A quick appetizer, lunch, or dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes, thanks to this easy Roast Beef and Cheese Crescent Roll recipe! Stuffed with meat, cream cheese, cheddar, and garlic, it’s a crowd-pleasing dish for any occasion.
Table of Contents
- Kid-Friendly Roast Beef Roll-Ups
- Ingredients for Easy Roast Beef and Cheddar Crescent Rolls
- How to Make Roast Beef and Cheddar Crescent Rolls
- Tips for Reheating Leftover Roast Beef Crescent Rolls
- Roast Beef Crescent Rolls Recipe Tips & Variations
- More Delicious Crescent Roll Recipes to Try
- Roast Beef and Cheese Crescent Rolls Recipe
A couple of months ago, we were fortunate enough to get away for a kid-free weekend. Keith and I enjoyed shopping and eating in restaurants, all without interruption from our sweet little ones! By the time we picked up the kids from my parents’ house and returned home on Sunday evening, however, I didn’t have the time or the energy to head to the grocery store. That’s when I came up with this handy crescent roll recipe that takes advantage of pantry staples!
I rummaged through my refrigerator and found all of these ingredients just waiting to be used. The roll-ups were the perfect accompaniment to a can of soup (also from the pantry) – a perfect last-minute meal!
Kid-Friendly Roast Beef Roll-Ups
If you’re looking for a kid-friendly meal, it doesn’t get much better than this. My kids love these hand-held beef and cheddar crescent roll-ups, and they’re the perfect serving size without being too much or too little food for the little ones.
Not only do these crescent sandwiches make an easy dinner the whole family will love, but they’re also a perfect appetizer for game day or a family get-together. Next time you need an easy meal that takes minimal prep time, gather the ingredients for this crescent roll recipe and enjoy.
Ingredients for Easy Roast Beef and Cheddar Crescent Rolls
Here’s a list of simple ingredients you need to make these quick and easy roast beef and cheese crescent roll-ups! If you don’t already have most of these ingredients on hand, it’ll be a quick stop at the grocery store to collect them. Be sure to check out the printable recipe card at the end of this post for the complete ingredient measurements and directions.
- Crescent Roll Dough: I use Pillsbury crescent rolls, but you can use whatever brand you have on hand.
- Cream Cheese: whether you choose to use light, regular, flavored, or plain, make sure it’s room temperature to make it easier to mix.
- Mayonnaise & Ketchup: this creamy, tangy sauce mixes in the cream cheese mixture for the perfect flavor.
- Diced Roast Beef: you can use leftover roast beef or pre-sliced deli roast beef, whatever you prefer.
- Shredded Cheese: I use shredded cheddar cheese, grated fresh from a block, since it tends to melt smoother than pre-shredded cheese in a bag.
- Garlic Powder: adds the perfect savory flavor to the cream cheese mixture.
Is crescent dough the same as puff pastry?
For those of you who are not familiar with Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, the short answer is “no.” The crescent dough is not the same as frozen puff pastry.
Crescent rolls are like a cross between biscuits, dinner rolls, and croissants. The crescent dough doesn’t use as much butter as puff pastry dough, so it’s not as rich. It’s leavened with yeast, making it taste more like other yeast breads and less like flakey puff pastry.
How do you level up crescent rolls?
Instead of just serving plain old crescent rolls at dinner (although there’s no harm in that – buttery, flaky crescent rolls are delicious!), you can level them up with delicious (and easy) fillings to make them even better.
So, what can go in crescent rolls? Just about anything! While this crescent roll recipe is made with cream cheese, cheddar, and roast beef, I have also been known to make stuffed crescent roll recipes with ham and cheese, ground beef, pizza toppings…and the list goes on. The options are endless!
How to Make Roast Beef and Cheddar Crescent Rolls
With just a few extra minutes, you can take a regular tube of crescent roll dough and turn it into a delicious appetizer or meal. Here’s what you do.
- Mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, ketchup, roast beef, shredded cheddar, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate into 8 triangles.
- Spread each triangle with some of the cream cheese mixture, leaving a border around the edge.
- Roll up in a standard crescent roll shape.
- Place the rolls on a baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes or until they’re nice and golden brown.
Should I use regular or large crescents for these roast beef and cheddar roll-ups?
If you’re familiar with Pillsbury original crescent rolls, you’ll know they have the original size crescents and the larger Grands crescents. The regular size is perfectly fine for this recipe. If you want to use the Grands-style crescent, you’ll likely have to double the recipe to make more cream cheese filling, as they will make larger roll-ups.
What’s the best kind of roast beef to use in roast beef and cheese crescents?
You can use leftover roast beef from a previous meal, your favorite deli slices of roast beef, or pre-packaged roast beef from the lunch meat section of the grocery store. Hillshire Farm has a flavorful thin-sliced roast beef that would dice up perfectly. Whichever roast beef you use, make sure to dice it up into small pieces so it mixes in smoothly with the cream cheese filling.
Can I make roast beef and cheese crescent rolls in the air fryer?
Yes! Most store-bought crescent rolls come with air fryer instructions that make it super easy to have buttery, flakey crescents in the air fryer. Simply heat your air fryer to 300 degrees F (but do preheat it), and cook the crescent rolls for 5 minutes, flip, and cook for another 4 minutes or until golden brown.
Can I freeze roast beef and cheddar crescent roll-ups?
Yes! To freeze the baked crescent rolls, allow them to cool to room temperature before wrapping them individually with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Keep the individually wrapped crescent rolls in a large freezer bag or airtight container in freezer for up to 3 months. You can pull 1 or 2 out at a time, as needed!
Tips for Reheating Leftover Roast Beef Crescent Rolls
To reheat frozen crescent rolls in the microwave: warm crescent rolls gently in the microwave (but make sure that they don’t get too hot, or they will be too soft). I like to heat them in increments of 30 seconds, checking regularly to make sure that they’re warm but not overdone.
To reheat frozen crescent rolls in the oven: You can place frozen crescent rolls straight from the freezer into the oven without thawing first. To do so, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Place the desired number of frozen crescent rolls on a baking sheet. Warm in the oven until heated through (about 15 minutes). If the rolls start to get too brown on top, simply cover them loosely with foil to prevent further browning while the crescent rolls finish baking.
Roast Beef Crescent Rolls Recipe Tips & Variations
- Prep ahead! You can assemble these stuffed crescent rolls in advance and keep them loosely covered on the baking sheet in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake them.
- Switch out the roast beef for your favorite type of meat. Anything goes! You can make stuffed crescent rolls with chicken, crescent rolls with ham, or crescent rolls with ground beef.
- Instead of grated cheddar, try using another nicely melting cheese — such as Swiss, gruyere, fontina, American, mozzarella or provolone. You’ll still want to include that softened cream cheese for your base.
- Instead of plain cream cheese, try a more savory cream cheese flavor like garden vegetable cream cheese, chive & onion, or garlic and herb.
- This stuffed crescent roll recipe works equally well for party appetizers, a warm lunch, or an easy weeknight dinner!
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce! Yellow, honey, or Dijon mustard all pair well with roast beef. Mix ketchup and mayo together for a creamy and tangy burger sauce, or serve with a simple sour cream and chive sauce.
- French Dip Crescents: swap out the cheddar cheese for Swiss cheese and serve with a side of au jus sauce.
- Philly Cheesesteak Crescent Rolls: mix diced green bell peppers and caramelized onions into the cream cheese mixture for a Philly-style twist on roast beef crescents.
More Delicious Crescent Roll Recipes to Try
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Roast Beef and Cheese Crescent Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 (8 ounce) tube refrigerated crescent roll dough
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- ¼ cup finely diced roast beef
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a bowl, mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, and ketchup. Stir in roast beef, cheddar cheese, and garlic powder. Mix well and set aside.4 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon ketchup, ¼ cup finely diced roast beef, ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- Unroll the crescent roll dough and separate into triangles.1 (8 ounce) tube refrigerated crescent roll dough
- Spread each triangle with cream cheese mixture, leaving a border around the edge. Roll up to form crescent rolls.
- Place rolls on a large baking sheet. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, or until golden brown.
- After baking, allow to cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before removing.
Notes
- Prep ahead! You can assemble these stuffed crescent rolls in advance and keep them loosely covered on the baking sheet in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake them.
- Switch out the roast beef for your favorite type of meat. Anything goes! You can make stuffed crescent rolls with chicken, crescent rolls with ham, or crescent rolls with ground beef.
- Instead of grated cheddar, try using another nicely melting cheese — such as Swiss, gruyere, fontina, American, mozzarella or provolone. You’ll still want to include that softened cream cheese for your base.
- Instead of plain cream cheese, try a more savory cream cheese flavor like garden vegetable cream cheese, chive & onion, or garlic and herb.
- This stuffed crescent roll recipe works equally well for party appetizers, a warm lunch, or an easy weeknight dinner!
- Serve with your favorite dipping sauce! Yellow, honey, or Dijon mustard all pair well with roast beef. Mix ketchup and mayo together for a creamy and tangy burger sauce, or serve with a simple sour cream and chive sauce.
- French Dip Crescents: swap out the cheddar cheese for Swiss cheese and serve with a side of au jus sauce.
- Philly Cheesesteak Crescent Rolls: mix diced green bell peppers and caramelized onions into the cream cheese mixture for a Philly-style twist on roast beef crescents.
Yummm! What an awesome way to use up leftovers! These look perfect.
Thanks, Kristy!