Easy Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
When I say these are the easiest hot ham and cheese sandwiches I’ve made, I truly mean it. Now, these aren’t your typical loaf of bread ham and cheese sandwich. These are … well, kinda amazing actually. Buttery and cheesy, with a tiny little kick from the (optional) pepper jack cheese. OH yeah, when I say easiest, I might even mean tastiest as well.
EASY HOT HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICHES
The reason why these sandwiches are so easy to make it because there’s no buttering of the bread, piece by piece. No individual type assembly. It’s all done in one dish.
Baked in one dish.
Cut in one dish.
Served, in one dish.
What Ingredients Do I Need?
All the ingredients are EASILY obtained by your nearest major grocery chain! That’s the beauty of this recipe! It’s a sandwich, but hot, cheesy, hammy, and not like your typical two pieces of bread sandwich!
You will need:
- Crescent dough tubes– (I knowww right?? So really, these sandwiches could be called Easy Hot Ham and Cheese Croissant Sandwiches!!.. rats, why didn’t I think of that earlier??) lol
- Sliced Ham (Your favorite deli ham is the best choice for this.)
- Sliced Cheese (I used pepper jack here for the nice tiny kick, but you gorgeous reader, feel free to use any sliced cheese you prefer!)
- Dijon Mustard – Do you have any Grey Poupon?? haha… – ok, I’m showing my age here. Your favorite dijon mustard is perfect here.
- Butter– (melted)
- Parsley – fresh is best, but dried works great
What Types of Cheeses Can I Use?
Really, you can use any type you prefer. I used pepper jack because it there are extra spices and peppers embedded in the cheese slices that add extra flavor. However, you don’t have to use that if you don’t like spicy flavors. Just use a cheese that melts really well. You could use:
- Cheddar
- Mozzarella
- Gruyere
- Havarti
- Marble
- Swiss
- Even a sliced blue cheese if the feeling struck you..
Can I Add Extra Types of Meat?
Yes of course! I used a black forest ham with this recipe, but you could certainly mix up the types of ham (honey ham, sandwich ham, etc) or even added some other types of deli meat if you chose to. I would just be a little conscious of cheese and meat pairings when you’re deciding on what to use.
How Do I Assemble This Hot Ham Sammy?
The trickiest thing (which isn’t tricky at all) is the croissant (crescent) dough. When it comes out of that ‘jack in the box’ tube, and you unroll it, you’ll just have to press the seams together because they are perforated for the croissant roll-ups. Other than that, it’s simple!
- Preheat oven
- roll out dough
- place in pan and pre-bake
- remove and spread the mustard and layer the toppings
- place the final bunch of dough on top
- butter and bake!
They come together pretty darn quick and easy, so you can feed a few ppl all at once. AND, if you make two at a time, you can feed a crowd! Plus, if you are feeding an even bigger crowd, you can make these Easy Italian Sliders and/or my Chicken Cordon Bleu sliders as well! They are seriously a hit at EVERY function I make them for!
Lastly, if you’re looking for a side dish to serve these delectable sandwiches with, try this delicious Creamy Dill Potato Salad from Stacey @ Southern Discourse, together they’d make the perfect meal!!!
Tips for making these hot ham sandwiches:
- be sure to press the seams together in the dough as much as possible (unless you want to cut them in small triangles after they bake, which is an option)
- let the sandwiches rest a few minutes after they come out of the oven. That cheese is lava hot, so you don’t want anyone to burn themselves!
- store brand croissant dough usually works just as well as brand name croissant dough. So if you have access to that and can save some money, use that!
- use dry parsley instead of fresh when putting in the butter. Fresh parsley seems to clump up too much.
- add some minced garlic or garlic powder to the melted butter for even more flavor! (which I did, but is totally optional!)
Well, there you have it, folks! I hope that when you try these delicious and incredibly easy hot ham and cheese sandwiches that you give me a shout below and let me know what you thought! Did you switch up the meat or the cheeses? I’d love to hear about it! Thanks so much for stopping by The Salty Pot today, and have a fantastic day!
Easy Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
Flaky, cheesy and hammy, these Easy Hot Ham And Cheese Sandwiches are super delicious and can feed a bunch of people at a time! Perfect for a crowd, parties and game day!!
Ingredients
- 2 cans Pilsbury crescent dough
- 12 pieces of deli ham (your favorite)
- 8 slices of Pepper Jack Cheese
- 1-2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 3-4 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp parsley, dried
- 1/2 tsp garlic, minced or dried
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375
- Take the dough out of the tube and roll it out. Press the seams together to form one large piece of dough.
- Line or grease a 7 x 11 baking dish with parchment paper or nonstick spray.
- Lay the dough down in the baking dish and bake for the time required on the tube. Remove when cooking time is up.
- Spread the dijon mustard over the top of the cooked croissant bread.
- Layer on 4 pieces of cheese or as much cheese as you would like to cover the surface of the bread.
- Fold each ham peice in half and layer on top of the cheese.
- Top the ham with the remaining slices of cheese.
- Remove the second batch of dough from the tube. Again, pinch the seams closed, and place on top of the cheese slices.
- In a small bowl, melt the butter, and add the parsley and garlic. Brush on top of the dough.
- Bake in the oven for 20 - 25 minutes or until the dough is golden brown on top, and the sandwiches are heated through and the cheese is nice and melty!
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes to cool slightly as the cheese will be VERY hot and can burn easily! Enjoy!
**Oh! Don’t forget to pin this pretty hot ham and cheese sandwich pin to your favorite Pinterest board to save for later!! **
Delicious! My husband loved it. We made a half recipe for 3 people and it was the perfect amount.
Yaay! I’m so happy to hear that and thank you for commenting Ann!
Sounds delicious
Will definitely try these. Husband’s favorite sandwich is hot ham and cheese. Thank you for sharing.
You’re more than welcome, and thank you for commenting Priscilla!
YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY!
Great idea!
This looks very good please send me the website thank you
What do you suggest of you want to turn this into a breakfast sandwich with eggs… do you think that’s possible?
Hi Janice! I definitely think it’s possible! If I was going to do that, I would make everything as is, but I would also add scrambled eggs to the filling as well. I would then proceed with the recipe. I would put the last layer of cheese on top of the cooked eggs to help them stay put without falling out of the sandwich. I hope this helps!
Hi I want to make this for my work Christmas party! What do you suggest I do? Should I just wake up extra early and bake them or can I make them the night before and bring them in cold? Or should I make them the night before and then pop them in the oven for like 10 minutes while I get ready to get them warm again?
Hi Samantha – thanks for asking this question. So, I’ve thought a lot about this, and I think what I would do is make it ahead up to the point where you’re about to put it in the oven. (so still prebake the bottom).
You can make them ahead of time (the night before), or whatever works for you.
Just before you leave for the party, I would bake them (if you don’t have a lunch oven at work to use) at home, cover in a few pieces of tin foil to keep warm, and then bring them to the party.
Don’t cook them ahead of time, and then reheat again to serve if you can help it.
Let me know how it works out for you!! You can email me directly at Joanne@thesaltypot.com I’m interested in hearing how it turns out!
I know I can downside to my need level but only so much. I am only one person and can’t eat all in one sitting. Do these cool and refrigerate well for perhaps a cold sandwich the next day?
Hi Stacey! Yes, they taste great the next day as well! Just cover well with plastic wrap or an air-tight container so the crescent roll bread doesn’t dry out. Thank you for asking!
Hi! Want to try these, but need to make more than an 11×7 would. Increase temperature or time for using a 9×13? Are croissant snd crescent interchangeable?
Thanks!
Hi Kim, thanks for commenting! No, the time wouldn’t have to be adjusted as long as the thickness of the layers are all the same, and yes, you’re right. croissant and crescent dough in this case are the same thing! Hope this helps!
What happens if you don’t bake the bottom layer first? And, how do you pinch together baked and unbaked dough so that it creates a good seal?
Honestly, I’ve not baked the bottom layer first because I really want to ensure that bottom layer is cooked through. If you go ahead and do the two at the same time, please let me know how it works out for you 🙂
So you bake the bottom twice? did I read that right? first, you bake the bottom dough and after that, you add all the other ingredients and then add the top and bake again?
Yep! Bake it twice 🙂
Wouldn’t that burn the bottom layer??
Nope! Hasn’t happened to me or any other readers that I’ve heard from! 🙂
made these with deli roast beef and swiss cheese added horseradish instead of mustard and to tell the truth I should havemade 2 batches everybody loved them next time I will use pastrami or corned beef excellent and so easy
That’s fantastic Dianne!
Made on a smaller scale (only needed one tube of crescent rolls) and with leftover ham I sliced thin along with shredded cheese I had on hand. Turned out to be a wonderful little meal. Will definitely make it again in the future…
That’s so fantastic to hear Christopher!! I’m happy that you liked the recipe and thank you for taking the time to comment!
Hi Joanne!
Do you think puff pastry would work with this recipe instead of crescent rolls?
Hi Diane,
I don’t think I’d use puff pastry for this recipe. I think it would be too thick after it’s done baking, plus it would be a bit too crispy/flaky as well. The crescent rolls work great because while they’re lighter than buns or bread, they still are a bit flexible so they don’t flake all over when you bite into it. That said, if you try it with puff pastry, I’d love to hear your results!
What size pan did you use when you halved the recipe?
Yum! Cannot wait to try 😄
Hey Hayley! I’m excited for you to give them a try! Please let me know what you think of them when you do!
Trying tonight… I can smell it 😀😀 made some tomato basil as a side… hoping it’s a hit!! I have 4 kiddos and as a single mom, delicious and easy is my jam!!!
Yay! How did it turn out Erin? I’d love to hear!
Made these a month or so ago for the first time they have become such a hit we have them a couple times a month. They reheat fairly well wrapped in foil and warmed in the toaster oven. So we get dinner and lunch the next day as the recipe makes too much for us to finish in one meal. Fabulous thanks for sharing a new recipe we could make a family favorite.
You’re very welcome Kaye! Thanks for commenting 🙂
I’m so confused by the ratio. Is the recipe for the smaller tubes of crescent dough? I bought what I typically buy and it was too much dough for an 11×7.
Hi Sarah. I’m sorry you had trouble with this. So I’m in Canada, I’m not sure where you are. So I looked at the Pilsbury website (both Canada and the USA) and the typical tube of crescent dough is about 8 ounces. That amount converts approximately to our measurements in Canada for 235 grams.
Did you purchase a larger tube? If you’d like to email me at joanne@thesaltypot.com, we can troubleshoot this so the recipe works out perfectly for you!
This has become a part of our weekly rotation since the first time I made it! It’s such a delicious and versatile meal!
That’s so awesome to hear Laura!!! Thank you for commenting 🙂
How about no mustard but add banana peppers!!
Hey Lisa! Banana Peppers would be awesome!
How do you reheat this?
Hi Lindsey. I would reheat it wrapped in foil in a toaster oven until warmed through, or without the foil in the microwave. Reheating in the microwave may make it a bit soggy, but it’s faster, of course. Hope this helps.
Could you use something to substitute mustarf would just mayo work?!
Hey Megan – absolutely you could sub the mustard. Mayo would work totally fine! The mustard gives it that twang (acidity) that would cut through the fattiness of the cheese and bread – but yes, the mayo would work fine, it would just taste more rich.
How many tubes of crescent for a9×13
And could I put the mustard on the side?
Hey Cynthia! Well, I’d use two for the bottom. Chances are, it will be too much dough, so then I’d just cut off the extra, and use the rest to attach to another tube for the top crust. So in total, I’d purchase 3. Hopefully that would do it!
Did i miss the temperature to bake this on?
Hi Jill – It’s listed right in the recipe card at the top of the directions. You want to preheat the oven to 375 🙂
Can these be made ahead of time and frozen?
Hi Mary! Thanks for asking that question. I don’t think these sandwiches would work well for a make ahead recipe. The reason is because the bottom crust needs to be baked first and then you put the rest of the ingredients on. I suppose you could do all that, then put your ingredients on, then put the final top/crust on top and freeze it from there. I just don’t know how it would thaw and bake in the oven so the crusts are cooked properly and the cheese gets all melty and delicious.
BUT.. having said that, pleeeeeeeeease – if you try it, email me at Joanne@thesaltypot and let me know how it worked for you. If you can figure out a way to make it work, I’ll amend the post and give you total credit!!
My daughter makes these with Hawaiian rolls they are sooo good .
Hey Bob!! That’s fantastic!! I’m in Canada and at the time of posting that recipe, we didn’t have Hawaiian rolls in the stores. I have JUST RECENTLY been seeing them now, can you believe that!?!?!?! I’ll have to use those rolls next time I make these sandwiches!!
I just noticed today that Pillsbury has Sweet Hawaiian Crescent Rolls.
Wow really Stacy? I have to take a peek at my local store. I’m in Canada and we might not have them yet? What are they like – I’d love to hear a review on what you think!
This is very similar to an old-time family recipe but we’ve always used sliced French bread or hoagies. Try mixing in some Italian dressing in with the butter to kick it up a notch. It’s scrumptious.
It seems I made a mistake somewhere… when I cut through the sandwiches, the under side of the top layer of crescent rolls was still raw. Any tips? Other than that…. crazy yummy!
Hi Sarah!! Thanks so much for commenting! Ok, well the only thing I think I would try next time is just to maybe bake the sandwiches at a slightly lower temp for a bit longer. I wouldn’t bring the heat higher as it might just burn the top. Give that a try next time, and I’d love to hear how it works out for you!! Thank you so much for liking the recipe!!
I have made it a few times now and learned the trick!!! Unfortunately I was using the “bigger fluffier” version of crescent rolls (whoops). I lowered the temp like suggested and gave them a good poke with a fork throughout to allow the heat the penetrate. PERFECT!!! We used our left over ham from Christmas and it was perfect! We spent the whole meal talking about all of the different combinations of food we could use and can’t wait to fiddle around with it! Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you for posting this! Gonna try this tonight, and believe it will become a family favorite. 😃 Thank you, again.
Thank you SO much for commenting Carol!! I hope your family loves them.. they’re SO delicious! 🙂
How can I incorporate egg for a breakfast version
Hey Curtis, thanks for replying! Well, there are a few different ways you incorporate egg (depending on how much time you have..lol). So 1 way could be to scramble an egg before you put the bread in to make the sandwich. You could add a bit of cheese to the eggs, and then place in inside the sandwich with the ham and then grill your sandwich.
You could simply put a fried egg on top, making it like a Croque madame-esc.
Lastly, you could even treat both pieces of bread like french toast (savory). So make dip both pieces of bread in egg and fry, then add your ham and cheese to make the sandwich. At that point, you’d simply fry both sides again to heat through and melt the cheese.
I hope this helps!
I accidentally bought crescent dough instead of croissant dough. But they still were excellent! Will definitely make again.
Hi Angie!! Actually, you didn’t make a mistake at all! These ARE made with the Pillsbury crescent dough but because they remind me of croissants, I use the term interchangeably.. lol!
I just used the Crescent Roll Sheets which are right next to the regular ones at your grocery store….no perforations to fuss with then. Great recipe!
That’s a great tip Linda, thank you! Where I live in Canada, we don’t have the crescent sheets YET. But thank you for taking your time to comment on the great idea!!
I have a large family. I’m wondering if I could do this on a large sheet pan. There obviously wouldn’t be sides on the pan. Do you see that as a problem?
Yes and no. I think it would be great to do a bunch of sandwiches and once, but without the sides, the cheese may melt and drip out onto the floor of your oven and make a huge burning mess. Do you have a few 9 x 13’s you could use?
Can you cook the bottom layer of dough and add all the insides and put a layer of dough on top and refrigerate til the next day and then bake?
Hi Jennifer! Thanks for asking your question! So, honestly, I don’t really know how well that would hold up. Only because there’s moisture from the meat that might make the bottom layer a bit soggy, and then I just don’t think letting the rolled out unbaked dough sit on top of the cheese for so long would be ideal.
However, what you COULD do, is maybe bake BOTH layers of the pastry separately before hand, and then simply assemble the dish at the last minute and bake for a lesser amount of time, simply heating through to make the cheese melt and such.
You know though, if you decided to give it a try the way you wanted, I’m SUPER interested in hearing if it worked for you!!! So please let me know how you did it!!
I never tried this recipe before and
after reading this amazing post I think I must give it a try.
What is a good side to go with this sandwich? I saw a link for a potato salad but saved the recipe for the sandwich and then couldn’t find the link for the potato salad…HELP
Hey Teresa!! These hot ham sandwiches go great with ANYTHING (pretty much.. lol) Potato salad, macaroni salad, cesar or regular salad…etc. Heck, you don’t have to even get that fancy.. put a handful of potato chips or french fries with it as well. Sweet potato fries would be awesome because of the sweetness!!
And you know.. if all else fails… lots of pickles! 🙂
A bowl of chicken noodle soup works good too. I’ve had this recipe paired with homemade beef barley soup the last 2 times I’ve made it.
Does the first tube of crossiant burn during the last baking time since it’s being baked twice ( the bottom layer)?
Hi Laura! I haven’t had an issue of it burning at all when I make these 🙂
Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Thank you Diana!! Please let me know what you think of it when you make it!! I’d love the feedback!
What size pan did you use?
Hi Ruth! Thanks for reminding me, I’ll add that info to the recipe!! I used an 11 x 7 baking dish!