This Crescent Roll Ham and Cheese Bake can be a brunch casserole, hot ham and cheese sandwiches, or when cut into little squares, they make crescent roll appetizers. Starting with refrigerated crescent roll dough and about 10 minutes of prep, you’ll end up with buttery, golden layers with ooey gooey cheese and ham in every bite!
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I’m going to let you in on a little secret. Most of my favorite recipes are shortcuts dressed up to look like they’re from scratch. If you know me, you know I love keeping things simple without sacrificing flavor, and this hot ham and cheese sandwiches recipe is one of my go-tos when I want something impressive without the effort!
Crescent roll dough is seriously underrated, y'all. It’s not just for dinner rolls! You can turn it into all kinds of things, like my 3 ingredient Sausage Squares, Air Fryer "Fried" Oreos, or my Sweet Pumpkin Spice Dumplings.
I’ve made this ham and cheese crescent roll bake for everything from lazy weekend brunches to Sunday football games to baby shower appetizers, and it never misses! Serve it with other brunch favorites like Mini Chicken and Waffles and Double Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls (or other game time favorites like Bacon Wrapped Meatballs) and just like that, you’ve got yourself a full-on spread folks will be talking about!
Shortcuts
- If you can find the crescent roll dough sheets instead of the perforated rolls, it makes layering this crescent roll ham and cheese bake even quicker and neater.
- Skip shredding or slicing a block of cheese and go straight for sliced cheese. They melt beautifully and save you time!
- To make it ahead, you can assemble this recipe a few hours or a day in advance and bake it right before serving!
Ingredients
Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.
- Crescent Roll Dough: This is what gives it that buttery, flaky crust that makes this recipe so irresistible. Either classic crescent rolls or dough sheets work great.
- Swiss Cheese: Swiss adds a slightly nutty flavor, but you can easily swap in mozzarella, provolone, or Monterey Jack or a combination of these depending on what you love.
- Dijon Mustard: Just a thin layer adds the perfect tangy bite that balances all that richness!
- Deli Ham: Go for a good-quality sliced ham for the best flavor! This is the heart of your crescent rolls with ham and cheese. I like to sometimes add salami in addition to the ham.
- Melted Butter: This is what helps the top get golden and glossy.
- Garlic Powder: A little goes a long way here. We just want to add a little bit of flavor to the crust!
- Italian Seasoning: Adds a subtle herby flavor if you want to take things up a notch!
How to Make Crescent Roll Ham & Cheese Bake
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
- Preheat oven to 375F°. Lightly coat a 12x8 baking dish or 2 ½ quart rectangle baking dish with nonstick spray. Remove the crescent roll dough from one can and press it into the bottom of the dish.
- Spread the Dijon mustard on top of the dough.
- Arrange 5 to 6 slices of the cheese on the dough, cutting the cheese as necessary to fit.
- Arrange the ham or deli meat on the cheese, overlapping as necessary to fit in the dish.
- Arrange the remaining cheese slices on the ham, overlapping as necessary.
- Remove the crescent roll dough from the second can. Spread it out on a cutting board or a clean counter and smooth out the edges to about the same size as your dish.
- Carefully place it on top of the cheese. Press the edges to the sides of the dish together with the bottom dough. It's ok if it's not perfectly smooth.
- Combine the melted butter, garlic powder, (and if using) the Italian seasoning. Brush the tops of the dough with this butter mixture.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.
Kathleen’s Tip: That buttery topping is what gives you that beautiful golden finish, so don’t skip it!
Gild the Lily
If you really want to take this ham and cheese crescent roll bake over the top, try adding a sprinkle of everything bagel seasoning on top before baking. So yummy!!
Substitutions & Variations
- If using unsalted butter, you can swap the garlic powder for ¼ teaspoon garlic salt.
- Make it Italian! Use a combination of salami and ham with provolone.
- To make pizza squares, simply use pepperoni and mozzarella, then serve with marinara sauce for dipping or spread 3 tablespoons pizza sauce on instead of the Dijon mustard.
- To make roast beef or Philly Cheese Squares, swap in deli roast beef or shaved steak and use provolone, white American, or Cheez Whiz.
Pro Tips
- Let it rest before slicing. Once baked, give it about 5 minutes to sit before cutting. This helps the layers set so your squareshold together nicely.
- Use quality deli ham. Since this is such a simple recipe, the flavor really depends on your ingredients. A good-quality ham makes all the difference!
What to Serve with Crescent Roll Ham & Cheese Squares
This crescent roll ham and cheese bake is super versatile! For brunch, I love pairing it with easy sides like fresh fruit and Air Fryer Candied Bacon.
If you’re serving it for dinner, add Spicy Sweet Potato Fries or a simple soup (hello, Shortcut Tomato Soup!) on the side, and feel free to serve it with a dipping sauce like honey mustard!
One of my favorite ways to serve Crescent Roll Ham and Cheese Bake is to cut them into small squares and serve them as potluck finger food or as baby or bridal shower appetizers and game day snacks.
How to Store, Freeze & Make Ahead
- To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months; thaw overnight before reheating.
- To Reheat: Warm in the oven at 300°F or in the air fryer until heated through.
- To Make Ahead: Assemble the entire ham and cheese crescent roll bake and refrigerate until ready to bake, for up to 1 day.
FAQ's
Absolutely! Mozzarella, provolone, Monterey Jack, or even cheddar all work well in this crescent roll ham and cheese bake. Just choose something that melts nicely for the best texture.
Not at all! You can skip it or swap in honey mustard for a slightly sweeter flavor or yellow mustard for extra tang. It adds a nice tang, but the recipe will still be delicious without it.
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Crescent Roll Ham and Cheese Bake Recipe
SAVE THIS RECIPE
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Ingredients
- 2 (8 ounce) cans crescent roll dough (or crescent roll dough sheets)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 12 slices Swiss cheese or Mozzarella, provolone, or Monterey Jack, divided (about 8 ounces)
- 8 ounces deli ham or other deli meat slices (about 6 to 8 slices)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F°. Lightly coat a 12x8 baking dish or 2 ½ quart rectangle baking dish with nonstick spray.
- Remove the crescent roll dough from one can and press it into the bottom of the dish. Spread the Dijon mustard on top of the dough.
- Arrange 6 slices of the cheese on the dough, cutting the cheese as necessary to fit.
- Arrange the ham or deli meat on the cheese, overlapping as necessary to fit in the dish. Arrange the remaining cheese slices on the ham, overlapping as necessary.
- Remove the crescent roll dough from the second can. Spread it out on a cutting board or a clean counter and smooth out the edges to about the same size as your dish.TIP: No need to pinch the triangle perforated seams closed if using the regular crescent roll dough and not the sheets.
- Carefully place it on top of the cheese. Press the edges to the sides of the dish together with the bottom dough.
- Combine the melted butter, garlic powder, (and if using) the Italian seasoning. Brush the tops of the dough with this butter mixture.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.
- For breakfast, brunch or brinner servings, cut into 8 servings. For parties, showers, or finger food potlucks, cut into little squares for appetizer servings.
Notes
Storage
- To Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months; thaw overnight before reheating.
- To Reheat: Warm in the oven at 300°F or in the air fryer until heated through.
- To Make Ahead: Assemble the entire ham and cheese crescent roll bake and refrigerate until ready to bake, for up to 1 day.
Substitutions
- If using unsalted butter, you can swap the garlic powder for ¼ teaspoon garlic salt.
- Make it Italian! Use a combination of salami and ham with provolone.
- To make pizza squares, simply use pepperoni and mozzarella, then serve with marinara sauce for dipping.
- To make roast beef or Philly Cheese Squares, swap in deli roast beef or shaved steak and use provolone, white American, or Cheez Whiz.
Pro Tips
- Don’t skip the butter topping. The melted butter brushed over the top is what gives this crescent roll ham and cheese bake that golden, buttery finish. It also adds flavor and helps the seasoning stick beautifully!
- Let it rest before slicing. Once baked, give it about 5 minutes to sit before cutting. This helps the layers set so your squareshold together nicely.
- Use quality deli ham. Since this is such a simple recipe, the flavor really depends on your ingredients. A good-quality ham makes all the difference!
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
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