Garlic Butter Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

Here’s my go-to recipe for ham and cheese crescent rolls, featuring store-bought crescent dough, savory ham slices, and melty cheese, all baked until golden brown and perfectly flaky.

These crescent rolls have become my kids’ favorite after-school snack, and I always make a double batch because they disappear so quickly. Who can resist warm, cheesy rolls straight from the oven, right?

What Kind of Ham Should I Use?

For these crescent rolls, honey ham is the way to go, but you’ve got some wiggle room with your choices. Deli-sliced honey ham works perfectly since it’s already the right thickness and easy to roll up in the crescents. If you can’t find honey ham, regular black forest ham or even smoked ham will work just fine – just make sure to get it sliced thin enough to roll easily. The most important thing is to avoid ham that’s too wet or watery, as this can make your crescents soggy. I usually ask for my ham to be sliced at a medium thickness at the deli counter, about the same thickness as a piece of sandwich cheese.

Options for Substitutions

These rolls are pretty adaptable and you can switch things up based on what you have in your fridge:

• Pillsbury Crescent Rolls: While the Pillsbury brand works great, any store brand crescent roll dough will do just fine. You could also use puff pastry sheets – just cut them into triangles first.
• Honey Mustard: Not a fan of honey mustard? Try Dijon, whole grain mustard, or regular yellow mustard. You could even use a thin layer of butter or mayo if you’re not into mustard at all.
• Honey Ham: Regular deli ham works perfectly here. You can also try turkey, roast beef, or even sliced chicken if you prefer. For a vegetarian version, try using roasted vegetables.
• Cheese: The beauty of this recipe is that almost any cheese works! Provolone, mozzarella, Havarti, or American cheese are all good options. Just make sure it’s a cheese that melts well.
• Garlic Salt: Regular salt works fine, or try other seasonings like Italian seasoning, everything bagel seasoning, or just black pepper. If using regular salt, start with less as it’s more concentrated than garlic salt.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest challenge when making ham and cheese crescent rolls is dealing with cheese overflow – to prevent this, make sure your cheese slices don’t extend beyond the widest part of the crescent triangle, and fold the edges of the dough up slightly before rolling. Working with room temperature crescent dough can lead to sticky, hard-to-handle triangles, so keep the tube refrigerated until right before you’re ready to use it. Another common mistake is rushing the rolling process – take your time to roll them tightly, starting from the wider end and gently tucking as you go, which prevents the filling from escaping during baking. For the best golden-brown finish, don’t skip brushing the tops with beaten egg before baking, and make sure to space the rolls at least 2 inches apart on the baking sheet to allow for proper expansion.

What to Serve With Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls?

These warm and cheesy crescent rolls make a perfect lunch or quick dinner, and there are lots of tasty ways to round out the meal. A simple green salad with ranch or vinaigrette dressing helps balance out the richness of the rolls, while a bowl of tomato soup makes for classic comfort food pairing. For a casual weekend lunch, I like serving these with some crunchy potato chips or a side of fresh fruit – apple slices and grapes work especially well with the ham and cheese flavors. If you’re serving these for dinner, roasted vegetables like broccoli or green beans can help turn these rolls into a complete meal.

Storage Instructions

Keep Fresh: These ham and cheese crescent rolls are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven, but if you have leftovers, pop them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days. They make a quick grab-and-go breakfast or lunch option!

Make Ahead: You can prep these rolls a few hours before baking – just assemble them, place on your baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. This is super handy when you’re planning a brunch or want to get ahead on meal prep.

Warm Up: To bring back that fresh-baked taste, warm your leftover rolls in the oven at 350°F for about 5-7 minutes, or pop them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Just keep an eye on them – you want them warm but not dried out!

Preparation Time	10-15 minutes
Cooking Time	12-15 minutes
Total Time	22-30 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Easy

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1200-1400
• Protein: 50-60 g
• Fat: 80-90 g
• Carbohydrates: 90-100 g

Ingredients

• 1 tube refrigerated crescent roll dough
• 2 tbsp honey mustard sauce
• 8 slices honey ham deli meat
• 8 slices (3-inch) cheese, such as swiss, gruyere, cheddar, or comte
• 1 tsp garlic salt

Step 1: Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).

This ensures the oven is at the perfect temperature when you’re ready to bake the crescent rollups.

Step 2: Prepare the Crescent Roll Dough

• 1 tube refrigerated crescent roll dough

Open the tube of crescent roll dough and carefully separate it into individual triangles.

Lay them out flat on your work surface, ready for filling.

Step 3: Spread Honey Mustard on Dough

• 2 tbsp honey mustard sauce

Spread a small amount of honey mustard sauce onto each crescent roll triangle in a thin, even layer.

This adds a touch of sweetness and tang to every bite.

I like to be generous with the sauce for extra flavor.

Step 4: Assemble Ham and Cheese Rollups

• 8 slices honey ham deli meat
• 8 slices (3-inch) cheese, such as Swiss, Gruyere, Cheddar, or Comte

Place a slice of cheese in the center of each slice of ham.

Fold the short edges of the ham over the cheese, then roll the ham around the cheese to create a snug little bundle, like a present.

Step 5: Fill and Shape Crescent Rollups

• ham and cheese bundles from Step 4
• crescent roll triangles with honey mustard from Step 3

Place each ham and cheese bundle at the wide end of a crescent roll triangle (prepared with honey mustard, from Step 3).

Roll up tightly, starting from the wide end toward the point, and set each rollup seam-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or lightly greased.

Step 6: Season and Bake

• 1 tsp garlic salt

Sprinkle the tops of the rollups with garlic salt for extra flavor.

Bake in the preheated oven for 12–15 minutes, or until the crescent rolls are golden brown and puffy.

For best results, I check them at 12 minutes and let them go a little longer if they need more color.

Step 7: Serve

Remove the crescent rollups from the oven.

Allow them to cool slightly, then serve and enjoy while hot or at room temperature.

These are always a hit at parties or as a quick snack.