Veggie Pizza

I don't entertain as much as I would prefer, but I still love a good excuse to whip up a batch of party foods when given the chance.  When I ended up in charge of the food for book group recently, I was actually excited when my food partner canceled on me and left me to stretch outside my zone of comfort foods and come up with some savory/healthy ideas as well.   This veggie pizza recipe from my friend Anita was the perfect fit.   It was easy and although it was chock full of vegetables, it was one of the most popular dishes of the night.  The ranch sauce and soft crescent crust was the perfect complement to the crispness of the fresh vegetables. 

 Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:

2 tubes crescent rolls (see if your store carries the seamless version, if not just piece together the rolls into a crust)
2 packages (8-ounces each) cream cheese (low-fat is perfect)
1 envelope (1-ounce)  original ranch dressing mix
3/4 cup mayonnaise
various vegetable toppings, very finely chopped (we used broccoli, red and green peppers, onions, and olives)
1 can sliced black olives
Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:  Unroll crescent rolls onto cookie sheet; spread out and bake according to package directions.  This becomes your crust.  Mix cream cheese, ranch mix, and mayonnaise together.  Spread onto cooked and cooled crust. (NOTE:  I did not end up using all of the cream cheese mixture.  I actually ended up making  another veggie pizza with it, but you could also use it as a veggie dip.)  

I started with about 2 tablespoons of finely chopped onions...

Then the shredded cheese (although you could save this for the top if desired)...

Garnish with finely grated vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green or red peppers, and zucchini.  Top all with sliced black olives ( and shredded cheese if you haven't added it already). 

NOTE:  The tinier you chop the veggies--the easier it is to eat.  Also you will want to cover the pizza with vegetables, but not pile it too high for the same reason.  

Enjoy!