How To Make an Appetizer Wreath

‘Tis the season for over-the-top holiday appetizers that are almost too cute to eat. Stuffed with cream cheese, veggies and bacon (yum!), this adorable wreath appetizer promises to impress your guests before the meal even starts!

What you’ll need:

• 6 slices bacon
• 1/2 cup chive-and-onion cream cheese spread (from 8 oz. container)
• 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
• 2 c frozen broccoli (thawed, finely chopped, patted dry with paper towel)
• 1/3 c diced red bell pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp sesame seed
• Fresh rosemary, if desired

Preheat oven to 375°. Cook bacon until crisp. Drain bacon on a paper towel, and chop or crumble into tiny pieces. Set aside. Unroll both cans of dinner roll dough and separate into 16 triangles. (Hint: crescent dough is much easier to work with when chilled, so keep the dough refrigerated until you’re ready to start.)

On an ungreased large cookie sheet, arrange triangles with their points facing outward (don’t worry about the crescent points laying over the cookie sheet). The base of the triangle should be facing inward, with all bases overlapping a bit to create a wreath shape. Leave a 4-inch round circle open in the center and press where the triangle bases overlap to flatten.

First, spread the cream cheese onto the crescent dough, leaving 1 inch between the spread and the crescent points. In a small bowl, mix the crumbled bacon, broccoli and bell pepper.

Spoon bacon, broccoli and bell pepper mixture onto the widest part of the crescent dough. Pull end points of triangles over the broccoli mixture and tuck under the dough to form a ring (the filling will be visible). Carefully brush top of wreath with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seed.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until deep golden brown. Let the wreath cool for 5 minutes. With a broad spatula, carefully loosen the wreath from the cookie sheet and slide onto its serving platter. Garnish with fresh rosemary, serve warm and enjoy!