Company Club Braid

This is one of those recipes that is quick, easy, and looks fabulous.  Pictured here I have laid it out as a rectangle but I have also separated the crescent rolls into triangles and laid them around the bread stone in a circular shape and it comes out looking like a wreath.  Either way, it looks elegant and it is super easy!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 cup mayo
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, snipped
1 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
4 slices crisply cooked and chopped bacon
1 cup (4-oz) Swiss cheese
2 pkg. crescent rolls
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 medium-sized sliced red bell pepper
2 cups shredded lettuce

Preparation Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Brown ground beef, onions, and peppers.

• Combine mayo and mustard and add parsley.
• Fold in ground beef.
• Arrange crescent rolls on cookie sheet in a rectangle, mashing edges together.

• Snip outside edges of dough into 1" strips.
• Scoop beef mixture onto center of dough.

• Top with tomatoes and cheese.  (Usually I use grated cheese but this time I had a variety of mild, sharp, and white cheddars in slices on hand.)

• Braid strips over the top.

• Bake 20-25 minutes.
• Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese and serve on a leaf of lettuce.

* This is also wonderful using chicken or sausage instead of ground beef.  I have been known to forget to include tomatoes inside and simply placed them decoratively on top and it turned out fine as well.