This week, I’m re-introducing a fantastic recipe to many of you who have forgotten about it: fresh vegetable pizza! This used to be much more commonly seen at at various parties, food days, and group meals. Not sure why that no longer seems to be the case because this recipe is as delicious and versatile as ever! Appetizer cut into smaller pieces? Sure! Side dish in lieu of a salad and/or bread? Absolutely! Modern take on a veggie tray with ranch dressing? You betcha!
For those of you who somehow aren‘t familiar with this recipe in one or another, get ready to add another simple winner of a dish to your repertoire. It’s as easy as a quick bake of rolled out crescent rolls then spreading a homemade dip, then chopped veggies, and then cheese on top. It’s a great way to get people to eat veggies because they’re disguised and include carbs and cheese; who can resist that? This is a useful summer option when you have some of your own fresh garden veggies to contribute. But, it’s also equally easy any time of year because there are no rules with which veggies you use. Feel free to customize with what’s available and/or fresh (or even what is on sale that week!).
For those of you familiar with this recipe, you know this is is incredibly easy to customize to your group’s liking. Don’t like radishes? Leave them off or put them on the adult’s half of the pizza and leave off the kid’s half! Prefer to spice it up? Add some chopped jalapeños and use pepper jack cheese on top. Have OCD and can’t handle the jumble of chopped veggies haphazardly spread on top? Thinly slice the veggies instead and arrange in lines or expanding circles or whatever you prefer! Making it for/with picky children? Unroll the crescent rolls but leave them as flattened triangles instead of combining into one large sheet or use cookie cutters or biscuit cutters to make into shapes. Bake and then let each kid top their own piece with their fave toppings! If making this for a special occasion or holiday use the colors or shapes of the veggies to make a design!
As you can tell from the pictures I posted, I love using a wide variety of veggies. My personal OCD level doesn’t mind the mixed up chopped veggies. It does, however have an issue with too many of the same colors. For example, tomatoes are a must for me but I also love bell peppers so I have to use yellow peppers if I use both those. I’ve even gone so far as to get the mixed radishes and use the purple skinned ones just for more variety! Sometimes I use chive cream cheese or sometimes I top the chopped veggie layer with a sprinkling of fresh chives or green onions. I love that I can change this up every time I make it with different flavors and colors or tailor it to people’s taste preferences. However you choose to prepare this for your next gathering, I hope you love it as much as all the guests there are sure to!!!

Fresh Vegetable Pizza
Simple dish that's served as a side or appetizer and sure to please with it's customizability!
Ingredients
-2 (8 ounces each) tubes of crescent rolls
-16 ounces cream cheese, softened (I use half chive cream cheese and half original cream cheese)
-1 (16 ounce) dry ranch packet, less to taste
-4 tablespoons sour cream
-4 cups total assorted chopped veggies (cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, radishes, black olives)
-1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Directions
1) Spray large pan or cookie sheet and roll out crescent rolls so it’s a sheet of dough ( flat and even with seals pinched closed).
2) Bake according to crescent roll directions (mine was 350 degrees for approx 12 minutes) until light golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
3) Mix the softened cream cheese and sour cream and half of the ranch packet together well. Taste and add more ranch seasoning to taste.
4) Spread cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust in an even layer (all the way to the edges).
5) Sprinkle mixed veggies on top of the cream cheese layer so it’s mostly coated.
6) Sprinkle a fine layer of cheese on top of veggie layer, press down very lightly so veggies and cheese “stick” to the cream cheese layer.
7) Chill if not serving right or cut into serving size pieces and serve!
Crust…aka customizable food palette!
Veggies galore! Add, remove, or swap to your heart’s desire!!!
Cheeeeeeeeeese, yes please!
Simplified By Stacie 