Packed with two types of cheeses, green onions, and a drizzle of sweet-heat hot honey, these pinwheels are bursting with bold flavor from simple pantry staples. Perfectly melty, budget-friendly, and always a hit for lunch, game day snacking, or gatherings!
Cheesy Smoked Kielbasa Crescent Rolls
If you love foods that are equal parts easy, cheesy, and delicious, these pinwheels are for you—made with a rich combo of cream cheese and cheddar, savory smoked kielbasa, green onions, seasoning, and a kiss of hot honey. Every bite is packed with bold flavor!
Wrapped in a buttery crescent dough and baked until golden brown and bubbling, these are perfect anytime! They’re portable, budget-friendly, and seriously snackable!
Cheesy Hot Honey Kielbasa Roll Ups Ingredients
As you can see, you really don’t need a ton of ingredients or anything fancy. But as I’ve always said, quality matters.
- Crescent Roll Dough
- Smoked Kielbasa
- Cheese: Cream cheese and cheddar cheese
- Green Onions
- Seasoning: Chupacabra A Fine Meat Rub
How to Make Cheesy Kielbasa Rolls-Ups
Out of all of this, I think what took me the most time was chopping the kielbasa. But that’s because I’ve had so many hand surgeries that it’s difficult at times to chop things.
- While the oven is preheating, mince the kielbasa.
- To a bowl, add the cheeses, hot honey, green onions, chopped kielbasa, and the seasoning, mixing well to combine.
- Remove the crescent dough from the package and pinch the seams together to make a single sheet.
- Spread the kielbasa mixture over the entire crescent dough, leaving a 1/2″ at the end bare.
- Make sure to watch the video on how I did it. Roll up the dough snugly, pressing the sides inwards to keep it uniform. When you get to the end, pinch the dough together to seal.
- Place the roll seam-side down and, with a serrated knife, cut into six equal pieces.
- Place the pinwheels on the pan, cut sides facing up, and space them evenly.
- Bake for approximately 18-23 minutes, or until the crescent dough is golden brown and crisped all the way through.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool at least 15 minutes in the pan before plating. If needed, use a spatula to nudge the shape back together gently. It will hold its shape once it cools more.
- Serve with a drizzle more hot honey on top and a few more green onions if desired. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Chef Lori’s Tip About Resting Pinwheels
REST BEFORE MOVING: If you try to remove these as soon as you pull the tray out of the oven, they will fall apart. You need to let these rest on the pan for about 15 minutes (don’t worry, they’ll still be hot). I’ve even let them rest 30 minutes while I got other things prepared. The filling needs to ‘set’ and the crescent dough needs to firm up a bit. Trust me, it’s worth the wait!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Whether you’re hosting game day, planning a weekend brunch, or need a tasty meal prep option for the week, these pinwheels fit the bill! They are perfect served warm or packed up for lunch on the go. One batch and you’ll see why these are a crowd favorite!
- DOUBLE THE CHEESE: Two cheeses – ultra cheesy goodness in every bite
- SWEET HEAT FLAVOR: The hot honey adds the perfect balance of sweet and spicy to complement the smoked kielbasa
- CROWD FAVORITE: These are always such a big hit for brunch and game day parties!
- BUDGET-FRIENDLY: Affordable ingredients that don’t break the bank for something truly delicious!
- QUICK & EASY: Made with simple pantry ingredients and ready in about 30 minutes!
Cheesy Kielbasa Crescent Rolls FAQs
- Can I use something other than kielbasa? Of course! As long as it’s already cooked, you can use cooked bacon, smoked sausage, or andouille, for example.
- Can I make these ahead of time but not bake them? No. You can make the filling up to 24 hours in advance, but assemble them right before baking.
- Can I bake them ahead of time? Absolutely! I’ve listed how to reheat them below.
- Do I have to use hot honey? No. If you want, you can add some red pepper flakes or even a complementary hot sauce.
- How do I keep the pinwheels from unrolling while baking? When you roll them up, make them snug but not overly tight. Pinch the seam and place seam-side down.
- What other store-bought dough can I use? You want a dough that you don’t have to rise. Puff pastry also works.
How to Reheat Kielbasa & Cheese Pinwheels
- Oven: To reheat in the oven, preheat to 350°F, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, and heat for about 10 minutes, or until the filling is warmed through.
What to Serve With Cheesy Hot Honey Rolls
These are super versatile, so they pair well with a variety of soups, salads, and so forth. They are great for brunch, lunch, game day, or as a party appetizer.
Ultimate One-Pot Spicy Southwestern Cheesy Pasta
Everything Bagel Breakfast and Brunch Casserole
Easy Cheesy Jalapeño Popper Sausage Boats
Easy Creamy Boursin Potato Soup with Shallots
Simple Italian Arugula Blueberry Pastina Salad
Bacon-Wrapped Cheese Cracker Sandwiches
Recipe Substitutions
- Crescent Rolls: Puff Pastry
- Cream Cheese: Goat Cheese, Boursin, or Mascarpone
- Cheddar Cheese: Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Smoked Gouda
- Seasonings: Go with a different BBQ rub or even everything bagel seasoning
Here’s what I used:
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Cheesy Hot Honey Kielbasa Cresent Roll Ups Recipe
Packed with two types of cheeses, green onions, and a drizzle of sweet-heat hot honey, these pinwheels are bursting with bold flavor from simple pantry staples. Perfectly melty, budget-friendly, and always a hit for lunch, game day snacking, or gatherings!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 large pinwheels
- Category: appetizers, brunch recipes, lunch recipes, meal prep, party food, finger food, cheesy
- Method: oven
- Cuisine: appetizers, brunch recipes, lunch recipes, meal prep, party food, finger food, cheesy
Ingredients
- 1 9.8-oz package of crescent rolls
- 1 14-oz package of smoked kielbasa, chopped small
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 cups shredded cheddar
- 2 Tablespoons hot honey plus extra for drizzling
- 2 teaspoons Chupacabra A Fine Meat Rub
- 2 whole green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- To a bowl, add the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, hot honey, green onions, kielbasa, and seasoning, mixing well to combine.
- Roll out the crescent dough and pinch the seams together. Spread the kielbasa mixture over the entire crescent dough, leaving a 1/2″ at the end bare.
- With the short side near you, roll up the dough snugly, pressing the sides inwards to keep it uniform. When you get to the end, pinch the dough together to seal. Place the roll seam-side down and, with a serrated knife, cut into 6 equal pieces.
- Place the pinwheels onto the pan, spacing them out evenly.
- Bake for ~18-23 minutes or until the crescent dough is golden brown and crisped up all the way through.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool at least 15 minutes on the pan before plating. If need be, use a spatula to nudge the shape back together gently. It will hold its shape once it cools more.
- Serve with a drizzle more hot honey on top and a few more green onions if desired. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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