Roll with ham, corn, and cheese

If I need a quick snack for a meal with friends or something to take away, the ham, corn, and cheese roll is among the first options that come to mind. Basically, I work with what I have on hand and usually find all the ingredients in the fridge or freezer. It’s one of those recipes that I’ve never had issues with, neither with the dough nor with the filling.

Quick Info

Total time: 55-65 minutes
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes (depending on how quickly the dough thaws)
Baking time: 30-40 minutes
Servings: 12-14 slices (from a standard roll of puff pastry)
Difficulty: easy
Recipe type: appetizer, snack, brunch

Ingredients

- frozen puff pastry – 450 g (a standard package)
- ham – 150 g
- cheese – 200 g
- canned corn – 300 g (well drained)
- 1 egg
- sesame seeds for sprinkling on top (or poppy seeds, as preferred)

Preparation method

1. I start with the dough. I take it out of the freezer and let it sit at room temperature until completely thawed. If I’m in a hurry, I don’t force it with the oven or microwave, because it sticks or tears.

2. In the meantime, I cut the ham into small cubes. I grate the cheese. I put everything in a large bowl.

3. I add the well-drained corn over the ham and cheese. I mix gently, so the cheese doesn’t crumble too much, but distributes evenly.

4. When the dough is ready to work with, I carefully unfold it on the counter. I don’t roll it out with a rolling pin unless necessary, to avoid tearing the layers.

5. I put a layer of filling on one of the long edges of the dough sheet, about the width of three fingers. I don’t press down, just level it gently.

6. Rolling goes quite quickly. I grab the edge with the filling and start rolling tightly, without forcing it. I roll until the filling is completely covered by the dough, then I cut with a knife alongside the roll. I leave the rest of the sheet for the next round of filling.

7. I transfer the formed roll to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. If it doesn’t fit, I bend it slightly or make shorter rolls.

8. I beat the egg with a fork and brush the roll all over. I sprinkle sesame or poppy seeds just enough to cover lightly.

9. I repeat the steps with the remaining dough and filling until everything is used up. Sometimes, if I have too much dough or too little filling, I improvise with what I have in the fridge.

10. Baking is done in a preheated oven at 180°C. I leave it for 30-40 minutes until the rolls are nicely browned on top. Halfway through, I check if they are baking evenly.

11. After taking the rolls out of the oven, I let them cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Why I make this recipe often

It’s the recipe I turn to because it doesn’t give me headaches, it’s not fussy, and if I use the basic ingredients, it’s bound to turn out well. It’s good both warm and cold. It keeps well for a day or two, unless it’s finished immediately. I can use whatever I find in the fridge without changing the basic flavor.

Tips and variations

Tips

- Don’t put the filling directly on the whole sheet of dough, so you can roll tightly and evenly.
- Drain the corn very well, so it doesn’t make the dough soggy while baking.
- Thicker rolls take longer to bake. If you want to be sure the middle is cooked, don’t make them too wide.
- Let them cool slightly before cutting, so the edges don’t crumble.

Substitutions

- Instead of sesame, you can use poppy seeds for sprinkling on top.
- If you don’t have cheese, hard cheese that grates easily will work.
- Any type of ham or even boiled chicken breast cut into cubes is fine.

Variations

- If you run out of filling, you can add small diced vegetables (peppers, olives, etc.) without changing the texture too much.
- You can add spices to the mixture if you like: a bit of pepper, oregano, or sweet paprika.
- If you use another type of cheese, try to avoid very soft ones, so it doesn’t ooze out.

Serving ideas

- The roll can be sliced and served as appetizers, at buffets, or as a packed snack.
- It also goes well with a simple green salad if you want a quick meal.
- Thin slices can be placed on festive platters.

Frequently asked questions

1. Can I use another type of dough instead of puff pastry?
Puff pastry is the most suitable for the layered texture. In theory, you can try with pie dough or yeast dough, but it won’t be as flaky.

2. How much can I fill the roll without it breaking during baking?
Ideally, you shouldn’t put more than 1/3 of the width of the sheet, so you can roll and not have the filling leak out during baking.

3. Can the roll be frozen after baking?
I don’t recommend it, as it becomes soggy and loses its crispy texture.

4. Can I add other ingredients to the filling?
Yes, but without overdoing the quantity, so the dough doesn’t crack.

5. Can I use frozen corn?
Yes, but it needs to be blanched and well drained before mixing.

Nutritional values (estimated)

One slice (out of 12-14 slices/roll) has approximately 150-170 kcal, with 7-8 g of protein, 9-10 g of fat, and 12-13 g of carbohydrates. The values vary depending on the exact type of cheese or ham used. The salt content can be high, depending on the ingredients.

Storage and reheating

The roll can be stored in the fridge, wrapped or in a container, for up to 2 days. It can be eaten cold or heated for a few minutes in the oven. I don’t recommend reheating in the microwave, as the pastry becomes soft. If there are leftover slices, it’s best to reheat them in the oven on parchment paper, for 5-7 minutes at 170°C. The roll doesn’t stay crispy for more than a day, but the taste remains pleasant.

 Ingredients: frozen puff pastry - 450g, ham - 150g, cheese - 200g, corn - 300g, 1 egg, sesame

 Tags:  roll appetizer roll