Christmas Tree Spinach Dip Appetizer

The perfect appetizer for holiday gatherings. Bread is filled with spinach cheese dip, formed into a Christmas tree shape, and cut into ‘branches’ for an easy pull-apart breadstick.

Time

• Prep time: 30 Minutes
• Cook time: 30 Minutes
• Resting time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Key Ingredients Needed

For bread base

• 1 and 1/2 cups (200gms) all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 Tablespoon sugar
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon dry yeast
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

For spinach cheese filling

• 2 and 1/2 cup spinach Blanched & finely chopped
• 3/4 cup cream cheese softened
• 2-3 medium garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese grated, OR mozzarella

Instructions/Step By Step Directions

For bread base

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 180°C or 350°F.

Step 2: In a bowl, add water, yeast, and sugar. Mix well and keep aside for 3-4 minutes or until you see bubbles on top.

Step 3: In a large bowl, add all-purpose flour and salt. Mix well.

Step 4: Add olive oil to the yeast mixture, then add this mixture to the flour mixture and knead soft dough. (Don’t knead for too long just mix everything well. Keep the dough in a warm and draft-free place, like your oven or microwave, for 60-90 minutes to rise.)

Step 5: In a bowl, mix together the spinach mixture, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, cheddar/ mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning, black pepper, minced garlic, and salt.

For the tree

Step 1: Roll out the bread dough on a parchment paper-lined baking tray; about 1/4th inch thick.

Step 2: Using a pizza cutter, cut the crust in a shape of a Christmas tree as shown in the photos. This will provide you with one large triangle (this will be your base) and two small ones (these will be the top). Transfer the two smaller triangles to another tray lined with parchment paper.

Step 3: Spread the spinach cheese dip on the large triangle evenly

Step 4: Top the spinach dip-lined triangle with the two small ones. You might have to stretch or tuck the dough a little to perfectly cover the base.

Step 5: Using a pizza cutter, cut 1-inch thick slices from the middle of the tree to the edge leaving a small space in between. Leave more space in the middle as you move to the bottom.

Step 6: Gently twist each slice (or branch) to form a tree shape. The top slice will be shorter, so you just have to give it a half or one twist; as you go down to the longer slices you would have to give them two or three twists.

Step 7: Bake for about 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top and cooked perfectly on the bottom.

Step 8: If you want you can sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese on the tree before putting it into the oven; and brush butter and garlic mixture on top after baking.

Step 9: Serve warm

Notes/Tips

• First, I start with making the dough. while it’s resting you can mix together the spinach mixture.
• Next, you’ll roll out the dough and cut it into triangles.
• Spread the spinach mixture over the base triangle and top with the smaller two.
• Finally, the fun part, cut the branches and twist them so that the spinach shows through.

Nutrition Information

• Yield: 20 servings
• Serving size: 1

Amount Per Serving

• Calories: 132kcal
• Carbohydrates: 15g
• Protein: 4g
• Fat: 6g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g
• Monounsaturated Fat: 2g
• Cholesterol: 14mg
• Sodium: 205mg
• Potassium: 67mg
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 1g
• Vitamin A: 518IU
• Vitamin C: 1mg
• Calcium: 69mg
• Iron: 1mg

* All nutritional information provided is approximate/estimated and can vary depending on several factors such as the exact ingredients you use, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
* Nutritional values were obtained with automatic software using the amounts of products used. To get the most accurate representation of the nutritional values, you should calculate them with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for the nutritional information obtained to be accurate.