Three P’s Dip

An Easy Make-Ahead Cream Cheese Dip

Three P’s Dip is a creamy, savory appetizer packed with pepperoni, pepperoncini. and red peppers along with a little salami for even more cured meat flavor.

It has the creamy richness of a classic cream cheese dip, but all those finely chopped peppers and meats make it taste a little bit like an Italian deli sandwich turned into a spread.

This is also one of those dips that I strongly recommend making the day before you plan to serve it. It gets significantly better after sitting overnight in the refrigerator and letting all those flavors get acquainted.

That makes it perfect for holidays, game days, block parties, girls’ nights, or any occasion when you want to get some of the food prep out of the way ahead of time.

The Story Behind Three P’s Dip

There are two kinds of recipes I love to share: recipes that have been in my family forever and recipes that happen completely by accident.

This one definitely falls into the second category.

I originally spotted a dip that looked something like this on Pinterest and immediately wanted to make it. The only problem was that every time I tried clicking through to the recipe, the link didn’t work.

Eventually I gave up.

Instead, I studied the picture and used a little kitchen deductive reasoning to create my own version based on what I thought I was seeing.

I still have absolutely no idea if mine tastes anything like the original.

What I DO know is that I served my version at our neighborhood block party and people could not stop eating it.

That’s good enough for me.

Why Is It Called Three P’s Dip?

The name comes from the three ingredients that really give this dip its personality:

Pepperoni. Pepperoncini. Peppers.

The pepperoni gives you that salty, savory cured meat flavor. The pepperoncini adds acidity and a little zip. The sweet red bell pepper gives the dip freshness, crunch, and a little sweetness.

I also add finely diced salami because apparently three cured-meat-and-pepper ingredients weren’t enough for me.

Chop Everything VERY Fine

This is probably the most important tip I can give you for making this dip.

Chop everything very finely.

You don’t want giant chunks of pepperoni, salami, or bell pepper in your cream cheese. You want a little bit of everything in every scoop.

Finely chopping the ingredients also makes the finished dip much easier to spread onto crackers.

Pepperoncini Give This Dip Its Zip

If you’ve never had pepperoncini, they are mild pickled peppers with a tangy, slightly sweet flavor, and just a tiny bit of heat.

They are not what I would consider a spicy pepper.

In this dip, they are especially important because the acidity helps cut through the richness of the cream cheese, mayonnaise, pepperoni, and salami.

And don’t dump that jar juice down the drain.

I use 2 to 4 tablespoons of pepperoncini juice in the dip. Start with less and taste it after everything is mixed. You can always add another splash if you want more tang.

What If I Can’t Find Pepperoncini?

Mild banana peppers are probably the easiest substitute.

You could also use finely chopped roasted red peppers if you want something sweeter and milder, although you’ll lose some of the tang.

Even finely chopped dill pickles would work if that’s what you have.

This is a forgiving party dip, so don’t be afraid to make it your own.

The Creamy Base

The base starts with softened cream cheese along with a little mayonnaise and sour cream.

Make sure your cream cheese is actually softened before you start mixing. It will be much easier to combine everything evenly without beating the other ingredients to death.

I also add a small amount of ketchup. Before anyone gets upset about ketchup in a dip, it isn’t enough to make this taste like ketchup.

It gives the creamy base a subtle tomato flavor that works really well with the pepperoni and salami.

If you keep tomato powder in your pantry like I do, you can use that instead.

Beau Monde Is The Secret Seasoning

Beau Monde is one of those wonderfully old-fashioned seasonings that I wish more people knew about.

It has savory celery and onion flavors that are especially good in creamy dips, salads, and vegetable dishes.

I use it in my Summer Sweet Corn Salad too, and I almost always have a jar hanging around my spice cabinet.

Can’t Find Beau Monde Seasoning?

You do not need to buy an entire jar for one recipe.

For this dip, you can substitute:

1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery seed, if you have it
1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper

It won’t be exactly the same, but it gives you that same savory, old-school flavor profile.

Mix Everything Together

Once your creamy base is ready, add your finely chopped pepperoni, salami, pepperoncini, and red bell pepper.

Then stir everything together until the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the cream cheese mixture.

Taste it at this point.

If you want a little more tang, add another splash of pepperoncini juice.

But don’t judge the final flavor quite yet.

This Dip NEEDS To Rest

This is one recipe where I really do think an overnight rest makes a difference.

Cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator overnight.

The pepperoni and salami season the creamy base, the Beau Monde has time to work its way through everything, and the pepperoncini flavor becomes more evenly distributed.

You can eat it immediately.

But tomorrow’s dip is better than today’s dip.

What To Serve With Three P’s Dip

My first choice is a good sturdy cracker.

Triscuits are especially good because they can handle a generous scoop without snapping in half.

But you have lots of options:

• Triscuit crackers
• Ritz or other buttery crackers
• Pita chips
• Crostini or toasted baguette slices
• Pretzel crisps
• Celery
• Mini sweet peppers
• Cucumber slices

For a party, you could put out two or three different crackers along with some fresh vegetables and let everyone decide.

It’s More Than A Dip

One of the things I realized after making this is that it doesn’t necessarily have to stay in the appetizer category.

It’s basically a very flavorful cream cheese spread.

Smear it onto a toasted bagel.

Spread it onto bread or a croissant and add lettuce for an easy lunch.

You could also spread it onto a tortilla, roll it tightly, refrigerate it, and slice it into pinwheels.

Make It Ahead For Parties

This is one of the reasons I think Three P’s Dip is such a good party recipe.

Make the whole thing the day before, cover it, and put it in the refrigerator.

The next day, all you have to do is transfer it to your serving bowl and put out the crackers.

I actually prefer appetizers like this when I’m entertaining because the last thing I want is six different things that need to come out of the oven exactly when people are walking through the door.

More Easy Party Dips

If you’re making appetizers for a party, game day or holiday, check out these other party favorites! Click each image to get the recipe.

The Perfect Make-Ahead Appetizer

Three P’s Dip has everything I want in an easy appetizer. It’s creamy, salty, tangy, a little crunchy, and extremely easy to make.

There is no cooking involved, you can make it the day before, and the recipe makes enough for a crowd.

Just make sure you chop everything small and give it that overnight rest.

And maybe buy an extra box of crackers.