Editor's note: This has been previously published on the author's website.
I love vegetables, but there are many people who don’t, or at least they haven’t found a way to prepare them to fit their tastes. Vegetables in their raw form are the healthiest, but there are not a lot of unique ways to prepare raw vegetables.
I love dips with a platter full of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, but I can have all these things in a tasty and easy-to-make appetizer that is nice for a summer lunch or snack. These fresh veggie pizza bars are easy, light and delicious. If you don’t have a hand chopper, I would recommend getting one. They make preparation so easy, especially when you want a variety of veggies in a recipe. And you can use just about any type of vegetable that can be eaten raw.
Once you have everything chopped, this recipe is easy to assemble and the presentation is colorful and inviting.
*****
Belle’s Fresh Veggie Pizza Bars
1 (8-ounce) tube crescent rolls
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons ranch salad dressing
½ cup chopped broccoli
½ cup chopped carrots
½ cup chopped cauliflower
½ cup chopped green onions
Unroll the crescent dough on a large baking pan. Spread it out and seal the lines to make a solid rectangle of dough. Bake at 375 degrees for about 11 minutes or until the dough is lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese and salad dressing until smooth. Spread evenly over the crust and then evenly sprinkle with all the vegetables. Press the vegetables lightly into the cream cheese.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour. Slice into bars and serve.
Brenda Stanley is the mother of five children, including two sets of twins, and a grandmother of five. She is a cookbook author and novelist. For more recipes and information, visit her website www.talesofthedinnerbelle.com.