Ham and Cheese Poppers
Reading Time: 2 minutes
By Hannah McClure You can serve these delicious poppers for lunch, dinner, or as an appetizer. They also make an excellent substitute for after-school snacks or tossed in school lunches. I originally had these ham and cheese poppers at a friend’s house in my 20s. His mom had them out and offered them to us for a snack. I remember biting in and thinking, “Oh my goodness, what are these?”
Over the years, I’ve played with them and changed up the original recipe to make it my own. To start, I added cheese where originally there was none. You can also make these poppers with pepperoni or sausage instead of ham. No matter how I modify them, they are always a huge hit and delicious.
The recipe calls for frozen Rhodes Texas-size rolls; however, you can easily use homemade roll dough to make these. I always use the Rhodes rolls because they are a bit nostalgic for the original recipe and a quick fix on busy days. You can make these as easy or as from scratch as you need or want to, and you can modify the meat choice to your liking. Serve with marinara sauce, and enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 24 frozen Rhodes Texas-size rolls
- ½ cup shredded Gouda cheese
- ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1½ cups cubed ham (cooked)
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- Marinara for dipping
How-To:
- In 2 muffin pans (use non-stick muffin pans), thaw rolls at room temperature until risen and easy to work, about 3–5 hours.
- Take each roll, one at a time, and gently press flat. Place ½ tablespoon each of mozzarella and Gouda cheese and ½ tablespoon cubed ham.
- Pinch dough together to enclose cheese and ham. Reshape into a dough ball, placing the “seam” side down. Let rise (½ hour to 1 hour).
- Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Top with melted butter and cool 10 minutes before serving with warmed marinara sauce.
Originally published in the March/April 2023 issue of Goat Journal and regularly vetted for accuracy.
