Description

This festive Christmas Tree Pizza features a unique tree-shaped pizza dough filled with mozzarella cheese sticks and topped with a flavorful blend of Alfredo sauce, pesto, mozzarella, and colorful toppings like green bell pepper slices, cherry tomatoes, and mini pepperoni. Baked to golden perfection, it makes a fun and delicious holiday appetizer that’s sure to impress your guests.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Dough and Base

1 pound pizza dough (or two 11-ounce cans refrigerated bread dough)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Italian herbs
¼ cup Alfredo sauce (store-bought)
1 tablespoon jarred pesto sauce

Cheese

5 mozzarella cheese sticks
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Toppings and Garnish

½ small green bell pepper (sliced to make garland)
¼ cup cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
2 tablespoons mini pepperoni slices

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Instructions

Prepare the Oven and Baking Sheet: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and position the oven rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat to prevent sticking and to ensure even baking.
Shape the Dough: Roll out the pizza dough into a large triangular Christmas tree shape on the prepared baking sheet. Take care to create a wide base and pointed top to resemble a tree, trimming excess dough as needed.
Assemble the Cheese-Stuffed Tree: Lay the mozzarella cheese sticks horizontally across the dough shape, leaving space for folding. Fold the dough edges over the cheese sticks to enclose them, forming layers like branches of the tree.
Mix and Spread Sauces: In a small bowl, combine the Alfredo sauce and pesto sauce. Spread this mixture evenly over the surface of the dough, extending to the edges but avoiding sealing any openings of cheese-filled dough.
Sprinkle Cheese and Herbs: Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce-spread dough, followed by a light dusting of Italian herbs and the grated Parmesan cheese for an extra burst of flavor and appealing golden color after baking.
Add Toppings to Decorate: Arrange the sliced green bell peppers as garland stripes across the tree. Place halved cherry tomatoes to mimic ornaments, and scatter mini pepperoni slices evenly to complete the festive look.
Bake the Pizza Tree: Place the baking sheet with the assembled pizza in the preheated oven. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown, cheese is melted and bubbly, and the toppings are slightly roasted.
Cool and Serve: Remove the Christmas Tree Pizza from the oven and let it cool slightly before slicing. This helps the cheese set a bit for cleaner slices. Serve warm as a festive appetizer or fun main dish during holiday gatherings.

Notes

This cheese-filled Christmas Tree Pizza is perfect for holiday parties and makes a delightful appetizer or kid-friendly snack.
You can customize toppings to your preference; consider adding olives, mushrooms, or different bell pepper colors for more festive decoration.
Use store-bought dough to save time, but homemade pizza dough will also work well.
Make sure to seal the cheese sticks well inside the dough to avoid leakage during baking.
Allow the pizza to cool slightly after baking to prevent burns from hot melted cheese.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/6 of pizza)
Calories: 360
Sugar: 3g
Sodium: 560mg
Fat: 18g
Saturated Fat: 8g
Unsaturated Fat: 7g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 34g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 18g
Cholesterol: 45mg