Whipped Cottage Cheese Pizza Dip

We love the cottage cheese pizza bowls trend, especially as a single-serve recipe, but wanted to up the anty and make a larger batch pizza dip that serves a crowd (ahem, game day!), and obviously the base NEEDED to be cottage cheese. Blend that right up with parmesan and garlic, top with sausage-filled marinara, more cheese and pepperoni, and get dipping!

I’ve become known for using whipped cottage cheese for both sweet and savory recipes, and I'm a huge fan because not only is it high in protein, but it actually makes a lot of food taste better. I love it’s rich texture and mild taste and it’s the perfect high-protein addition to pretty much anything — and this pizza dip is no different!

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lb. ground Italian sausage
• 24 oz. marinara sauce
• 1.25 cups cottage cheese, 2% or 4%
• ½ cup grated parmesan
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese ~1 cup
• 3 oz. sliced pepperoni