Description
Festive Christmas tree spinach breadsticks bring Italian-inspired holiday cheer to your table with elegant green spirals. Crisp herbal edges and cheesy charm make these appetizers perfect for seasonal celebrations you’ll want to share with friends and family.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 tube refrigerated pizza dough (13.8 ounces, 391 grams)
- 1 cup (100 grams) grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup (50 grams) grated parmesan cheese
Cheese and Dairy:
- 6 ounces (170 grams) cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) butter
Seasonings and Spices:
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (for mixture)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (for topping)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or garlic salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, ensuring even temperature distribution for optimal baking.
- Combine spinach and cream cheese in a mixing bowl, creating a smooth base. Incorporate garlic, salt, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, Italian seasoning, and cheeses until the mixture reaches a creamy consistency.
- Unfold pizza dough onto parchment paper. Craft a large triangular shape with two smaller triangles, carefully joining them to form a cohesive tree-like structure.
- Generously spread the prepared spinach mixture across the joined triangular dough, ensuring even coverage.
- Position the remaining large triangle on top, creating a filled sandwich. Maintain an uncut central spine approximately one inch wide.
- Using a sharp knife, create parallel strips extending from the central spine to the edges, spacing them evenly at one-inch intervals.
- Gently twist each strip, alternating twist intensity. Shorter upper strips receive a half-turn, while longer bottom strips get two to three complete rotations.
- Transfer the assembled breadstick tree to the preheated oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes until achieving a uniform golden-brown coloration.
- While baking concludes, prepare a garlic-infused butter mixture with complementary seasonings. Once baked, immediately brush the hot breadsticks with the aromatic butter blend before serving.
Notes
- Make Ahead Prep the spinach mixture up to 2 days in advance and store in the refrigerator for quick assembly.
- Gluten-Free Swap regular pizza dough with gluten-free alternatives like cauliflower or almond flour dough to accommodate dietary restrictions.
- Cheese Variations Experiment with different cheese combinations like feta, gouda, or blue cheese for unique flavor profiles that complement the spinach filling.
- Healthier Twist Replace cream cheese with Greek yogurt to reduce fat content while maintaining a creamy texture and adding extra protein to the recipe.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 330 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg