Baked Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

These baked Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls appetizers can be whipped up as an easy appetizer, brunch food, or even a midnight snack.

We took these crescent roll ups up a notch, giving them the full Hawaiian pizza treatment with sauce and pineapple. Let me tell you, it’s delicious!

We like quick and easy snacks to have with a glass of wine, like these Italian Stromboli Crescent Rolls, sweet potato bites, or a cheese charcuterie board.

A little sweet and a little salty, plus filled with cheesy goodness, these ham and cheese crescent rolls are a great snack option for all ages.

These melty cheese rolls with hot ham slices are so easy to make and don’t take much time at all.

The best part is you may have all the simple ingredients in your home already!

In less than 15 minutes, you can whip up a batch of these great appetizers. This is great when people stop by at the last minute, or your family is looking for a quick snack.

Why This Recipe Works

This recipe is super easy!

• Simple enough that even kids can help put it together.
• Premade crescent dough sheets are a kitchen lifesaver
• Prep time is minimal
• Baking time under 15 minutes

When you’re looking for a quick and delicious appetizer, these buttery rolls are a good option to put together in a hurry.

With the combination of ingredients, it goes beyond tired pigs-in-a-blanket recipes to make something uniquely tasty.

What Goes Into This Recipe

Key Ingredients

1  Crescent Rolls. You can find these canned crescent rolls in your grocery store refrigerated case. They are a staple of many recipes like this with their quick bake time and buttery, fluffy texture.

2  Ham. Thin-sliced deli ham, like black forest ham, works great for this. You want to make sure that you will be able to roll up the delicious ham into the crescent roll.

3  Cheese. There are two types of cheese used with this recipe. The first is the mozzarella that goes inside of the crescent rolls. But a sprinkle of parmesan on the outside before baking adds a wonderful savory flavor burst.

See recipe card for quantities and full directions. 

How to Make Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

Step 1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, or cut a piece of parchment paper to lay on the sheet.

Step 2. Preheat the oven to 375º F.  

Step 3. Open the tube of crescent roll dough. Unroll the dough, and use the perforation to separate the dough into triangles.

Step 4. Open and drain the can of pineapple. 

Step 5. Put a thin layer of pizza sauce on one side of each dough triangle.

Step 6. Add some crushed pineapple on top of the sauce.

Step 7. Sprinkle with a layer of shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the pineapple.

Step 8. Roll up a slice of deli ham, and place it at the wide end of the dough.

Step 9. Carefully roll the dough around the ingredients, and make sure to push any ingredients that fall out back into the roll.

Step 10. Place the rolls on the cookie sheet.

Step 11. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush melted butter on the rolls.

Step 12. Sprinkle with garlic powder, parmesan cheese, and parsley. 

Step 13. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes until golden brown.

Step 14. Serve warm, but be careful – the filling may be hot! 

We love warm sandwiches! For another delicious sandwich that’s easy to make, try this air fryer tuna melt.

Variations

Even though these easy ham and cheese crescent rolls appetizers are great as is, there are many ways to change up the flavor for even more fun.

A simple dip like marinara or honey mustard is a fun addition.

You can also make a dip with melted butter, a little Worcestershire sauce, and a bit of Dijon mustard. So good!

Cuban-style rollups. For a flavor like a Cuban sandwich, in addition to the ham, substitute Dijon mustard instead of the pizza sauce, Swiss cheese instead of mozzarella, and pickle relish instead of pineapple. For added flavor, add a bit of pulled pork before rolling it up.

A game day favorite can be made with roast beef (either instead of ham or in addition to it!), pepper jack cheese instead of mozzarella, and cream cheese instead of pizza sauce to hold it all together.

Need a vegetarian option? Simply swap out the slices of ham for slices of bell pepper. The pepper will go great with the sweetness of the pineapple.

Want to make it extra fancy? Instead of ham, upgrade to prosciutto, and include asparagus spears. This makes a classic brunch favorite.

For some added texture, taste, and visual appeal, you can sprinkle poppy seeds, sesame seeds, or everything seasoning on the rolls before you bake them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Top Tips

Because these tasty treats don’t take a lot of time to make, it’s best to make them fresh. While you can reheat them, there is nothing quite like having them come fresh out of the oven.

As you’re including the ingredients for filling, try not to pile on the filling too thick. Having too much filling ingredients makes it more difficult to roll up neatly.

Looking for a fun party activity? Have party guests make their own with their choices of fillings!

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