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January 8, 2019

Kids Love These Easy Ham & Cheese Pinwheels for Lunch

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These easy Ham and Cheese Pinwheels take just five minutes and three ingredients to make and are perfect for snacks and lunch boxes. 

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

I grew up eating a version of these that my mom folded into a genuine-looking pinwheels (I shared the how-to over on Mom to Mom Nutrition). I also shared how to make them on Instagram Stories one day and didn’t think much of it.

Until my friend Robin (of Robin’s Bite) made them, raved, and shared them on Instagram too. “Hands down, this is my family’s favorite snack,” she messaged me. “And it’s my most commented-on Instagram Story ever!”

So I figured I was practically obligated to share them here, in case they’re a hit with your family too.

Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

My kids love these hot for weekend lunches and cold in lunch boxes. Trouble is, the pretty pinwheel shape I was making didn’t fit in their bento boxes.

So I tried a new tactic and now they work beautifully in their EasyLunchboxes, Bentgo Fresh box, and PlanetBox (that’s the one pictured above). And they’re just as simple and quick to make.

  You might also like: 100 Lunch Box Ideas

How to make Ham and Cheese Pinwheels:

Open the package of crescent roll dough. I like the Annie’s brand which, unlike some others, doesn’t contain hydrogenated oils or synthetic colors.

Annie's Crescent Rolls

Place the rectangles together to form one big rectangle and press the perforated edges together to seal. Layer on the ham and cheese and roll up, starting at one of the short ends.

  Get More: All My Top Posts About Packing Lunches

How to Make Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Using a serrated knife, carefully cut into slices. I cut mine into eight pieces.

How to Make Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking. They will spread a little bit while baking, so space them apart.

How to Make Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Bake for 12-15 minutes at 375 degrees F until golden brown and melty.

How to Make Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Remove to a cooling rack and serve warm. Or cool and refrigerate in an airtight container. Use within 3-4 days. (But good luck keeping them around that long!)

How to Make Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Easy Ham and Cheese Pinwheels for Lunch Boxes:Click to Tweet

Other riffs you can try:

  • Pepperoni & provolone
  • Turkey & cheddar
  • Pesto & chicken
  • Thinly-sliced mushrooms and Swiss

Continue to Content
Easy Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Easy Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

These easy Ham and Cheese Pinwheels take just five minutes to prep and are perfect for snacks and lunch boxes.

Ingredients

  • 1 can refrigerated crescent rolls, I like Annie's brand.
  • 8 slices deli ham, May need more or less, depending on size of slices.
  • 8 slices swiss cheese, May need more or less, depending on size of slices.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Open package of crescent rolls and unroll onto a baking sheet or cutting board, placing the four rectangle pieces together to form one big rectangle. Pinch the perforated edges closed to seal.
  3. Layer on slices of ham to cover entire surface area. Cover ham slices with cheese.
  4. Starting at short end, roll tightly, jellyroll fashion. Slice carefully with a serrated knife into 8 even slices.
  5. Place slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. They will spread while baking, so space them with some room between. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and melty.
  6. Remove to a cooling rack and serve while warm or refrigerate after cool in an airtight container. Use within 3-4 days.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

  • Parchment Baking Paper
  • Silpat Nonstick Silicone Baking Mat 
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 pinwheel
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 211Saturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 482mgCarbohydrates: 16gSugar: 4gProtein: 11g
© Sally
Cuisine: American
Ham and Cheese Pinwheels

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Hi! I'm Sally, a dietitian-mom.

I believe that EVERY mom can feel successful and confident about feeding her kids, lose the stress, and finally enjoy mealtime again.

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Filed Under: Dinner, Family Favorite, Recipes, Snacks Tagged With: lunch boxes, recipes, snacks

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Hannah says

    January 9, 2019 at 12:29 pm

    I love this idea! I’m always looking for new ideas for my son’s lunches. I also use the PlanetBox lunchbox. I’ll keep an eye out for Annies crescents. I love their products. Thanks for the post.

    Reply
    • Sally says

      January 9, 2019 at 12:45 pm

      Thanks Hannah! Hope you try them and like them.

      Reply
  2. Rachel says

    January 13, 2019 at 6:12 pm

    Just what I needed to get out of the pb&j blues. Made them tonight for lunches- my girls are so excited to eat these. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sally says

      January 13, 2019 at 8:46 pm

      Hooray! Hope they love em.

      Reply
  3. Ruthie says

    January 22, 2019 at 3:48 pm

    I so enjoy your blog. I am taking the Ham and Cheese Pinwheels to my grandsons tomorrow. I’ll let you know what they think!

    Reply
    • Sally says

      January 23, 2019 at 9:13 am

      Thank you Ruthie! Hope they love them!

      Reply
  4. Kerry says

    February 3, 2019 at 12:41 pm

    These were a HUGE hit with my daughter and my husband today! I have run out of ideas for lunchboxes, but now that this is “approved” I have another option. I couldn’t find the Annie’s crescents but I’ll keep an eye out for them. Super fast and easy to make.

    Reply
  5. Suzanne B says

    March 3, 2019 at 4:57 pm

    I made a double batch of these last week– one ham and swiss and one turkey and cheddar. All three school age kids loved them, including the non-sandwich eater! It’s pretty much unheard of for them to have a unanimous consensus on food.

    Reply
    • Sally says

      March 4, 2019 at 2:02 pm

      That is great to hear!!

      Reply
  6. Etta says

    March 6, 2019 at 4:07 pm

    Thank you for this yummy lunch idea! I made a batch this morning before school. My seven year old ate a pinwheel and gave a big He said he can’t wait until lunchtime at school. At pick-up he asked if he could have another for after school snack. My son asked where I got the idea and I showed him your blog, he said you’re the coolest!

    Reply
    • Sally says

      March 8, 2019 at 6:46 am

      Ha! Glad he liked them and thanks for the compliment. 😉

      Reply
  7. Catherine says

    March 20, 2019 at 10:27 pm

    Can you buy the Annie’s dough in Canada? I haven’t seen it, but also never looked for it cuz I didn’t know it existed!

    Reply
    • Sally says

      March 21, 2019 at 8:11 am

      Hi Catherine–I’m not sure. You can use their store locator to find out: https://www.annies.com/store-locator
      Or you can use any kind of crescent roll dough instead. Thanks!

      Reply
  8. Amy says

    March 24, 2019 at 5:09 pm

    Finally made these! My very quiet 17 year old walks by as they are cooling and pops one in his mouth says “these things are really good” most he’s said all day 🙂 the picky 13 year old is dipping them in salsa. Thanks Sally!

    Reply
    • Sally says

      March 25, 2019 at 7:43 am

      That’s great to hear, Amy!

      Reply
  9. Mary says

    March 31, 2019 at 12:18 pm

    Could these be made ahead of time and frozen?

    Reply
    • Sally says

      April 1, 2019 at 10:21 am

      That’s a great question Mary. I haven’t tried it yet but I will. I don’t see why you couldn’t freeze and defrost them, then pop into the toaster oven or regular oven to crisp up.

      Reply
  10. Vanessa P. says

    April 18, 2019 at 9:34 am

    Incredibly simple to make and so tasty! I paired these with some tomato soup and it was a hit!

    Reply
  11. Sue D says

    August 26, 2019 at 8:59 pm

    These are the reason I always have crescent rolls in my fridge! We LOVE these!

    Reply
  12. Maureen says

    October 16, 2019 at 4:11 pm

    Would the pinwheel recipe work using pizza dough?

    Reply
    • Sally says

      October 16, 2019 at 4:32 pm

      I would think so but haven’t tried that.

      Reply
  13. Stefani Crumey says

    January 4, 2021 at 3:24 pm

    I just found this recipe today and I had all of the ingredients in the house. My son loved them! I loved them. We needed something fun for the first lunch of the 2021 school year. I can’t wait to play around with different variations!

    Reply
    • Sally says

      January 7, 2021 at 12:20 pm

      Stefani–so glad you enjoyed them!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Back to School Lunch Box Ideas – Dogwoods & Dandelions says:
    August 8, 2019 at 8:04 am

    […] Mom Nutrition’s Ham & Cheese Pinwheels use crescent rolls to make a quick main dish for the lunch […]

    Reply
  2. Homemade Pepperoni Rolls (Quick + Kid-Friendly!) - Real Mom Nutrition says:
    November 10, 2019 at 3:18 pm

    […] You might also like: Ham and Cheese Pinwheels […]

    Reply

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