Today I want to offer you an easy, quick, and fancy Christmas-themed recipe, an original idea for an appetizer to serve for the holidays: The Bread Tree. Soft sandwich bread shaped like a tree, filled with a delicious cheese cream, cold cuts, and lettuce. Last year I prepared the Filled Bread Tree, which was a great success, so this year I wanted to present this beautiful appetizer again, which will kick off the Christmas, New Year’s, and Epiphany holiday meals in style.
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- Portions: 6
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Energy 175.05 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 16.50 (g) of which sugars 2.86 (g)
- Proteins 9.87 (g)
- Fat 6.64 (g) of which saturated 2.49 (g)of which unsaturated 1.20 (g)
- Fibers 1.16 (g)
- Sodium 210.97 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Bread Tree
- 3 slices sandwich bread (large)
- 3 slices turkey breast
- 5.3 oz ricotta
- 4.4 oz Greek yogurt
- 3 quail eggs
- 4 green olives in brine
- to taste pistachio flour
- to taste parsley
- to taste lettuce
What You Need for the Bread Tree
- 1 Tray
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Small Pot
Procedure for the Bread Tree
To create this Filled Bread Tree, I purchased a sandwich bread larger than usual, which I found at Lidl.
If you can’t find it, then place two slices side by side and cut the size you need. The filling cream will camouflage the gaps.
To create the tree shape, take a sheet of paper and fold it in half lengthwise.
Draw half a tree on it, trying to adjust according to the size of the bread slices, and cut it out. When you open the sheet, you’ll get a perfect whole tree.
Place 3 slices of bread on a surface, place the paper tree shape on top, and cut out with a sharp knife. If desired, you can also cut the slices one by one.
In a bowl, place the ricotta, well-drained from its whey, and the Greek yogurt, and mix these two ingredients with a fork.
Chop the slices of turkey breast or any other cold cuts you prefer or have available, and mix them with the cheeses.
Place the first tree on a tray and spread it with 1/3 of the filling and some lettuce leaves. Proceed the same way with the second slice of bread.
On the third and last tree, spread only the filling without lettuce, trying to level it well and cover the entire surface.
Create the decorations with pistachio flour. Add the quail eggs cut in half (which can be replaced with chicken egg wedges), previously boiled in a small pot, and the pitted olives cut in half.
Place a parsley leaf on the end of each egg and each olive, while the tree trunk should be garnished with parsley stems.
The Bread Tree is ready. It is recommended to prepare it in advance, possibly the day before. This will not only help with the preparation of the holiday lunch courses but will also allow the bread to absorb moisture and flavor well.
Naturally, the tree should be placed in a closed container and stored in the fridge. Enjoy your meal!
Annamaria’s Tips
You can also read: Appetizers for All Occasions
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