Name: Muffuletta Dip
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 4 ounces Genoa salami, chopped; 4 ounces deli ham, chopped; 1 cup kalamata and/or Castelvetrano olives, chopped; 8 ounces cream cheese; 6 ounces whole-milk mozzarella cheese, shredded (1½ cups), divided; ⅓ cup jarred roasted red peppers rinsed, patted dry, and chopped coarse; ¼ cup mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon capers; ¼ teaspoon pepper

Why This Recipe Works

We take everything we love about the New Orleans muffuletta, from the salty cured meats to the briny olives and creamy cheese, and turn it into a warm, scoopable dip. Browning Genoa salami and deli ham in a skillet renders their fat and deepens their flavor, and we cook the chopped olives right in those drippings to build a savory base. Melting cream cheese and mozzarella into the skillet makes the dip lush and creamy, and the added chopped roasted red peppers and capers echo the muffuletta’s signature olive salad. A final shower of mozzarella that is broiled until bubbly gives us the melty, golden top that makes this dip impossible to resist.

Before You Begin

Buy a link of salami or a 4-ounce piece from the deli counter, along with a 4-ounce piece of ham. Avoid thinly sliced deli meat here. Serve with torn chewy bread pieces; crostini; or crackers.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack 6 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Cook 4 ounces chopped Genoa salami in 8-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and salami begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel–lined plate.

Add 4 ounces chopped deli ham to fat left in skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to plate with salami.

Add 1 cup pitted kalamata and/or Castelvetrano olives, chopped, to fat left in skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add 8 ounces cream cheese and 1 cup shredded mozzarella and cook, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth. Off heat, stir in ⅓ cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained and chopped coarse; ¼ cup mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon capers; ¼ teaspoon pepper; and salami and ham until combined.

Sprinkle remaining ½ cup shredded mozzarella evenly over top. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, 2 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately.