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Today we’re making this garlic cheese dip – full of five cheeses from sharp and tangy to smooth and creamy. This melty gooey dip is the perfect dip for game days and holiday parties.
If melted cheese isn’t one of the most mouth-watering, ooey-gooey, sinful foods worth every calorie, I don’t know what is! My fiance and I went to Olive Garden recently and got the “Dip Duo” and we got so stuffed on cheese that we both took our entrees to-go. He begged me to make him a homemade version of the Five Cheese Italian Fonduta on Sunday when he watches football (it was way better than the spinach artichoke dip).
I am not 100% sure of every cheese they use in this garlic cheese dip but I was certain I could taste mozzarella, Parmesan and provolone. Regardless, the version I made at home you are going to freaking love! It blows their version out of the water.
Mainly because the cheeses you can buy at your supermarket are just higher quality than most chain restaurants trying to cut costs, etc. I use FRESH mozzarella and another key is to not buy any grated cheese that comes in the bag. You can but it just doesn’t have the same melt-ability and potency that freshly grated cheese off the block provides.
Next, you have to buy fresh baguette bread from your bakery and broil it with melted butter , olive oil and freshly minced garlic. Magnifico! It will be perfectly crunchy and chewy – just the right texture to dip into your stretchy cheese.
Key Ingredients in this Garlic Cheese Dip
Cream Cheese – softened of course for easily mixability
Mozzarella – fresh mozzarella is best for flavor and texture
Provolone – adds sharpness. You can find blocks of this deli/artisan cheese section at your local supermarket
Fontina – the gooeiest cheese that adds lots of stretch (also available in the deli/artisan cheese section)
Seasonings – red pepper flakes, freshly ground pepper. No salt is needed as the cheese contains so much already.
Garlic – freshly minced garlic
Tomatoes – diced roma tomatoes have the best flavor are added after baking.
This garlic cheese dip is a wonderful appetizer for an Italian dinner night at home, for a game day gathering (could be made in a crockpot as well) or on a cold winter night when you are cozy in the house! Or, on any day of the week during any season when you are in the mood for cheese 🙂
How to Make Garlic Cheese Dip
Step 1: Combine softened cream cheese with the fresh garlic and seasonings. Mix together with all of the cheeses. Press into a greased baking dish.
Step 2: Bake in a preheated oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until the edges are starting to brown. Remove from the oven and add diced tomatoes to the center of the dip. Spread butter, olive oil and garlic mixture to baguettes.
Step 3: Turn oven to broil (500 degrees) and toast baguettes until golden brown. Add the cheese mixture back into the oven and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the top is bubbly and partially browned.
Looking for More Appetizers & Dip?
Parmesan Candied Bacon Crackers
Hot Corn Dip
Meat Lover’s Pizza Dip
Spicy Italian Sausage Dip
I hope you enjoyed this recipe for my garlic cheese dip. Be sure to comment below with any questions or feedback!
If you make these or any other recipes, don’t forget to tag me on IG @BadBatchBaking to be featured on my story. Seeing your recreations makes my day!
Olive Garden's Five Cheese Fonduta
Ingredients
- 8 oz block Philadelphia cream cheese softened
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella grated or chopped
- 1/2 cup parmesan, freshly grated
- 4 oz provolone freshly grated
- 4 oz fontina freshly grated
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes adjust to your heat preference
- freshly ground pepper I don't add salt as cheese contains enough sodium
- 1 Roma tomato, diced excess moisture removed on paper towel
Baguette
- 1 loaf french baguette
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a glass Pyrex dish (I use a pie dish) with a little butter or non-stick spray.
- In a medium bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with all other cheeses. Mix well to combine thoroughly until smooth. Add the pepper flakes and freshly ground pepper and combine.
- Place the mixture into the greased dish and level the mixture with spatula. Place it in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. While the cheese is cooking, slice the baguette and lay on a baking sheet. Add 1/4 cup of butter and garlic in a small bowl. Microwave together for 20 seconds or until butter is melted. Brush garlic butter onto each slice of baguette.
- Turn the oven on broil, add diced tomatoes into center of cheese mix and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or so, until the top is bubbly and browned.Broil baguettes for 4-6 minutes or until golden brown, rotating the pan half way through.
I made this tonight and omg it was exactly how I remember it. I used smoked Mozzarella, added a little smoke paprika and garlic powder but man was it amazing. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Dani – I am so thrilled to hear this. It was one of my favorite appetizers they offered and I was so bummed when it was removed from the menu. Great tip on the smoked paprika and garlic powder – definitely going to spice mine up next time.
Hi- do you think if I make and transfer to crockpot for a party that would be ok?
Yes, absolutely! Just skip the broiling part at the end. You won’t have the browned cheese bubbles on top but it won’t be any less delicious! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Love the duo dip going to finally give it a try this weekend. Thanks for the cheese tips, l have fontina, smoked mozzarella, parmesan, cream cheese need to get some romano and see how this works.
Hi Kim! I LOVE the dip duo too. Sadly, they took it off the menu in the Atlanta area so I am so glad I made this recipe right after trying this dish. It’s one of the best dips ever! You will be completely obsessed with this recipe. You can use Parmesan as well if you don’t have romano on hand. Please come back and let me know what you think. Thank you for reading my blog!
Hi!
I am so excited to see this !! I wanted to know if I can make it ahead and reheat it Want to take it with me for a weekend getaway with friends Thank you!!!
Hi There – just saw this and wanted to get back right away. I have only tried reheating it after a few hours. Will you have access to an oven at the getaway? If so, I’d bake it at home but save the tomato and broil step for when you reheat in the oven. Then it will heat the cheese back up, brown the top and warm the tomatoes. the tomatoes will weep if you put them on too early.
I hope that helps! Let me know how it goes!
I was looking for a recipe that showed the ingredients that was on the menu. So far none show Fontina cheese but yours. Yet yours is not showing Romano cheese. Can I substitute the Philadelphia Cream Cheese for the Romano cheese or do I just add 4 oz of Romano cheese to the recipe? I hate they stopped selling it. I used to just do a order of the fondue for take-out cause I loved it. I never even thought it had cream cheese I would had imagine it had more equal parts but if not then to make it more fondue like then more fontina cheese and more mozzarella just cause its the cheapest to put in. Give me your thoughts I need them. On yelp they have an old menu that shows what cheeses were in it I would assume if cream cheese was in it they would had written cream cheese.
Hi Liz,
I tried it a few different ways but found cream cheese gave it the texture I was looking for and elevated the dish. Parmesan and Romano are easily interchangeable, Romano is a bit more pungent/salty so you can easily swap the parm for Romano! The key to the whole recipe is freshly grated cheese. This recipe is soooo incredible you will be very happy you made it. Let me tell you, I actually forgot how much I loved it. I decided to make it for an Oscar party this year along with a bunch of other fun appetizers but I ended up making a whole meal out of just this Fonduta! Let me know how you like it 🙂