Ham Rolls with Cheese Sauce

These ham rolls wrap ground ham, mustard, and butter inside homemade biscuit dough, then get sliced into pinwheels and baked at high heat until golden and flaky. A sharp cheddar cheese sauce drizzled over the top turns them into a proper meal.

The jelly-roll technique gives you spirals of savory ham filling tucked between layers of tender biscuit. Rolling the dough to ¾-inch thickness is important. Thinner dough tears during rolling and doesn’t have enough body to hold the filling. One-inch slices placed cut-side down let you see those pretty swirl layers while the bottoms crisp up in the greased pan.

The cheese sauce is a classic roux-based bechamel with sharp cheddar and a dash of cayenne stirred in off the heat. It doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth. A slightly rustic, chunky sauce has more character.

Kitchen Tips

• Use cooked, ground ham (not deli slices). Ground ham spreads evenly and stays put when you roll the dough.
• Don’t overwork the biscuit dough. Handle it just enough to roll out. Overworked biscuit dough bakes tough instead of flaky.
• Cut slices with a sharp knife in a single motion. Sawing back and forth compresses the layers.
• Cook the roux for 2 to 3 full minutes before adding milk. This cooks out the raw flour taste.

Variations

• Broccoli-ham rolls: Add finely chopped steamed broccoli to the ham filling for extra color and nutrition.
• Honey mustard version: Mix honey into the mustard before spreading for a sweeter, more glazed filling.