What Is Hoagie Dip And How Do You Eat It?

If there is one thing that Americans seem to have perfected in the snack food world, it's dips. Chips and dip is the ultimate laidback food combo, and this messy fare has been ritualistically gracing all types of party tables from family reunions and Super Bowl gatherings to children's birthday parties and weddings.

The United States has no shortage of great dips from the widely loved creamy buffalo chicken dip to the trusty taco dip. Other honorable mentions like pizza dip, spinach and artichoke dip, and a classic nacho cheese dip are fan favorites and definitely worth plunging salty tortilla and corn chips into. While most people have probably enjoyed plenty of these go-to party dishes, there's one Mid-Atlantic favorite that seems to only be truly adored by a much smaller number of people: hoagie dip!

This tasty dip somehow feels like a mix between a chilled antipasto salad and a deconstructed Italian sub, with plenty of hoagie ingredients making their way into the mix, hence the name. With a great combination of salty meats and cheeses dressed with plenty of classic sub seasonings, this dip makes it obvious why it has become a favorite on the East Coast.

Despite its delicious taste, hoagie dip isn't well-known or widespread. Maryland is nearly alone in its love for the dish. In fact, in PureWow's 2023 food trend report on the most widely Googled dip recipes for the Super Bowl, hoagie dip was only number one in Maryland while the rest of the country was dominated by searches for how to make buffalo chicken, artichoke, or different types of cheese dips.  

While its influence is certainly regional and concentrated in Maryland, hoagie dip seems to have seeped into Philly's party scene too with plenty of Philadelphians making "Philly Hoagie Dip" for sporting events and as an easy spread at family gatherings. Who knows where this spread was originally made, but it does makes sense that Philadelphians have decided to claim it as their own since the sandwich which inspired the dip is really only called a hoagie in the city of brotherly love, while most of the country calls them subs — including Maryland!

Although it might not garner widespread love, it is certainly well-loved and thoroughly enjoyed in these Mid-Atlantic locales. Hopefully, it's just a matter of time before this fantastic laid-back dip starts gracing the tables of more households soon.

When it comes to hoagie dip, it seems there is no shortage of delicious deli meats and cheeses that get thrown together to create this deconstructed Italian sub experience. The main meats showcased in this dip are sliced and chopped genoa salami, ham, prosciutto, and roast turkey. However, customization is king in this dish, and you can add or remove any meats as you see fit. For cheese, provolone is frequently used, but others like mozzarella or fontina can be mixed in instead. Onion, lettuce, and tomato are also added to the mix, creating a full-bodied flavor and a real hoagie taste and texture. 

To top everything off, the all-important dressing is made with a combination of oregano, basil, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper, though some cooks will opt to buy an Italian dressing seasoning packet instead. This blend of spices is then mixed with mayonnaise and olive oil, which act as great binders in this recipe to bring everything together in one creamy scoop. If you like a bit of a kick in your dip, you can also add pepperoncini or spicy banana peppers and red pepper flakes.

If it's not the zesty Italian flavor that keeps you coming back to this snack food over and over again, it might just be the easy preparation that solidifies hoagie dip as your go-to party appetizer. While many dips are notoriously easy, this one takes hardly any time at all since chopping and mixing are pretty much the only steps involved.

The first step is to simply cut up all your preferred ingredients, everything from the vegetables to the meat and cheese, into bite-sized pieces. These perfect-sized chunks will get mixed into the dressings and seasonings until well combined. Once perfectly mixed together, the dip can be chilled until it's ready to serve.

Some opt to carve out a bread bowl and fill it with dip, while others simply will lay out sliced hoagie rolls or Italian bread around a glass bowl. Tortilla chips are also a great salty, crunchy contrast to hoagie dip, but the preferred method seems to be hoagie rolls. Trust us, it's hard to not keep dunking crusty Italian bread into this cold and creamy concoction, and we think Marylanders may just be ahead of the rest of us when it comes to the ultimate party snacks.