Home > Holidays > Veggie Train Veggie Train December 19, 2017 | 21 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. A Veggie Train with veggie dips is the perfect healthy and family-friendly appetizer! While making gingerbread houses is a far more traditional December activity, we made these “Santa Veggie Trains” with veggie dips and the kids seriously loved them just as much, if not more! And while the boys *may or may not* have eaten cookie dough for lunch today, I’m taking their affinity for these veggie trains as a major December win. Here’s the thing — my toddler would honestly pick veggies and dip over gingerbread houses any day and I’m not exaggerating here. A few weeks ago he saw a pre-made veggie platter at the store and begged me to get it. At first I said, “No, you won’t finish it,” but I ended up caving since, he was begging for VEGGIES after-all. In two days, he finished the ENTIRE veggie tray all by himself and begged me for another one.That’s when I had the idea to make these Santa veggie trains together and it’s definitely going to be a holiday tradition now. The boys and I had a blast making our trains and even more fun dipping them in ranch dip and eating them! More Holiday Appetizers: Ornament Veggie Platter Pistachio Crusted Goat Cheeseball Christmas Tree Veggie Platter FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Santa Veggie Trains 5 from 9 votes - Review this recipe Santa's veggie train is the perfect healthy and family-friendly appetizer this holiday season! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Santa Veggie Trains 5 from 9 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Santa's veggie train is the perfect healthy and family-friendly appetizer this holiday season! Course Appetizer Cuisine American Prep Time 20 minutes minutes Total Time 20 minutes minutes Author Chelsea Ingredients▢ 4-5 bell peppers in a variety of colors▢ 1 English cucumber, coined▢ Toothpicks▢ Veggies to fill up the pepper "trains" such as carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, olives, mushrooms, ▢ Your favorite Veggie Dips: such as Ranch, Dill, Light Dill, Light Ranch, Southwest Ranch, and/or Blue Cheese InstructionsWash and dry the veggies.Lay the bell peppers down and vertically slice the top 1/3 of the pepper off (slice straight down in front of the stem). Cut out the ribs and remove the seeds. Discard.Slice an English cucumber into even sized coins and then attach 4 cucumber "coins" to each corner of the bell pepper to resemble wheels. Repeat until you have as many trains as you want.Add your favorite washed and cut veggies to the bell pepper trains. Serve with your favorite Veggie Dips. Place the trains on a platter with each stem facing the pepper in front. Platter best made within 1-2 hours of serving. Keep chilled and covered in the fridge. Recipe NotesNutrition Facts will vary depending on how many trains are made, what veggies are used, and what/how much of the dips are used. We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below. Two easy Holiday Veggie Platter Ideas to dress up your veggies this holiday season! We’re making a Christmas tree and an ornament with veggies and cheese. video tutorial Holiday Veggie Platter Ideas For me, the holidays are all about cookies, candies, and treats galore (we’d never miss out on this honeycomb candy, toffee, or these chewy chocolate chip cookies!) So, there is always a need for more veggies and these holiday veggie platter ideas are just the thing to get them in! FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Holiday Veggie Platter Ideas No ratings yet - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Holiday Veggie Platter Ideas No ratings yet - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Prep Time 20 minutes minutes Total Time 20 minutes minutes Author Chelsea IngredientsChristmas Tree▢ Broccoli▢ Cauliflower▢ Cherry Tomatoes▢ 10 stick pretzels▢ 3-4 slices Cheddar Cheese▢ 2-3 slices Swiss, Provolone, White Cheddar, or Pepperjack▢ Miniature Christmas cookie cutters optional▢ Marzetti Veggie DipsOrnament▢ Mini Carrots▢ Cherry Tomatoes▢ Cucumber▢ 3-4 slices Cheddar Cheese▢ Red and/or white pipe cleaner InstructionsChristmas TreeChop the broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. Slice the stems of the broccoli and cauliflower very straight so they will stand up on the platter.Lay out the broccoli in the shape of a Christmas tree.Place cherry tomatoes to look like strands of ornaments.Place the cauliflower at the bottom of the platter to look like snow.Arrange pretzel sticks in between the broccoli tree and cauliflower snow.Using a small cookie cutter (or cut with a knife) cut out shapes in the cheese to decorate the tree. I use cheddar cheese for ornaments and the star on top and provolone for snowflakes outside.Serve with Marzetti veggie dip of your choice!OrnamentFold a pipe cleaner to form a circle. Tape on to the back of a circular plate.Arrange miniature carrots around the top of the plate.Add cherry tomatoes below the carrots.Add a row of sliced cucumbers.Repeat: cherry tomatoes and then carrots.If desired, cut out shapes in the cheese to decorate.Serve with Marzetti veggie dip of your choice! We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
I like to put Marzetti dips in the center of a veggie platter, with carrots tomatoes and celery. Reply
Stuff it into a bread bowl to serve as a veggie dip, or on lazy a day just eat it from the container. Reply
Besides using them as dips for veggies, I love using them in twice baked potatoes in place of sour cream. I also like mixing them in tuna or salmon cakes in place of mayo for even more flavor Reply
Just plain ol’ snacking right out of the container, def with carrots or sliced red pepper! Marzetti makes THE best ranch! Reply
When I want a quick, healthy snack I’ll buy a bag of pre-cut veggies and some of their dip. Nothing fancy, but it’s how I use it most. Reply
We put out Marzetti dips (in many flavors) all over the house with lots of different items -pretzels, chips, veggies, spicy chicken wings, etc. But my favorite are the potato chips! Reply
I LOVE that ranch veggie dip. I feel like it can’t even be replicated. I love using them to get more veggies in over the Holidays! Reply
Our favorite is just dipping all types of veggies in these dips. The Greek yogurt spinach artichoke veggie dip is our favorite. Reply
Our kids use them primarily as veggie dips, with carrots or celery being what they most commonly eat. I like them as a spread on burgers because it is more substantive than using ranch from the jar. Reply
A sheet of crescent rolls slathered with ranch veggie dip and covered in veggies makes the best veggie pizza! Delicious! Reply
It makes a great “pizza sauce” or addition to pizza if you want a change from the traditional red sauce. jslbrown2009 at aol dot com Reply
