This past weekend I was invited to a very fun Easter party thrown by some of the awesome moms I have the privilege of being in a group with! We were asked to bring an appetizer to share so after doing some quick thinking I decided to make a veggie pizza since it has been ages since I've made or eaten one! When I worked my desk job I used to bring them more often for food days because I love the carrot/broccoli/cauliflower combination with the ranch dip spread. I have seen many different variations, but this is the one I always make because it seems to go over pretty well with almost everyone.
Since it was an Easter party I started brainstorming about ways to make the standard rectangular veggie pizza more "Easterish" since I love foods that can go along with holidays or themes. They leave so much room to be creative! This is what I came up with. I think it turned out pretty cute and everyone at the party thought it was neat...although I think everyone was a little afraid to cut into it!! This could easily be modified for other holidays. Maybe a Christmas tree for Christmas, a pumpkin for Halloween, a heart for Valentines Day or even a teddy bear for a baby shower. All you have to do is use your imagination!! Enjoy!!
Veggie Pizza with and Easter Twist
*You could easily make this lower fat by using reduced fat crescent rolls, sour cream, cream cheese and mayonnaise. You will also need a larger than normal baking sheet.
2 tubes Pillsbury Crescent Rolls (I think the generic brand would work just fine, but they were on sale this week)
2 c. finely diced carrots
2 c. finely diced broccoli florets
2 c. finely diced cauliflower
2 8 oz. packages of cream cheese
1/3 c. sour cream
1 c. mayonnaise
1 Hidden Valley ranch dip mix
Black olives and carrot peelings for decorations
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| On a large baking sheet, mold the 2 tubes of crescent rolls into a bunny head. I used one tube for the circle head and the second tube for the ears, eyes and nose. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12 mins or until golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes. |
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| Brenna asked what veggies we needed so I told her carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. This is what she brought me from her toy kitchen. I wouldn't suggest using these...unless you like plastic. =) |
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| After finely dicing the veggies, mix them together in a large bowl. Save some of the carrot peels for decorating. |
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| Using a butter knife, gently loosen the bunny head from the baking sheet and gently slide onto a pretty serving tray. Use the black olives to make the eyes, press in the crescent roll nose and use the carrot peels to make the whiskers and mouth. I dipped the ends of the carrot peels in the cream cheese mixture to help them stick on. Cute! |
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| Waste not, want not! I mixed the leftover cream cheese mixture with the leftover chopped veggies and made a side dip which I served with Ritz crackers. It pretty much tasted the same! |
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| While I was decorating the bunny head with Brenna, Ethan was happily playing on the carpet with Aiden. I noticed it sounded rather quiet and peeked over the couch at them. I guess Ethan got tired because he rolled over and fell asleep. This is how I found him and had to get a picture. |
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| Don't worry American Academy of Pediatrics I made sure he could still breathe! |
Recipe for: Veggie Pizza (Easter Themed)
To prepare: Preheat oven to 375°. You will need a larger than normal baking sheet for this.
Ingredients | Directions |
2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls 2 c. finely diced carrots 2 c. finely diced broccoli florets 2 c. finely diced cauliflower 2 8 oz. packages cream cheese 1 c. mayonnaise 1/3 c. sour cream 1 package Hidden Valley ranch dip mix Black olives and carrot peels for decorating. | 1. On the large baking sheet, mold the crescent rolls into the shape of a bunny head. Use one tube to form a circle for the head and another tube for the ears and nose. 2. Bake in a preheated oven for 12 mins., or until golden brown. Let cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 mins. 3. In a large bowl, combine the chopped veggies. 4. In a second bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream and dip mix. 5. Spread a generous layer of the cream cheese mixture over the top of the bunny head. 6. Sprinkle on as much of the veggie mixture as you can, pressing gently into the cream cheese mixture. 7. Using a butter knife, loosen the bunny head from the cookie sheet and gently slide it onto a decorative platter. 8. Trim the crescent roll nose into a triangle and press into the center of the bunny face. 9. Decorate the bunny head using black olives for the eyes and carrot peels for the whiskers and mouth. |
