Made with our Gourmet Beef Meatballs, this dip packs serious flavor that will wow everyone at the table. Serve it as a casual appetizer with baguette rounds or turn it into a meatball sandwich bar with toasted French rolls and toppings.
For the garlic toasts: preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sheetpan with a piece of parchment paper, foil or a silicon baking mat.
In a small bowl, stir together the butter, Creamy Garlic Sauce and parsley.
Cut the baguette into ½” thick slices and spread one side of each slice generously with the garlic butter.
Place on the sheet pan and bake until lightly golden and crispy, about 10-12 minutes. Set aside.
For the dip: Increase the oven to 425°F.
In a large bowl with a rubber spatula, blend together the ricotta, cream cheese, ½ cup of the mozzarella, 1/3 cup of the parmesan, pesto, egg, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes and a good pinch each of salt and pepper.
Spray a 10” baking dish, deep dish pie pan or cast iron skillet with cooking spray and spread the cheese mixture over the bottom. Place the meatballs on top.
Top with the marinara sauce, making sure each meatball is covered. You may not use all of the marinara; just enough to cover.
On top, alternate sprinkling the remaining 1 ½ cups mozzarella and 1/3 cup parmesan.
Bake on a parchment or foil lined sheetpan to catch any drips for 25-30 minutes until hot, bubbling and golden brown.
Garnish with the chopped parsley and serve hot with the garlic toasts.
Chef’s Tips
For extra basil flavor, drizzle an additional ¼ cup pesto sauce on top of the cheese mixture before adding the meatballs.
For a DIY Sandwich Bar, serve the hot dip with small Italian rolls instead of the garlic toasts. Guests can scoop the dip into rolls for mini super cheesy meatball sandwiches.
Do ahead: the dip can be assembled several hours before, refrigerated and baked when desired.
