Slow Cooker Recipes From Gooseberry Patch

Bubbles’ birthday party is next weekend and I’ve been working on our menu.  Most of the party ideas I found earlier were for sweets and decor; only one of them was for something to go with the meal.  And while Minnie Oreo pops and cupcakes sound delicious, I think our guests might also like something savory.  Appetizers, dips, and finger sandwiches all came to mind as they’re usually easy to throw together and people can graze while they talk and hang out.

My husband makes a great cheesy sausage dip that we often have for family gatherings and tailgating but I thought maybe for this party we’d have something just a bit different.  I don’t want to serve my guests anything I haven’t tried before, though, so for the last few days I’ve been cooking up small batches of dip to sample.  One that I found that I like is the Pleasing Pizza Dip submitted by Jennifer Crsip to Gooseberry Patch’s new cookbook Slow Cooking All Year ‘Round.

Slow Cooker Pleasing Pizza Dip

1 C ground Italian pork sausage, browned & drained
1 C pepperoni, diced
2 8oz packages cream cheese, cubed
2 C shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 C sour cream
2 1/2 C pizza sauce
2 1/2 T dried oregano
2 tsp. garlic powder
tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients except tortilla chips in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until dip is smooth and warmed through.  Serve warm with tortilla chips.  Serves 10-12.

What I love about this recipe is that you can mix it up to include your favorite pizza toppings.  I’m not sure if all our guests like mushrooms, but the next time I make this for just our family (for a football game or just to snack on during the weekend) I will probably add a small can of sliced mushrooms.  Or maybe ground beef instead of sausage plus a handful of diced bacon.  Lots of possibilities! Continue reading »