Easy Midwest Veggie Pizza Recipe – A Cold Party Appetizer Favorite

Learn how to make this classic Midwest Veggie Pizza Appetizer! Featuring buttery crescent rolls as the crust, cream cheese spread, and fresh veggies, this cold appetizer is a perfect crowd-pleaser for parties and gatherings.

Who knew that a simple text to a friend could spark such a crazy debate? It all started when I sent a picture of a dish I had made, per the request of my daughter, and casually asked, “What do you call this?” Little did I know, I was stepping into what would become recipe controversy! My friend, Kim who blogs at Exquisitely Unremarkable, grew up in New York, had no idea what I had sent her a picture of!

So, I took to Instagram and Facebook. To my surprise, my friends who live in the Northeast had no idea what this delicious, staple appetizer was! However, the majority of the people who commented, that knew what it was, called it “Veggie Pizza”. It was such a fun reminder of how food can bring people together, spark conversations, and highlight the unique traditions that define different regions.

Growing up, this cold Pillsbury Veggie Pizza appetizer was an absolute staple at every gathering, no matter the season. Family reunions, holiday parties, church events, potlucks—you name it, this dish was always served. It was so common in my world that I just assumed everyone everywhere had grown up with it, too. But as it turns out, this might actually be a Midwest recipe—a regional classic that the rest of the country hasn’t had the pleasure of experiencing.

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I called my parents and asked them to send me a picture of the recipe card from my mom’s cookbook. This treasured recipe comes from my Aunt Mary Jo. There’s something so special about handwritten recipe cards—they bring an extra layer of nostalgia and warmth to any recipe.

I realized how many times I’ve made this recipe without giving it much thought (I’ve made it so many times that my daughter texted her short order chef me from school asking me to make it…that’s how this whole thing got started!) It’s always been one of those dishes that feels like home—simple and familiar. I had no idea that so many people outside the Midwest might not have ever heard of it. Whether you know it as Veggie Pizza, Crescent Roll Pizza, or something else, it’s such a classic, and I think it’s worth sharing.

Ingredient Controversy

While most of the toppings are typically the same: broccoli, cauliflower, carrots tomatoes, and shredded cheddar cheese, some of the ingredients are up for debate!

Additional ingredients to add: black olives or red and green sweet peppers sliced into thin strips for a vibrant topping.

Ingredients I never use: raw onions, that’s the best way to ruin a veggie pizza in my opinion. The flavor infuses the rest of the ingredients too much and overpowers the overall taste. Besides, no one wants onion breath at a party! 😉Alternatively, Green onions are a great addition if you prefer a bit of mild onion flavor. I also never use ranch dressing…I’m just not a fan of ranch dressing to begin with, so I don’t use it. Our version of the recipe calls for cream cheese and a touch of sour cream or mayonnaise to help thin out the cream cheese mixture to make it more spreadable (my mom always uses mayonnaise).

Alternatively, the base of the pizza can be made with different ingredients. The typical crust base is made from Pillsbury Crescent rolls, laid flat and formed on a pan to make a “pizza crust”. However, you can also use Pillsbury pizza dough. That’s actually what I did for these photos – and I have to be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan. I definitely prefer the thinner, buttery crescent roll crust.

Tips For Success

• Can you use frozen vegetables? No, I would not. The moisture content is frozen vegetables from freezing them is high and would make this veggie pizza watery.
• How do you cut the vegetables? Using a sharp knife, dice the vegetables into small pieces so that when you cut the pizza slices, you have every vegetable on each slice of pizza.
• What’s the best way to cut the carrots? Use a box grater (aka a cheese grater) to grate the carrots into thin slices. Otherwise, they are too thick and crunchy for my liking.
• Black olives – if you use black olives, buy the cans of already sliced black olives. This will help save you a lot of time!
• Grape tomatoes – I prefer to use grape tomatoes versus any other tomato because they are a low water content making it great fo ra pizza topping. You want to eliminate as much water from the vegetables soaking into the crust as much as possible
• How do you prevent soggy pizza crust? Always dry your vegetables with a paper towel before adding to the pizza.
• How do you spread the cream cheese topping onto the baked crescent rolls? Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing for the best texture. Mix the cream cheese with either sour cream or mayonnaise (we always used mayonnaise) with an electric mixer. Spread the cream cheese topping on top of the baked crust using a silicone spatula. Be careful not to tear the crescent roll crust

I just love this appetizer! It always makes me feel a little less guilty when I select this over other appetizers like Super Bowl Pigs In A Blanket Chili Cheese Dip (despite that being delicious!)

An extra bonus is that my kids, whom aren’t always keen on eating vegetables…especially raw, will eat this pizza! All 3 of them! That right there is a major mom win if I do say so myself!

Printable Recipe Card

Have you tried this recipe before, or is it new to you? Let me know in the comments! If you’re inspired to make it, grab the printable recipe card above and give it a go. I’d love to hear how it turns out for you. Don’t forget to share it with your friends—this dish is too good to keep to yourself!

More Delicious Midwest Dishes

No-Bake Strawberry Pretzel Jello

Goat Cheese Scalloped Potatoes