Who doesn’t love the holidays as a kid. You look back and remember magical moments, twinkling lights and tons and tons of food. There was never a shortage of food. I still remember the food. We weren’t your “let’s sit down and eat” kind of family, it was more of a wild messy and chaotic pot luck. There were always tons of people in and out visiting all day, and the table was covered in crock pots and casseroles and dishes sitting around and paper plates – not fancy Pinterest-worthy table settings. You always grabbed a new selection of treats on your way from the basement where you were hiding from parents to play to the living room (to watch Christmas Vacation at promptly 8pm – because back then you actually had to wait for it to come on!).
I had three favorite foods that I knew would always been at these events: Texas sheet cake, strawberry pretzel salad, and vegetable pizza. Wait, what? Yes, I look back and see it was my family who had the last laugh watching me chow down on vegetable pizza which was stuffed with broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. But – trust me when I say – IT. IS. THAT. GOOD.
So then it occurred to me, I needed to bring this pizza back this holiday season. Why was I neglecting myself and friends from this deliciously random concoction of 1985.
When I first had this idea to turn vegetables and pizza into holiday “cookies” I had a lot of – WTF eye rolls. But let’s just say – they didn’t say much once they were in my kitchen that day because they were stuffing their faces with these loaded treats that are deceivingly good for you.
I still have a ways to go to get Max to attempt “green” anything, but if you have a child who doesn’t love veggies – maybe you’re just giving them the wrong way and need a new approach. Take it from a child who hated veggies herself. I remember refusing (and hiding) succotash and butter beans in the garbage (who would DO THAT to a child), but if there was vegetable pizza on the table – it was all mine.
So – enough banter, let’s get baking shall we?
Ingredients
2 can of crescent rolls
1 tub of Heluva Good! Buttermilk Ranch Dip
1 head of broccoli, chopped
1 head of cauliflower, chopped
3 carrots, sliced into “ornaments”
1 block of Vermont Cabot Cheddar Cheese (personally I love the horseradish one for some kick).
Directions
1. Place a sheet of parchment paper in the bottom of your sheet pan first (you’ll thank me when your cookies don’t stick and rip apart).
2. Place the crescent rolls on the sheet to make one large piece of dough. You can push them together with your finger to get rid of the cracks.
3. Bake for 8 minutes at 350 degrees – DO NOT OVER BAKE! Let cool (I also usually take the Heluva Good! dip out here to let it get to room temperate a little to help it spread easier).
4. While that’s baking, chop all your veggies in the food processor – or by hand. Place them each in little bowls.
5. A tip – I used the end of an icing bag to cut out my “stars” with the cheese.
6. Once the dough has cooled, use some of your favorite cookie cutter to get creative here. Clearly we went with snowmen and Christmas trees! Carrots make perfect ornaments.
7. Once you cut them out, ice them with the Heluva Good! Buttermilk Ranch dip, and then sprinkle with your choice of veggies. The original “pizza” was a mix of all veggies, but getting into the holiday spirit here let’s you be more creative.
8. Viola! Here you have the vegetable pizza rendition of 2017. Trust me when I say, these will be among some of the first times you lay out to get devoured.
What’s one of your own favorite childhood holiday memories that you could bring back this year?
In partnership with Heluva Good!
