Baked Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls (Easy!)

Key Ingredients

These ham and cheese rolls require only a handful of ingredients:

• Crescent roll dough. This recipe uses 8 oz of crescent roll dough, which can easily be found in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores. (Or, if you have a great recipe for homemade crescent roll dough, feel free to go wild with that.)
• Deli ham. I used about ¼ pound of sliced deli ham, but you can adjust the amount based on your preference. Black forest ham or even leftover ham works great! 
• Brie cheese. The rich, creamy flavor of brie complements the ham perfectly. Feel free to swap it for other cheeses like Swiss cheese, cheddar, or American cheese.
• Honey. A drizzle of honey adds a touch of sweetness.
• Fresh rosemary. I love adding a fresh herb to these sandwiches to make them a bit more interesting. The chopped rosemary adds both a great flavor, and aroma to make these cheese croissants worthy of a party app. 

How To Make Ham and Cheese Crescent Rolls

These little ham and cheese sandwiches are easy to make. Here's how to do it:

1. Prepare the dough. Unroll the crescent dough and separate it into triangles. If you're using store-bought dough, this should be easy as they are pre-cut.

2. Add the ham and cheese filling. On each piece of dough, add a couple of slices of ham (using thinly sliced ham works best!) and a slice of brie cheese to the top of the ham.

3. Garnish. Drizzle each with honey and sprinkle with chopped rosemary.

4. Roll em up. Roll the dough tightly starting from the wide end to form the classic crescent shape. Place them seam-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the crescent rolls are golden brown.
6. Serve! Let them cool for 5 minutes before serving. 

Variations and Substitutions

There are a lot of ways you can change this classic ham and cheese crescent rolls recipe. Here are a few ideas:

• Make your own dough. I know I know....this is supposed to be an easy recipe. And making your own dough adds an extra step and some time. I'm all for simplicity, especially on busy weeknights, but if you want to really wow with this recipe (and you have an extra couple of hours), try your hand at making some homemade crescent roll dough.
• Change up the cheese. I used brie cheese for a rich and creamy taste but you can switch it up with Swiss cheese, pepper jack, or provolone - or whatever you like! - for a different take. You could even get crazy and do a combination! 
• Change the meat. Don't limit yourself to just ham-roast beef, turkey, or deli meat like salami, are all great choices. And don't forget about leftovers! Leftover turkey or ham from your holiday meal can see a second life with these meat and cheese crescent roll-ups.
• Get creative with your toppings. I didn't mess much with a glaze or topping for these rolls since I was already incorporating rosemary inside of them, but you could try sprinkling sesame seeds, poppy seeds, or even Italian seasoning on top of the crescent rolls before baking for added texture and flavor. Garlic butter brushed over the top of the rolls would also be a nice compliment to some meat and cheese combos
• Swap out the honey. Condiments can really change the direction of these crescent roll sandwiches. Add a layer of Dijon mustard for a savory take, or make it sweet with some honey mustard or even raspberry jam inside the rolls.
• Make a different shape. Using the precut triangles is great for sandwiches or a meal, but if you're serving as an app, you can easily change the shape and size of these to make them finger-food appropriate. Turn them into ham and cheese pinwheels by rolling the dough into a log and slicing it. Create little ham and cheese pastry pockets by layering the ingredients between two sheets of dough. Or simply cut the triangles in half, allowing you to create a more bite-sized snack. These little sandwiches make great appetizers.
• Add a dip. I love these on their own but you can also add a unique dipping sauce for even more flavor. Of course, you'll want to pick something that goes well with your chosen meat and cheese combo. Think marinara sauce (great with ham and mozzarella), hot sauce or BBQ sauce (perfect with sliced chicken and cheddar), ranch (a great option for turkey),  or even a mustard sauce (good with ham and cheddar).