Pizza Wreath: Easy Christmas Party Food! Recipe
This festive Pizza Wreath is a perfect and easy Christmas party appetizer, featuring a delicious combination of pizza sauce, mozzarella balls, cherry tomatoes, pesto, and fresh basil baked on a crispy pizza crust shaped like a holiday wreath.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20-24 minutes
- Total Time: 30-34 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
Scale
Base
- 1 can refrigerated pizza crust
Sauces
- ½ cup pizza sauce
- ¼ cup pesto sauce
Toppings
- 10–12 small mozzarella balls
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, shredded and divided
Instructions
- Prepare and Precook the Dough: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Unroll the refrigerated pizza dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Shape it into a large circle by gently stretching the dough, leaving an open center resembling a wreath. Prebake the dough for 8-9 minutes to set the shape.
- Spread the Sauce: Evenly spread a layer of pizza sauce over the entire surface of the precooked dough, ensuring full coverage for balanced flavor.
- Add the Toppings: Arrange the halved cherry tomatoes and small mozzarella balls evenly over the sauce, pressing them lightly into the dough so they adhere well during baking. Drizzle pesto sauce across the wreath. Sprinkle about half of the shredded basil leaves on top. Brush the folded dough edges lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste for added flavor and a golden finish.
- Bake the Wreath: Return the baking sheet to the preheated oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown and the cheese is melted, bubbly, and slightly browned on top.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove the wreath from the oven and allow it to cool slightly. Garnish with the remaining fresh basil leaves distributed around the wreath before serving to add a fresh, aromatic touch.
Notes
- Use parchment paper to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- You can substitute fresh mozzarella balls with shredded mozzarella if unavailable.
- The pesto drizzle can be adjusted to taste or replaced with garlic butter for variation.
- Ensure not to overbake the crust to keep it tender yet crisp.
- This recipe can be prepared ahead up to the prebaking step and topped just before baking.
Keywords: pizza wreath, Christmas party food, holiday appetizer, easy pizza recipe, festive appetizer, mozzarella, pesto, cherry tomatoes
