I’ve been busy moving these past few weeks, which is why I haven’t been posting much. My little house sold much sooner than I expected (one week, in fact!), so I had to find a rental place really quick! Now I’m in the process of unpacking…I’m not sure which is worse—packing things up, moving them, or unpacking them! I still have more unpacking to do, but the stacks and stacks of boxes are getting smaller…so things should be back to normal in the next few weeks.

Because of the move, I haven’t been cooking much. But a friend of mine, Brian, brought some Hot Ham and Cheese Rolls to work that his wife Elizabeth made and they were so good I asked him if I could share the recipe on my blog. They’re made with frozen bread dough, which cuts down on prep time, and they’re perfect for serving at breakfast or brunch. Brian took some great pictures of these rolls, too, to give you an idea of what they look like. Serve them right out of the oven while the rolls are warm and the cheese is melty, and you won’t be able to stop at just one!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ELIZABETH’S HOT HAM AND CHEESE ROLLS

• 1 Loaf of frozen bread dough (purchased from the Freezer section of  your grocery store)
• Ranch dressing
• 1/4 to 1/2 pound chopped deli ham
• 4 oz. (or 1/2 of an 8-ounce package) of shredded Parmesan cheese

The night before, place one loaf of frozen bread dough in a glass 9 x 13″ baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Cover loosely with  plastic wrap that has also been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  Place in refrigerator overnight or allow to thaw for a couple of hours on counter.

In the morning, take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes.  On a lightly-floured surface, gently roll or press dough loaf out into a rectangle shape (about the size of an 11 x 15″ jelly roll pan). Making these are similar to making cinnamon rolls: spread  a light coating of Ranch dressing all over the dough (just as you would spread the butter for cinnamon rolls), then sprinkle the chopped ham over the dressing and then sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over everything.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, if desired.  You can add garlic salt, too.

Starting with the long side, roll up dough and toppings jelly roll–style (Elizabeth rolls hers about 2 1/2 times). Then pinch to seal the edges all along the length of roll.  Slice into 1-inch slices.  Place rolls, cut side down, in your 9 x 13” glass baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.  Cover with a towel and let rolls rise for about 30 minutes.  Then bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes or until lightly browned.  Makes about 15 to 16 rolls.

Elizabeth adds, “It’s so easy to just go ahead and do two loaves at the same time.  Roll both rolls out, then spread Ranch dressing on both, etc.  Same amount of work for double the rolls!”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks, Elizabeth and Brian, for sharing this yummy recipe!