Veggie Pizza

Veggie pizza was a staple at every family gathering when I was a kid and I tore it up. In my opinion, the best way to eat raw veggies! Since, I've been married, this gem of a small bite sort of slipped out of the party food rotation. Not for any particular reason might I add. 

It wasn't until my 40th birthday, back in April, when I was researching old school recipes I remembered, "Veggie Pizza." I put my sister on veggie pizza duty for my party. As we sat out the appetizers, I was floored by how many people didn't know what it was. Of course, my side of the family knew exactly what it was and claimed their nostalgic bite. I simply explained the deliciousness behind the veggie pizza to the unsuspecting folks and warned them after their first bite it will be hard not to have another. 

A few months went by and my mom's office was throwing a retirement party for a co-worker. The women asked my mom to make veggie pizza. Many of her co-workers were perplexed with the idea of veggie pizza. Mom told me there were only a few other people in her entire office that knew what veggie pizza was. 

Well, after two recent parties and finding out the veggie pizza was just about to go extinct, I decided I had to write a blog post about it and start a pledge to save the veggie pizza. 

Pledge you will make this pizza, serve it at all your family gatherings and spread the word to save the veggie pizza.

VEGGIE PIZZA:

2 containers of Pillsbury Crescent Roll Dough

2 Packages of cream cheese, softened

1 package of Hidden Valley Ranch Dry Mix

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 head of broccoli

1 head of cauliflower

1 heaping cup of shredded carrots

1 red pepper, sliced thin

1 heaping cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll both tubes  crescent roll dough onto the parchment.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Let them cool completely.

Meanwhile, beat together the sour cream, cream cheese and Ranch powder together in a large bowl.

Spread each half of the crescent slabs with an even amount of the cream cheese mixture. 

Cut up the vegetables, rinse and dry. Sprinkle the veggies and the cheese over both crescent halves and press the veggies gently down into the cheese mixture. 

Each slab will yield 16 pieces. 

Store the pizza in the fridge in a tightly sealed container. I like to separate the layers of pizza with parchment paper. Best if served the same day the dough was baked. 

PREPARATION TIP: Make the cheese mixture and chop the veggies several days ahead of time. On the day you will serve the pizza, bake the crescent rolls and let the cheese mixture warm up on the counter while you bake the crescent rolls. Then assemble and serve.