Spinach and Feta Stuffed Bread Christmas Tree

This Spinach and Feta stuffed bread is so easy to make and has the most delicious flavor. It makes a lovely holiday Christmas Tree appetizer or can be in the form of a regular stuffed bread any other time of year!

Don't you just love the Spinach and Feta flavor combo? I am such a fan of all things Spinach and Feta so of course I just had to make a Spinach and Feta Stuffed Bread and shape it like a Christmas Tree!

From the first time I tasted Spanikopita, at a street fair in NYC, I was hooked. There's just something so perfect abut spinach when it takes of the flavor of the delicious herbs and spices you mix in and the strong, salty flavor if the feta cheese. Anytime I see food made with that combination, I can't help but get some of whatever it is. Oddly, I never tried to replicate it. Until now.

After the success of the awesome Buffalo Chicken Braid that I made, I've been thinking about making another braid with a different flavor profile. And being that Christmas is right around the corner, the natural next step seemed to be the Spinach and Feta combo shaped into a Christmas tree because I'm corny like that.

While I generally have to tweek recipes that I create a few times before I have the final measurements, I can proudly state that I knocked the flavors on this one out of the park on the first go-around. I love the delicious flavor of the spinach and feta mixture! Make sure you err on the cautious side in terms of baking time. At 25 minutes the bottom wasn't fully done so I had to put it in for a few more. Every oven is different.

Spinach and Feta Stuffed Bread Christmas Tree

Source: The Life Jolie (please note: if you want to do this as a non-tree shaped bread, you'll refer to this recipe for baking time and shaping the dough and you'll used a crescent roll sheet).

Ingredients:

• 1 12 oz. package of frozen Spinach, thawed and rung out well to remove extra water (I wrapped it in some paper towel to do this- I'd imagine a cheese cloth would be even better)
• ¼ cup of finely diced onions
• ¾ cup of crumbled Feta cheese
• ⅓ of a cup of cottage cheese
• 2 tbsp. of olive oil
• 1 tsp. of dried parsley
• ½ tsp. of dried dill
• ¼ tsp. of black pepper
• ½ tsp. of sea salt
• ⅛ tsp. of nutmeg
• 1 package of crescent rolls
• 1 egg mixed with a Tbsp. or two of water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mix the first 10 ingredients until well combined. Set aside.

On an ungreased, parchment lined pan, lay out 4 pieces of your crescent roll dough to that it forms two triangles on top of each other (as per step 1 in the below photo).

Add two more pieces of crescent toll dough flipped vertically to the bottom triangle. This should make your two triangles look like one large one (as per step 2 in the below photo). Use a rolling pin to press them together and flatten it tightly.

Place the spinach mixture onto the dough leaving an inch or two around the edges. Fold these edges up and around the edges of the spinach mixture (as per step 3 in the below photo).

Cut the remaining two pieces of crescent roll dough into strips, using them to make criss-crosses over the rest of the tree, a star for the top and a stump for the bottom. Press these all into place (as per steps 3, 4 and 5 in the below photo. Your tree should look like step 6 at this point).

Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the dough parts of the tree with your egg wash. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until to dough is golden brown and the bottom is baked through (check it very carefully using a spatula, I had more issues with the bottom in the tree shape than the regular braid shape, so make sure you give it enough time). Serve right away or refrigerate until ready.

Enjoy!

Make it a meal!

A few great recipes to round out and complete this meal are:

• Pomegranate and Thyme Baked Brie Appetizer
• Easiest Ever Hot Artichoke Dip
• Orange Rosemary Oven Roast Turkey
• Whole Roasted Chicken
• Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
• Homemade Cranberry Sauce
• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
• Peppermint Ice Cream Pie
• Puff Pastry Breakfast Pizza

You can find a full index of my recipes here.

Don't forget to follow The Life Jolie on Pinterest for more recipe inspiration!

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