Growing up I thought all the stars were in line when we would have Hot Pockets -Ham and Cheese. They were my absolute favorite freezer food ever and I would always beg my mom to get them. Well since she knew how to make bread and wanted to save money, she started to make her own version. Now they were good but we had to go through a lot of tweaks to get the rolls that I make today!! Haha we found out that making it into a “cinnamon roll” style meant that EVERY bite is full of yummy diced ham and oozing with cheese. Yum! I love to make a batch of these and then freeze them once they are cool. I will freeze them just in gallon size bags and then pull one or two out when I need a quick lunch for Mr. W or Little W. So if you need a quick meal or just want some homemade comfort food, give these a try!

Tips on how to make the roll

• Spray a very large counter/table with PAM and use a marble/heavy rolling pin to roll out the dough. I love using my marble one because then it does all the hard work for me!

• I like to use the pre-diced ham that you can buy at the grocery stores. It is normally by the pepperoni in the refrigerated section. Then I also get a big bag of shredded cheese. You can do it all by yourself too! It’s a great way to use up extra ham. Just dice it up into very small pieces.

• When rolling the dough up, you want to lift/roll the dough with the fingers and then push it under with your thumb. That motion makes sure it is a nice and TIGHT roll and so all the ingredients won’t fall out from being too loose.

• Slice the long roll into smaller rolls with a Serrated knife (careful not to damage your table)

• Tuck ends under!!! This helps prevent the roll from unwinding.

• To check and see if it’s done, the rolls should be a nice light brown and the middle of the roll should tear/break off when lifted. (This works with cinnamon rolls too)

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water
• 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
• 3 Tablespoons white sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter (or oil)
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup milk
• 5-6 cups all purpose white flour (you can mix wheat/white if desired)
• 3 Tablespoons vital wheat gluten
• PAM
• One bag of diced ham (around 1 1/2-2 cups
• 4 cups of shredded cheese
• Pepper and Italian seasoning

Instructions

1. Add the yeast and sugar to the mixing bowl. Stir. Add warm water. Stir and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes or until it is nice and foamy.
2. Combine melted butter, honey, milk, Wheat gluten and salt. Add to the yeast mixture and mix together. (Thank goodness for my chief editor to keep my recipes in line!!)
3. Pour in 3 cups of flour into the yeast mixture. Stir/Knead together using a dough hook (all machines come with one). Add in 1 cup of flour at a time and mix. Once you get to about 4 1/2 – 5 cups of flour added, examine your dough to see if additional flour is needed. Slowly add 1/2 cup of flour at a time until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl.
4. Spray your dough ball and sides of the bowl with PAM. Cover with Saran wrap or a warm towel. Set in a warm place and allow to rise (about 1-1 1/2 hrs)
5. Once risen, dump onto a large counter space that has been sprayed with PAM.
6. Roll out dough into a long rectangle and sprinkle with pepper and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle the entire bag of diced ham and around 3 1/2 cups of cheese. (You just want the cheese to cover the entire surface of the dough)
7. Roll lengthwise into one long roll. Make sure to keep the roll tight or else the filling will fall out when cutting and transferring to a pan.
8. Slice the roll into individual rolls. (I normally slice the roll the length of a little less than my thumb)
9. Place on grease pan and slightly press down on the roll. Allow to rise for 10-15 minutes.
10. Bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes. (Again, always check your rolls because all ovens cook differently. Especially since the thickness of the rolls will vary, the cooking time will be different. You want a light brown bottom and the center of the roll to be firm, not doughy.)
11. These freeze super well in a gallon sized bag for a quick grab-n-go meal!