Pesto Bread Wreath with Warm Sun-dried Tomato Goat Cheese Spread

A Pesto Bread Wreath with Warm Sun-dried Tomato Goat Cheese Spread is an easy, holiday appetizer with irresistible Italian flavors packed into buttery crescent roll dough. 

Pesto Crescent Wreath and Baked Goat Cheese Spread

When you’re entertaining, you need a handful of easy, seasonal appetizers in your arsenal that will impress and appeal to the masses.

Using store-bought ingredients, you can make this semi-homemade pesto crescent bread wreath that’s almost too pretty to eat. Paired with a warm sun-dried tomato goat cheese spread, it’s a familiar and comforting combo of flavors that guests can’t resist.

Ingredients for an Easy Pesto Bread Wreath and Goat Cheese Spread

For the Spread:

• Goat cheese — soft, fresh goat cheese is what you’ll need.
• Cream cheese — just your run of the mill cream cheese. This will melt a little (something the goat cheese doesn’t really do) and add some lesser expensive volume to your spread.
• Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil — you’ll need the tomatoes and a little of the oil to add that umami packed flavor to the cheese.
• Toasted pine nuts — use this to garnish the spread and wreath, but it’s totally optional.

For the Wreath:

• Refrigerated crescent dough — who doesn’t love crescent rolls? And, who wants to make laminated dough from scratch? (Not me!). I’m partial to Immaculate Organic Crescent Rolls.
• Basil pesto — homemade basil pesto is absolutely amazing, but if you’re in a time crunch, prepared pesto is a lifesaver.
• Fresh basil and little tomatoes — to garnish your wreath and add that super festive feel.

How to Make Sun-dried Tomato Goat Cheese Spread

Start with room temperature or softened softened goat and cream cheeses. Combine these in a mixing bowl along with sun-dried tomato oil, a pinch of kosher salt + fresh cracked pepper and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. You can stir it by hand or use an electric handheld mixer. Transfer the cheese to a small oven-proof ramekin and set aside.

How to Make a Pesto Bread Wreath with Crescent Dough

Unroll each tube of crescent roll dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pinch the perforated seams together. Spread 1/4 cup of prepared basil pesto over each leaving about 1/2″ along the edges. Starting with the long edge, roll the dough up and pinch the seam to seal.

Place a roll seam side down and cut it in half along its length. Turn the cut sides up and twist the two halves together. Repeat with the other roll.

You have the option of making one large (as pictured) or two smaller wreaths.

• For two smaller wreaths, simply take each twisted roll and curl it into circle. Place these on a sheet pan lined with parchment.
• For one larger wreath, place the goat cheese ramekin in the center of a sheet pan lined with parchment. Take one of the twisted rolls and place it on the pan to create a semicircle around the cheese, leaving a 1” gap between the dough and the ramekin. Repeat with the other twisted roll, then pinch the ends together to seal.

Important tip if you’re making one large wreath: after you’ve formed the wreath, remove the ramekin to another part of the sheet pan where it won’t touch the bread wreath. You can bake them at the same time, but this will ensure the dough cooks evenly and all the way through. You can carefully place the ramekin back in the center of the wreath to serve.

Serving Pesto Bread Wreath with Sun-dried Tomato Goat Cheese

For two smaller wreaths, arrange them on a platter next to the ramekin of goat cheese. For one large wreath, transfer the wreath to a serving dish with the help of a large spatula, then carefully pace the ramekin in the center of the wreath.

Garnish the goat cheese with toasted pine nuts. Add whole basil leaves and few whole and halved cherry or grape tomatoes to the bread wreath.

Cut small wedges from the bread wreath on which guests to spread the sun-dried tomato goat cheese.

More Recipes to Enjoy at the Holidays!

• Cranberry + Brie Donuts
• Cranberry-Lime Natale Sparkler
• No-Bake Mini Key Lime Cheesecakes
• Spiced Orange Cranberry Sweet Rolls

Pesto Bread Wreath with Warm Sun-dried Tomato Goat Cheese Spread

Sip + Sanity | Linda Feller

This is an easy, holiday appetizer with irresistible Italian flavors packed into buttery crescent roll dough. 

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Prep time.Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook time.Cook Time 23 minutes minutes

Total time.Total Time 38 minutes minutes

Course.Course Appetizer

Cuisine.Cuisine Italian

Number of servings.Servings 16 servings

Calories per serving.Calories 192 kcal

Ingredients

Goat Cheese Spread

• 4 ounce goat cheese log, room temperature
• 4 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil, from jar of sun-dried tomatoes
• pinch kosher salt + fresh cracked black pepper
• ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained + chopped
• 2 tablespoon toasted pine nuts, to garnish

Bread Wreath

• 2 8-oz tubes crescent roll dough
• ½ cup prepared basil pesto
• 6 leaves fresh basil, to garnish
• 6 cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes, to garnish

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Add softened goat and cream cheeses to a mixing bowl along with 1 tbsp of sun-dried tomato oil, a pinch of kosher salt + fresh cracked pepper. Combine with a wooden spoon or electric hand-held mixer. Fold in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Transfer to an oven safe ramekin.
• Unroll each tube of crescent roll dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently pinch the perforated seams together. Spread 1/4 cup of prepared basil pesto over each leaving about 1/2" along the edges. Roll the dough back up and pinch the seam to seal.
• Place a roll seam side down and cut it in half along its length. Turn the cut sides up and twist the two halves together. Repeat with the other roll.
• Place the ramekin of goat cheese in the center of sheet pan lined with parchment. Take one of the twisted rolls and place it in the pan to create a semicircle around the ramekin. Repeat with the other twisted roll. Leave a 1" gap between the ramekin and dough. Pinch the ends of the rolls together. Remove the ramekin to another part of the sheet pan to ensure the crescent dough cooks evenly and all the way through.
• Bake for 20 to 23 minutes until the dough is golden brown and the cheese is bubbling.
• With the help of a large spatula, transfer the wreath to a serving board. You can place the ramekin back in the center. Sprinkle the cheese dip with toasted pine nuts and garnish the wreath with basil leaves and tiny tomatoes.

Notes

To make two smaller wreaths, simply take each twisted roll and curl it into circle. Place these on a sheet pan lined with parchment. Serve the goat cheese spread on the side.

Nutrition

Calories: 192kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 349mg | Potassium: 47mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 359IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg

Keywords.Keyword christmas, holidays, oven, vegetarian

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