Hot Pizza Dip Bites

*Note: These pizza bites can also be made in a shallow baking dish as more of a dip versus finger food. I’ve included instructions for that variation below the recipe. Also, feel free to tailor toppings to your tastes. The sky’s the limit when it comes to pizza!
*Makes about 24 pizza bites
INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove fresh minced garlic
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup pizza sauce or good marinara sauce (my favorite pizza sauce recipe is here)
3 ounces finely chopped pepperoni
24 square wonton wrappers
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, oregano, basil and garlic. Lightly grease a mini-muffin tin pan with cooking spray and press one wonton wrapper gently into the muffin tin, carefully but firmly pressing it into the sides of the cups. Bake the wonton wrappers for 4-6 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove the pan from the oven and keep the wonton wrappers in the mini cups.
Dollop a teaspoon or two of the cream cheese mixture into the bottom of each wonton cup. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top of the cream cheese mixture. Top with a teaspoon or so of the pizza sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and chopped pepperoni. Bake for 10 more minutes until the filling is bubbly and wonton edges are golden brown. Serve warm!
To make this into a dip: spread the cream cheese mixture into the bottom of a 9” shallow oven-proof dish. Sprinkle ½ cup of the mozzarella, then
½ cup of the parmesan cheese over the cream cheese mixture. Spread the pizza sauce over the cheeses. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Top with pepperoni and other veggies or pizza toppings of your choice. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. Serve warm with tortilla chips, baquette slices or crackers.