Are you planning a Christmas party this year? Ms. Marion and I have whipped up a delicious recipe for you. It showcases all the veggies and herbs from our gardens as well as the pasta sauce we canned together.
What do you do at the end of the growing season when you have a small harvest? You eat it of course! As the days are shorter and colder, crops aren’t growing very quickly so harvests are smaller. When that happens, combining everything you’ve picked makes for a full meal. We were feeling a little festive and decided to make a pull apart Christmas tree pizza with our harvests from the day.
This is a fantastic appetizer for a holiday party, a great meal for a family or a fun way to get the kids in the kitchen. Best of all, it’s made with homegrown vegetables and herbs. This is one of those simple dishes that will have you smiling as you dig in.
How to make a pull apart christmas tree pizza
It all starts with a trip to the garden. Head down and harvest what you can. I cut broccoli, bell peppers, tomatoes, oregano and parsley. I completely forgot to pick basil but luckily Ms. Marion has been drying her herbs and we were able to use those in the dough. She also had artichokes. If you grew and canned artichokes, this is a great opportunity to use those. You can use any vegetables and toppings of course. There are a few things you’ll still need to pick up from your local grocery store however.
Ingredients
- Fresh vegetables from your garden
- Fresh or dried herbs from your garden
- Homemade canned pasta sauce or store bought marinara
- Pizza crust mix, 2 packages
- Italian cheese blend
- 1 cup of water
- Olive oil or 3 Tbsp melted butter
- 1 Tbsp Minced garlic (optional)
- Flour
Steps to making a pull apart Christmas tree pizza
- Follow the directions on the pizza crust mix package. We used two packages, which called for one cup of warm water.
- Mix dried herbs such as basil and oregano into the dough and allow dough to rise.
- Spread flour on a work surface and on your hands to keep the dough from sticking. The dough will be very sticky. Form 23 balls.
- Place the balls on a pizza stone in the shape of a tree. To do this, start at the top with one ball, then add one more ball to each row ending with six balls on the bottom row.
- Cut the remaining two balls in half and use those as the tree trunk.
- Brush the pizza balls with olive oil or melt three tablespoons of butter and mix in a tablespoon of minced garlic and brush over the tree.
- Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes to see how close they are as time will vary based on your oven and the size of the dough balls you made.
- Spread an even layer of homemade pasta sauce or store bought marinara over the Christmas tree. Then cover with cheese.
- Top the pull apart pizza Christmas tree with fresh vegetables and herbs from your garden. You can saute the vegetables first if you prefer softer vegetables or simply place them on the pizza raw like we did for a crunchier bite.
- Return to the oven for 5 minutes for crunchy vegetables or up to 10 minutes for softer ones.
- Place your warm sizzling pull apart Christmas tree pizza in the center of your table and watch your party guests swoon over it. Enjoy!
That’s it. This is a super easy holiday appetizer or meal that is sure to wow any crowd.
