I optimistically make healthy menu plans for the week, especially now that activities are cancelled and we’re home every night. But by the weekend, we often have a big lunch, either takeout or leftovers, and then no one really wants a real dinner. So we have a lot of snack dinners and movie nights then. Usually one of us makes a charcuterie tray, some fruit, chips and salsa, you know the drill. But during the Christmas season, I sometimes like to relive the days when we entertained and made fun foods. The hooligans are gratifyingly impressed when I do. Really!
This Veggie Ranch Christmas Tree is a fun twist on the traditional veggie ranch pizza. I think it’s a 20- or 25-year-old recipe from Pampered Chef. It seems as though I first made this tree version at Ft. Drum, in the late 90s. Man, I’m old! Anyway, it’s quick to put together from easy ingredients. I didn’t even make a recipe for it, it’s so easily personalized. Here’s how:
Veggie Ranch Christmas Tree
Ingredients:
- 1 can of crescent rolls
- 8 oz block of cream cheese
- 1 packet of ranch dressing mix
- Assorted fresh veggies (I use bell peppers, carrots, and broccoli here)
To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 375. Take the rolls out of the package, keeping them rolled. Slice crosswise into very thin (about 1/4″) spirals. You can use dental floss, wrapped around and pulled tight, as my assistant did in the first photo. You can also use a thin, sharp knife, taking care not to crush the circles.
Place the spiral slices on a baking sheet or stone, in the shape of a Christmas tree.
Bake 9-12 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and let cool almost completely.
For the filling: In the meantime, soften 8 oz cream cheese (not whipped, just a block) and stir in the ranch dressing mix. Spread that evenly over the cooled crust.
Use sliced and diced veggies to decorate like a Christmas tree, and cut out a star using a small cookie cutter and yellow bell pepper. This is best eaten the day made, as the rolls tend to get tough in the frig overnight.
There you are…be appreciated for your artistry!
Another snack we really enjoy is Merry Munch Snack Mix, or pretty much any sweet and salty mix.
You can also check out this post from 2014, with several other seasonal snacks. As for me, I’m off to pick up more ingredients, now that I’ve been reminded of all of those other treats!
