Description
This festive Christmas Tree Appetizer features a delicious spinach and cheese filling wrapped in a golden, crispy pizza dough. Perfect for holiday gatherings, this eye-catching appetizer combines creamy spinach dip with savory cheeses, shaped beautifully like a Christmas tree to delight your guests.
Ingredients
Scale
Spinach Cheese Filling
- 10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and water squeezed out)
- 6 ounces cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese (or a combination of the two)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Dough
- 1 tube refrigerated pizza crust
Topping
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F and position the oven rack toward the bottom. Prepare two large rectangular pieces of parchment paper, placing one on a baking sheet and setting both aside.
- Prepare the Spinach Mixture: Using an electric mixer, beat together the thawed spinach and softened cream cheese in a medium bowl. Add minced garlic, salt, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and Italian seasoning, then mix again until well combined.
- Add the Cheeses: Stir in the grated parmesan cheese and half of the shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese until fully blended with the spinach mixture.
- Shape the Dough: Unroll the pizza dough onto the parchment paper not on the baking sheet. If the dough is uneven, use a rolling pin to smooth it out. Cut a large triangle from the dough with a pizza cutter, with the base of the triangle at the smaller bottom side of the rectangle.
- Form the Tree Base: Transfer the leftover dough triangle pieces onto the second parchment paper on the baking sheet. Press their long sides together to create the base of your Christmas tree, gently shaping it as needed. Reserve a small piece of dough for the tree trunk.
- Assemble the Tree: Spread the spinach mixture evenly over the shaped dough base. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese on top. Flip the remaining piece of dough over the filling to cover it fully. You may need to gently tug the dough to fit it properly.
- Create the Branches: Using a pizza cutter, cut 1-inch wide slits on both sides of the dough, leaving the center intact, to create the ‘branches’ of the tree. Twist each branch 2-3 times, and for the small top slice, give it a half twist.
- Bake: Place the assembled tree in the preheated oven and bake for 20-22 minutes, until the dough is cooked through and the surface is golden brown.
- Add Finishing Touch: Mix melted butter with Italian seasoning and garlic powder, then brush this mixture over the warm baked appetizer. Serve immediately for best flavor and presentation.
Notes
- If the dough stretches while shaping, gently tug it back into the desired shape—it’s flexible.
- Using a combination of cheddar and mozzarella cheese provides a nice blend of flavors and melting qualities.
- Make sure to squeeze out all excess water from the spinach to prevent soggy dough.
- Twisting the dough branches gives the appetizer a festive and attractive look, as well as additional texture.
- Serve warm to enjoy the creamy melted cheese and crisp dough texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 piece (approx.)
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 280 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
