I don’t know about you but the time change has left me feeling tired and drained. This happens every year, and generally lasts about a week.

How does losing 1 little hour make for an entire week of sluggishness?

The one bright spot to the week, all of the fabulous weather we have been having! The weather and having B home for his Spring Break make me almost forget how tired I am. Loving it!

Today I am sharing a totally outrageous Spinach and Artichoke Crescent Ring. This recipe came together a few weeks ago when we hosted a Euchre Tournament for some friends. Normally when we have a party I tend to make a full course meal with lots of finger foods, something hardier like this Pulled Pork with Whiskey Barbeque Sauce, Blackened Chicken Alfredo Casserole or Fiesta Chowder…..and something sweet like my Cookies and Cream Puppy Chow Mix, Fudgy Chocolate Chip Oreo Butterfinger Brownies and/or my yummy Upside Down Apple Pie.

But this time I just wasn’t feeling all of the leftover’s hanging around the house, so I let everyone know that it would be an appetizer and dessert kind of party.

If you know anything about me, then you know that I could actually make an entire meal out of an appetizer. One of my favorites is this Spinach and Artichoke Dip. It is quick and easy and can be served with a mountain of different vegetables….. and is amazing with just about any cracker or chip you have on hand. For this party though, I wanted something a little more substantial, and I already had a couple of dips prepared.

I wanted the taste of this dip, but different!!

Have you ever been to a Pampered Chef party? If you have then you remember the crescent ring that the hostess usually made. The ones I attended were filled with meats and cheeses…..but I thought that it would be perfect with spinach and artichokes. This recipe is based on my dip recipe, with a few tweaks here and there, and is a total WINNER! Your family and friends will devour it on sight.

This ring starts with 2 pkgs of crescent rolls formed into a circle. I did the first row (of eight crescents) with the edges just touching each other, and the second row of eight are layered on top. This recipe is perfect for the pizza stone that most of you own, but mine were ruined……I will not name who was at fault…and I have yet to purchase some new ones. If you don’t have a stone, then just use a large cookie sheet with some parchment paper.

Take a pastry roller, or your fingers, to spread out the dough and seal all of the seams together. This will also give you a wider base to set your filling on.

Take all of that yummy cheesy, spinach and artichoke filling and place it on top of the dough. Leave about an inch of dough on the inner circle. This will give you enough room to pinch the dough together. I like to use a large muffin scoop, but you can just use any large spoon for this.

Take the tips of the crescent dough and bring them up and over the filling. I like to crisscross two crescent triangles, but you can do it anyway you want. Just remember to pinch the tips into the inch of dough on the other side. You don’t want the dough coming loose when it is baking.

Bake it at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is piping hot with just the hint of bubbling. Let it rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into it with a serrated knife.

Don’t you just want to dive right it????

You can adjust the filling ingredients to suit your likes and dislikes. I think the next time I make this I will put a Mexican spin on it and use a spicier cheese blend and add in some yellow peppers to go with the red that is already in it. Throw in some jalapeno peppers…….. Wow, I can taste it now!!! Do you think the boys would mind if I made a Mexican version for dinner tonight and they had to fend for themselves?? 😉

Spinach and Artichoke Crescent Ring

Serves: 10 {Printable Recipe}
Author: Tempting Thyme

Ingredients:

2 pkgs (8 count) crescent rolls
14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
10 oz pkg frozen spinach- thawed, drained, and coarsely chopped
8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup Colby Jack cheese, shredded
½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
½ cup red pepper, diced
1/3 cup mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmann’s)
2 Tbsp Olive spread (I used Mezzetta Olive, Parmesan and Garlic Spread)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground pepper
1 egg white, beaten with a fork
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
On a large pizza stone, or cookie sheet, lay out the crescent rolls in a semicircle with the points facing outward. You will want to overlap the triangles some and will end up with approximately a 6” diameter in the center. Using your fingers, or a pastry roller, push the triangle seams together and flatten the dough so that it lays flat and gives you a larger area for your filling. Set aside.
In a large bowl combine the rest of the ingredients except for the egg white and extra parmesan cheese. Place heaping mounds of the spinach and artichoke mixture in the center of the crescent ring. Take a pointy end of the crescent roll and bring it up and over the filling, pushing slightly to seal. Continue with the remaining triangle tips.
Brush the beaten egg white all over the pastry dough and sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese.
Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the pastry is toasty brown and filling is piping hot.
Cut the Spinach Artichoke Crescent Ring into wedges before serving. Leftover’s can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Like I said, I am a sucker for appetizers and will gladly eat them for dinner!! In the case of this Spinach and Artichoke Crescent Ring, I think it will be turning up over and over again. It is that good!! 😉

Have a great weekend everyone!