Garden Veggie Pizza Squares

I was about 14 years old when I attended a small get together with the folks from my church choir. It was there when I first had a taste of the ever popular Garden Veggie Pizza Squares. Since then, I've been to quite a few parties and gatherings where these appetizer squares were being served. And every single time I have one, I smile and think about my beloved church choir I grew up with. I'm sure everyone is familiar with this appetizer. Aside from the nostalgia is gives me, it's hard to pass up a buttery crust topped with ranch flavored cream cheese,fresh vegetables and cheese. One reason why I liked this so much was because it was the very few ways I could eat broccoli and cauliflower (at least, back then)!

If you have someone reluctant to eat vegetables, try this recipe. Chop up those veggies and throw them on top of these pizza squares. You just might be surprised to see them eat the veggies willingly. This is one of those recipes you can just adapt to your tastes or whatever you have on hand to use. Most importantly, have fun being creative with this pizza! It makes for a great appetizer, especially for the holidays... and it's a nice dish to highlight colorful vegetables.

Garden Veggie Pizza Squares

recipe adapted from AllRecipes

1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
4oz cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon from a 1oz package Ranch-style dressing mix
1/4 cup baby carrots, chopped
1/4 cup sliced white button mushrooms
1 tablespoon sliced black olives
1/4 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup blanched fresh broccoli
1/4 cup blanched fresh cauliflower
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Roll out crescent rolls onto a large non-stick baking sheet or 9x13 baking dish. Stretch and flatten to form a single rectangular shape on the baking sheet. Bake 11 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Allow to cool.

Place cream cheese in a medium bowl. Mix cream cheese with the ranch dressing mix. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange the vegetables on top. Chill in the refrigerator approximately 1 hour. Cut into bite-size squares to serve.