This Homemade Ham and Cheese Roll is made with tender bread dough, salty ham, and creamy, sharp cheese. Finished with a sweet and tangy glaze, this giant ham roll is one delicious twist on a ham sandwich!
Looking for creative uses for leftover ham? Stuffing leftover Instant Pot Honey Baked Ham or Easy Baked Ham into soft bread is the way to go! It is delicious served for a quick lunch but also a great option for parties when served alongside classics like Taco Dip and Chip Dip!
This Baked Ham and Cheese Roll is my version of a dressed-up ham sandwich, and it is downright delicious!
Instead of individual rolls, this giant roll is made with savory ham, sharp cheese, and a sweet and tangy horseradish honey glaze. The flavors are out of this world and this recipe is quite easy to make.
Notes on Ingredients
- Bread Dough--I prefer making the dough myself, for the best taste, but you can use 1 pound of your favorite store-bought bread dough. For this recipe, bread dough is a better choice than pizza dough, as the bread dough will rise and give this roll a lot more substance.
- Ham--Use store-bought deli ham, leftover baked ham, or leftover instant pot ham.
- Cheese: I prefer to use Swiss cheese, as it is a classic pairing with ham. However, cheddar or Colby are two other great options.
- Glaze: The glaze is made with fresh lemon juice, horseradish, and honey. It is sweet, tangy, and really wakes up your palate. It is optional but truly elevates this baked ham and cheese roll.
How to Make a Ham and Cheese Roll
- Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let sit for 5 minutes, until yeast is a bit foamy.
- Add the salt, honey, and flour to the yeast mixture and mix together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead the dough together until a smooth ball forms.
- Cover the dough and let rise for 1 hour in a warm place.
- Prepare the glaze by combining the honey and horseradish with the juice of one lemon.
- Roll the dough out into a rectangle about the size of 10x14 inches.
- Brush the dough with a thin layer of glaze and then layer the dough with an even layer of both the ham and cheese, leaving a 1-inch border along the sides.
- Fold up the bread and flip the loaf over, so it is seam side down.
- Cover the prepared bread with a kitchen towel and let rise while the oven heats to 400 degrees--about 15-20 minutes.
- Once the oven has heated, remove the towel from the prepared roll.
- Brush the bread with 1 tablespoon of the glaze and sprinkle with chia seeds if using. Cut 3-5 small slits into the loaf to let air escape.
- Bake the loaf for 25-30 minutes, until it is golden brown.
- Remove baked ham loaf from the oven and brush with the remaining glaze and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer to a cutting board and then slice up and enjoy.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Feel free to use any variety of deli meat and cheeses you like.
While the horseradish honey glaze adds tremendous flavor to this ham and cheese roll, feel free to omit the glaze. Just be sure to brush the loaf with an egg wash or melted butter before baking so that the bread browns evenly.
Once the ham and cheese roll has been shaped, you can tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Remove from the refrigerator, unwrap, place on a baking sheet, cover with a towel and allow to rise for 45 minutes. Glaze the loaf, add the slits, and bake as directed.
Store leftover slices of baked ham and cheese roll in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave if desired or enjoy cold.
More Recipes Featuring Ham
- Cheesy Ham and Scalloped Potatoes
- Overnight Ham and Egg Breakfast Casserole
- Instant Pot Honey Baked Ham
- Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets
- Baked Ham and Egg Cups
If you enjoyed this ham and cheese roll recipe, I would love for you to leave a review and comment below.
Ham and Cheese Roll
Ingredients
For the Bread Dough
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- 1 ½ teaspoons yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 3 ½ cups flour al-purpose or whole white wheat
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
For the Filling
- 8 ounces ham deli sliced or leftover
- 8 ounces Swiss cheese or Cheddar or Colby
For the Horseradish Glaze (optional--see notes if not using)
- 1 lemon juiced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon horseradish
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds or poppy seeds
Instructions
Prepare the Bread Dough
- Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let sit for 5 minutes, until yeast is a bit foamy.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix together. I like to do this in my kitchen stand mixer with a dough hook, so that it can also knead the dough for me (for about 3 minutes.) If not, just knead by hand until the dough forms a smooth ball.
- Cover the dough and let rise for 1 hour in warm place.
Prepare Ham Roll
- Heat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Prepare the glaze by combining the honey and horseradish with the juice of one lemon. You may want to heat the mixture for 30 seconds to help aid that process along the glaze incorporate together.
- Roll out your bread dough into a large 10x14 rectangle, onto a lightly floured cooking sheet. Brush the dough with 1 tablespoon of the glaze. Layer the ham and cheese over the dough and fold up into a long log shape. Place seam side down on your cookie sheet.
- Before baking, brush the loaf with 1 tablespoon of the glaze and sprinkle with the chia seeds if using. Cut 3-5 slits on top of the loaf to let steam escape.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and lightly brush any remaining glaze over the top.
- Let sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2015 but has been updated in 2021 with new tips.
Hanna
I found some dough in the deli section of my market and made this. So delicious! Thanks for another great recipe.
Kristen Chidsey
You are welcome Hanna! I love hearing you are enjoying these recipes.
Sandi
This was so fun to make with the kids!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing you got the kids to help Sandi. Making memories while enjoying delicious food 🙂
Lisalia
Just yummy! The photos don't do it justice. This is like my favorite italian stromboli. But a GREAT twist. Thanks for the especially yummy horseradish honey glaze sauce. I made some extra and we dipped it in! LOVE THIS.
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing how much you enjoyed this Lisalia 🙂 I love that dipping sauce so much myself!
Erica Schwarz
This is delicious! Was a total hit with my family and surprisingly easy to make including the bread. The horseradish glaze is not negotiable, it makes this perfect. And chia seeds for crunch is such a clever suggestion I'd never thought of that!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing how much you enjoyed the horseradish glaze--I feel it makes this recipe as well.
Rebekah P
I'd love to make this ahead and freeze it. Just by looks it seems it would freeze well? I would imagine bake it first (like I do our pizza pockets, which makes me think this recipe would do well in pocket form), then freeze it? I would think then thaw out and reheat add if it had been refrigerated?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Rebekah. This would freeze well. You could freeze before the second rise and then allow to thaw in your fridge overnight and then bake the next day, or you can freeze baked and thaw out and reheat. I do have a recipe for Ham and Cheese Hot Pockets if you are interested in that recipe as well.
Kay Penn
Can this be made ahead in any way? Maybe refrigerated for several hours after rising but before baking? I'd like to make it for family but can never depend upon arrival time. It would also be good for some ladies groups with a salad and dessert.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Kay!
Yes, this recipe can be made ahead. You can make this up to one day before baking after it has risen. Then before baking remove from fridge and let come to room temperature before baking.
I would also suggest baking as directed and then cooling and refrigerating--then warm in a 300 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes. Slice and serve.
Hope that helps! I have made in advance many times for football parties and even a bridal shower.