup of hot and a half cup mild store bought peppers to keep things lively. I never make this dip without adding a pickled pepper of some kind.

Serve Creamy Hoagie Dip in a bread bowl and arrange everything from sliced vegetables to crackers to toasted bread rounds. Watch it be the first item on the snack table to run out!

Italian Hoagie Meats And Seasonings That Work Fantastic In This Recipe For Hoagie Dip

For this recipe, you will need 1 cup of chopped deli meat. Not sliced deli meat, hunks. If your local grocer will sell you what I refer to as “meat ends and cheese ends,” take advantage! These ‘ends’ are literally the ends of the provision logs, but they are handy for snacking and for using in recipes such as this one.

Honestly, it can be what you like. I generally use ham and will specify for the purposes of this recipe. Make the ultra Creamy Italian Hoagie Dip your own and make a hoagie dip with capicola. Or, try a salami dip. This is kind a quasi hoagie salad, but a hoagie dip no lettuce.

Silky cream cheese and Boursin are both added. Consider dry salami, mortadella, capicola, tavern ham, or pepperoni. If you enjoy chipped beef, make your hoagie dip Philadelphia style by replacing the Italian meats altogether, and adding the chipped beef and some shredded American cheese. If you love cheese, and in addition to the Parmesan specified, consider shredding some Provolone or Swiss.

Customizing this dip is super easy. It is really all about what you like. I specify ham because I almost always have leftover ham that I can dice small for this recipe. If ham is not your jam, substitute in equal measure pepperoni, mortadella, or dry salami. Capicola is especially fantastic.

If you want a totally authentic treat, slice day old baguette into rounds, and mist red wine vinegar or Italian dressing using a clean spray bottle. You want to do this LIGHTLY. Allow to dry, flipping over once. Toss with a splash or two of quality olive oil in a large bowl and arrange on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 6 minutes per side or until slightly golden. Remove and allow to cool before serving alongside the dip. After all, hoagie dip with oil and vinegar is just a given!

Honestly, spread liberally on a hot, toasted bagel with a drizzle of olive oil is my favorite way to enjoy Italian Hoagie Dip. It checks all of my boxes in terms of a filling lunch, and I can sneak in a half glass of red table wine!

If the idea of a bagel sounds appealing to you, just split, toast, spread, and then drizzle. Drizzle a good olive oil, that is. If I am doing this as a lunch item, I add everything which an Italian hoagie recipe would call for such as shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and plenty of raw onion right on top of the spread. It’s a bit messy, but darn if it isn’t fantastic! I promise, if you are hesitating, this dip will bowl you over, exceeding expectation. Italian dip recipes such as this are just like following a recipe for Italian sub sandwiches.

All images and text ©Jenny DeRemer for Not Entirely Average, LLC