Are you searching for the perfect finger food to serve at your next gathering? Then you need this incredibly simple recipe for baked Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls! Full of melted cheese and bites of delicious ham rolled up in flaky pastry and brushed with herby garlic butter, they are a total crowd favorite.
The great news is that these little hot ham and cheese rollups are made with only a handful of simple ingredients and don't take much time to prepare at all. You can even make a batch to freeze for later!
These cheesy little ham roll ups are the best part of any appetizer spread, I guarantee the whole family will love them.
If you're looking for more great appetizers that are easy and delicious, check out my Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers and Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Dip.
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How To Make Ham And Cheese Roll Ups With Crescent Rolls
Full ingredient amounts can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Equipment
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
- Knife or pizza cutter
- Pastry brush
Ingredients You'll Need
Crescent roll dough - I use the original crescent rolls made by Pillsbury. These can be found in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores.
Deli ham - I love black forest ham. But you can use the flavor your family likes the best.
Swiss cheese - Shredded Swiss or gruyere cheese is the perfect accompaniment to the salty ham and the sweetness of the Pillsbury crescent rolls.
Black pepper - I like adding a little cracked pepper to the ham and cheese for extra flavor
Unsalted butter - Since we're adding salt later, I like using unsalted butter for the garlic butter topping we'll brush on the rolls.
Garlic powder - For extra flavor in the garlic butter
Kosher salt - I like using a coarse kosher salt for this recipe.
Fresh thyme or Italian seasoning - Adding fresh herbs will freshen up the crescent rolls and add more flavor. If you don't have fresh herbs on hand, dried Italian seasoning works great!
Instructions
Move the oven rack to the third level up from the bottom. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
While the oven heats, stack the slices of ham and cut them in half. Rotate the stacks of ham 90 degrees and cut the short ends into thin strips.
Loosen up the shredded ham and place it in a small bowl.
In a small skillet or saucepan, combine the butter, garlic powder, thyme, and salt. Heat over medium heat until the butter is completely melted. Reduce the heat to low and assemble your ham and cheese crescent rolls.
Open the can of crescent rolls and unroll the dough.
Lay the dough flat on a cutting board and separate each triangle. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut along the perforated edges if needed.
Divide the shredded ham between the eight crescent rolls.
Top the ham with shredded Swiss cheese. Only put the ham and cheese on the wide end of the dough triangle. Crack a little bit of black pepper over the top of the ham and cheese.
Roll Up The Crescent Dough
Starting with the wide end, roll the dough around the ham and cheese, and keep rolling up until you reach the tip of the triangle. Repeat this step until all eight pieces of dough are each rolled into a crescent shape.
It's okay if a piece of ham or two falls out, just stick them back in the open end of the roll up.
Place the crescent rolls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1-2" apart.
Finishing The Crescents
Use a pastry brush to generously brush each crescent roll with the garlicky melted butter you made earlier.
Bake at 375F degrees for 12-15 minutes until the crescent rolls are puffed up and golden brown with melty cheese bubbling out the sides and the edges of ham are brown. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Serving Ideas
These flaky ham and cheese roll ups can be served hot or at room temperature- which is perfect if you're serving them as a party appetizer or a game day snack.
I recommend serving these crescents with a side of barbecue sauce, honey mustard, or cranberry mustard dipping sauce.
Variations + Substitutions
- For extra flavor, you can spread a little Dijon mustard on the dough before adding the ham and cheese.
- Before baking, sprinkle the top of the crescents with poppy seeds or sesame seeds.
- Use cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, havarti, or your favorite cheese in place of Swiss cheese.
- Sprinkle the top of the crescents with extra cheese before baking, you'll need about 2-3 extra tablespoons.
Pro Tips
- Keep the crescent roll dough in the fridge until ready to use. The dough is harder to work with if it gets too warm.
- Try not to overfill the rolls, add just enough shredded ham and cheese to make a nice mound on the wide end of the crescent roll.
- Space the rolls an inch or two away from each other on the baking sheet. They will get bigger in the oven as they bake.
Storage
Store any leftover ham and cheese crescents in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Reheating Leftovers
Leftover roll ups make an easy lunch, quick snack, or when paired with a hearty salad, a great main dish. All you have to do is reheat and serve!
Reheat ham and cheese crescent rolls in the air fryer: Place the number of ham and cheese crescents in the basket of a cold air fryer. Air fry at 300F degrees for 5 minutes.
For reheating in the oven or toaster oven: Heat oven to 300F degrees and place ham and cheese rolls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes until heated through.
Reheating in the microwave: Place the crescent rolls on a microwave safe plate and heat until warmed through.
FAQs
Both have a similar shape, but a croissant dough relies on a process called lamination for its rise and flaky layers. This is done by folding butter into the dough several times. Crescent dough relies mostly on yeast for its rise and does not use the lamination technique.
Yes! Transfer cooled crescent rolls to a freezer-safe container or bag. Keep in the freezer for up to a month. When you're ready to serve, thaw the quantity needed in the fridge and reheat. Now you have an easy snack or delicious appetizer in a flash!
These rolls can be fully prepared and reheated at a later time. See the reheating instructions in the blog post. Alternatively, all the ingredients can be prepped ahead and stored in the fridge for easy assembly on the day of baking.
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Pairs Well With
📖 Recipe
Baked Ham And Cheese Crescent Rolls
Simple ham and Swiss crescent rolls brushed with herby garlic butter and baked until golden brown. These make the perfect quick snack, tasty holiday appetizer, or finger food for game day!
Ingredients
- 1 can (8 oz) original refrigerated Crescent Rolls
- 8 slices (3 oz) deli ham
- ½ cup of shredded Swiss cheese
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon of fresh thyme or dried Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Move the oven rack to the third level up from the bottom. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
- On a cutting board, stack your slices of ham and cut them in half. Rotate the stack 90 degrees and slice the ham into short, thin strips. Loosen up the shredded ham and place it in a small bowl.
- Combine the butter, garlic powder, thyme, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the butter is completely melted.
- Once melted, reduce the heat to low and assemble your ham and cheese crescent rolls.
- Open the can of crescent rolls and unroll the dough. Lay the dough flat on a cutting board and separate each triangle. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut along the perforated edges if needed.
- Divide the shredded ham between the 8 crescent rolls, and top the ham with shredded Swiss cheese. Only put the ham and cheese on the wide end of the dough triangle. Crack a little bit of black pepper over the top of the ham and cheese.
- Starting with the wide end, roll the dough around the ham and cheese, and keep rolling up until you reach the tip of the triangle. Repeat this step until all 8 pieces of dough are rolled into a crescent shape. If any ham falls out, just stick the pieces back in the open end of the roll up.
- Place the crescent rolls on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 1-2" apart.
- Use a pastry brush to generously brush each crescent roll with the melted garlic butter you made earlier.
- Bake at 375F degrees for 12-15 minutes until the crescent rolls are puffed up and golden brown with melty cheese bubbling out the sides and the edges of the ham are brown. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 164Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 35mgSodium: 276mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 6g
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