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These turkey party rolls with thinly-sliced cheese and buttery crescent roll dough make a quick, easy, and popular holiday appetizer or game day snack. The sweet tang of a honey mustard glaze doubles as dipping sauce for extra points.
What kind of party planner are you? Personally, I have evolved quite a bit over time. I used to be a semi-obsessive, make-it-all-from-scratch type, which was not the best for my mental health. Fortunately for me and all of my loved one, I’ve mellowed on this with the passage of time.
Using crescent roll dough is a perfect example: yes, it is technically a shortcut. But it results in a delicious semi-homemade party snack, appetizer, or meal that I can get on board with for the right occasion. Game day eats? Thanksgiving appetizer? Simple lunch? Fun, packable sports night dinner? This works for all of those situations, in my book.
Why You’ll Love These Turkey Party Rolls
- They feel a little special, but assembly is seriously quick and easy
- Buttery, flaky crescent roll dough makes a convenient, delicious base
- Thinly-sliced turkey and cheese are irresistibly layered and baked to melty perfection
- Homemade honey mustard glaze pulls it all together and doubles as a dip
- Cozy vibes are extra perfect for watching fall sports and Thanksgiving appetizers
What Others Say:
“These are a crowd pleaser! They are so easy and a notch above the standard party snack. It’s definitely important to roll them tightly, and I find they work better with thinly sliced deli turkey than the leftover Thanksgiving chunky pieces.” -Carrie
Ingredient Notes
Pro Tip
Making the honey mustard glaze from scratch has the key advantage of allowing you to adjust to taste, so don’t shy away from the opportunity! Sample and add more honey for extra sweetness, more mustard for extra tang, more vinegar (just a drop!) for extra punch, more cayenne (just a pinch!) for extra heat, etc.
How To Make Turkey Cheese Party Rolls
First, make the glaze. Just whisk everything together into a smooth mixture that can be easily brushed or drizzled. Remember to sample and adjust to taste.
Prep the rolls. Unwrap, unroll, then press and shape the crescent roll dough into a flat sheet. Gently press the seams together, then layer turkey and cheese on top.
Roll up. Starting on the long edge, roll this sheet up into a tight log, just as you would a cinnamon roll. Be sure to press the seams and the edge tightly together.
Slice. Use a chef’s or serrated knife to slice this log into 12 equal pieces and arrange them in a lightly greased baking pan, or on a lightly greased rimmed baking sheet.
Equipment Note
This glass baking dish is relatively small, approximately 8×6 inches. It’s a somewhat unusual size that I’ve happily discovered is absolutely perfect for this recipe and lots of other baked appetizers, dips, marinated shrimp and meats, and a surprising variety of other kitchen tasks.
Brush with glaze. A light touch of the honey mustard glaze over each roll adds all the flavor! Resist the temptation to add too much—literally just a light brush, as shown in the photo below, does the trick. If you pour it on or add a full layer, the rolls are liable to stay soggy and never develop crisp tops in the oven.
Bake. These bake through in about 20 minutes at 375°F.
As oven temperatures and cooking times do vary, the key markers of doneness are nice golden brown tops and inner layers of dough that are puffy and cooked through. The cheese will still be gooey, of course.
If you care to test with an instant-read thermometer—I always like removing guesswork—the inside dough should reach approximately 190°F.
Serving Suggestions
For a Thanksgiving appetizer or other gathering: serve warm with the remaining glaze as a dipping sauce. If they’re done a little ahead of serving time, I find these rolls do keep well under foil for 10-15 minutes, or in an oven or warming drawer set around 200°F for up to an hour.
For a grab-and-go dinner: package up in any tightly-lidded container. From one Mom to another, they’re extra satisfying on the sidelines of sports practice paired with apple slices, baby carrots, and other simple sides.
Make Ahead Tips
To make these rolls ahead of time, assemble through slicing and arranging in a baking dish, then tightly cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 48 hours. You can whisk together and store the glaze in the fridge separately, too.
When ready, remove rolls from the fridge, brush with glaze, and bake as directed.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftover rolls tightly covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the oven or toaster oven for the best texture. I love to eat a couple of these with a big salad for lunch!
More Appetizers and Snacks
- Apricot Brie Bites
- Stuffed Mushrooms
- Rye Chip Chex Mix
- Sun-Dried Tomato Dip
- Easy Homemade Olive Tapenade
- BBQ-Glazed Chicken Bacon Bites
- Homemade Honey Mustard Pretzels
Turkey Party Rolls with Swiss and Honey Mustard Glaze
Ingredients
For the Rolls
- 1 tube crescent roll dough
- 6-8 ounces thinly-sliced turkey breast
- 6-8 slices thinly-sliced cheese, Swiss, Gouda, or another favorite
For the Glaze
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup whole grain or Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat a small baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- To make the honey mustard glaze, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup. Whisk to blend, sample and adjust seasonings to taste, then set aside.1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup whole grain or Dijon mustard, 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar, 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Unroll the crescent dough and and stretch into an approximately 10×15-inch rectangle, lightly pressing the seams together to form a sheet.1 tube crescent roll dough
- Top the crescent roll sheet with an even layer of turkey, followed by the cheese.6-8 ounces thinly-sliced turkey breast, 6-8 slices thinly-sliced cheese
- Starting on the long side, roll the dough up into a tight log. Pinch the seam together and use a sharp knife to cut into 12 equal rolls. Arrange evenly in the pan and brush or drizzle 1-2 teaspoons of the honey mustard glaze over each roll. Resist the temptation to add a lot more glaze at this point; too much will make the rolls soggy and prevent crisp edges as they bake.
- Bake uncovered for 18-20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the dough is fully baked through. Serve warm with the rest of the glaze as a dipping sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- Thinly-sliced is best. For easy rolling, both the turkey and the cheese need to be sliced very thin, so getting them from the deli counter or from pre-packaged thinly-sliced selections is usually easiest.
- Adjust glaze to taste. Sample and add more honey for extra sweetness, more mustard for extra tang, more vinegar (just a drop!) for extra punch, more cayenne (just a pinch!) for extra heat, etc.
- Favorite pan. The glass baking dish shown here is relatively small, approximately 8×6 inches. It’s a somewhat unusual size that I’ve happily discovered is absolutely perfect for this recipe and lots of other baked appetizers, dips, marinated shrimp and meats, and a surprising variety of other kitchen tasks.
- Keep them warm. If these rolls are done a little ahead of serving time, I find they keep well under foil for 10-15 minutes, or in an oven or warming drawer set around 200°F for up to an hour.
- Prep them ahead. To make these rolls ahead of time, assemble the rolls through the slicing and arranging step, then tightly wrap in aluminum foil and refrigerate until ready to bake. Remove from the fridge, brush with the glaze, and bake as directed. The glaze can also be made ahead and stored in the fridge.
- Re-Use the Glaze: Any leftover honey mustard sauce also makes a fantastic dipping sauce for chicken tenders, marinade for chicken breasts or other meats, or salad dressing.
- Glaze Recipe: Adapted from Pinch of Yum.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published November 3, 2017 and has been updated with new photos and more helpful tips on the type of turkey and cheese to buy, making them ahead, and storing/reheating leftovers.
These are a crowd pleaser! They are so easy and a notch above the standard party snack. It’s definitely important to roll them tightly, and I find they work better with thinly sliced deli turkey than the leftover Thanksgiving chunky pieces.
So thrilled that you love them, Carrie! My reply is belated but I hope they have continued to serve you well at more occasions. I so appreciate your time to leave this helpful and specific feedback!
Flavor was good but they didn’t hold their shape, a Tbs of dressing is too much and made the dough soggy and never browned even though I continued to bake them for another 10-15 mins.
Hi Sheri, I’m glad you liked the flavor but sorry you struggled with the shape – if you used a full Tablespoon (Tbsp) of the glaze on each roll it probably did cause the issue. One or two teaspoons (tsp) is the amount suggested in the recipe and is one-third or at most or two-thirds of a full Tablespoon. It may seem like a small distinction but it definitely could cause them to bake up differently.
I love this idea! Thank you for sharing, Ive pinned it and plan to make very soon! I agree with your above comment, when mustard alone it’s totally different, but cooking it down with the honey and such makes a total change in flavor. My daughter doesn’t like mustard but loves and ask’s frequently for me to make quick batches of honey mustard to dip her fries in. Thanks again!
Do you have any substitute for the honey mustard glaze!? My boyfriend doesn’t like mustard 🙁
You could try a maple glaze, something like this recipe! But it could be worth trying the honey mustard – I don’t like mustard as a stand-alone condiment, either, but combined with honey and cooked it really does take on a different flavor. Either way, I hope these are a winner for you! Let me know what you decide!
Is there a substitute you’d recommend for the crescent dough? I really cannot stand the taste of that stuff unfortunately. Do you think low carb wraps would work? Thanks in advance!
You could try using pizza dough, biscuits, or wraps – the first two will rise a bit, whereas the wraps will mostly just be a flat base, but depending on what you’re going for, it could be really delicious!