Jalapeno Popper Crescent Rolls

A spicy, cheesy filling, surrounded by a buttery flakey crust, you can’t go wrong with these Jalapeno Popper Crescent Rolls! They’re easy to make with 6 ingredients and perfect for a party appetizer or game day snack!

Thank you to my friends at Cabot for sponsoring today’s post!

Whether you’re getting ready to host a party, or it’s just a regular ol’ Tuesday, you HAVE TO make these Jalapeno Popper Crescent Rolls! They may seem simple (and they are!) but the combination of flavors and textures is perfection!

Cream cheese combined with Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese gives these rolls the ultimate cheesy filling. While canned crescent roll dough wraps around the cheesy filling for a buttery, flakey exterior. The rolls are brushed with garlic butter before they go in the oven, so they’re topped with even more delicious flavor!

It only takes 15 minutes to prep these rolls, then in the oven they go! They’re perfect for a party, or great to snack on while watching the big game. I’ve already made them three times and simply served them as an appetizer before dinner with friends. They’re so easy to make, and you probably already have most of the ingredients on-hand, so you can whip them up anytime!

Ingredients

• Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese – this cheese is slightly spicy and so flavorful, with a super smooth texture. It melts perfectly in the rolls to add a wonderful cheesiness and flavor to the recipe!
• Cream cheese – combined with the shredded pepper jack cheese, these two cheeses are smooth, creamy and delicious!
• Diced jalapenos – for this recipe, I kept things simple by using canned diced jalapenos. You can use these, or use fresh diced jalapenos. You could also roast 2-3 whole jalapenos under the broiler in the oven, then peel and dice them to add to the recipe.
• Salt – a pinch of salt added to the cheese filling really brings out all of the delicious flavors!
• Crescent rolls – using canned crescent roll dough keeps this recipe quick and simple! You can purchase canned crescent dough sheets, or crescent rolls. If using crescent rolls, you’ll want to push the perforations together to seal up the dough for this recipe.
• Butter + garlic powder – a little garlic butter on top of these rolls really adds to the flavor. You could also use 4 fresh crushed garlic cloves, instead of the garlic powder, if you prefer.

Instructions

I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

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1. Add a softened block of cream cheese to a large mixing bowl. I recommend setting the cream cheese on the counter to soften for 15-20 minutes before starting this recipe. If you need to soften it quickly, place it in the microwave for 20 seconds. Shred an 8 ounce block of Cabot Pepper Jack Cheese and add it to the mixing bowl with the cream cheese. Drain a can of diced jalapenos, then add them to the bowl, along with ½ teaspoon of salt.
2. Combine the ingredients. Use a sturdy spatula to mix the cheeses and jalapenos together in the mixing bowl, until well combined.
3. Spread out the 2 cans of crescent roll dough on a large cutting board. If using rolls, instead of sheets of crescent roll dough, press the perforations together using your fingers, to form two solid sheets of dough.
4. Spread the cheese mixture on the crescent roll dough. Gently spread the cheese mixture evenly over each of the sheets of crescent roll dough, making sure to cover them completely.
5. Roll up the dough. Starting with the short side of the dough, roll up each sheet of crescent roll dough tightly over the cheese mixture.
6. Once both sheets of dough are rolled up tightly, you should have two long rolls on the cutting board.
7. Slice each long roll of dough into 8 rolls using a serrated knife. Each roll should be approximately 1 inch thick, for a total of 16 rolls.
8. Place the rolls, cut side up, in a greased baking dish. A 9 inch x 13 inch baking dish works well for this, but you could also use a rimmed baking sheet. You want the rolls slightly touching, but not smashed together.
9. Cover the rolls in garlic butter. In a small bowl, melt butter in the microwave, then mix in garlic powder. Brush this mixture over the rolls in the baking dish. Place in a preheated 375°F oven and bake for 28-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Substitutions and additions

• Remove the jalapenos. If you love the cheesy goodness of the rolls, but you want to cut down on the spice, you can simply leave out the can of diced jalapenos.
• Spice it up! On the other hand, if you love spice, you can add an additional can of diced jalapenos. And to really spice things up, use Cabot Habanero Cheddar, instead of the pepper jack cheese.
• Add bacon. Mix in 1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon to the cheese mixture to add a salty crunch inside the rolls! Follow this blog post for how to cook bacon in the oven that’s crispy and delicious.
• Add chicken. If you want to add some protein to these rolls, and even make them into a main dish, stir in 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken into the cheese mixture. This can be chicken pulled from a rotisserie chicken, or you can use this super easy Instant Pot Shredded Chicken recipe to make flavorful chicken to add to the rolls.
• Serve with a dipping sauce. These rolls are delicious on their own, or dipped into ranch dressing, cilantro lime sauce or creamy chipotle sauce.

How to store and reheat

• To store: any leftover rolls should be placed in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Since these rolls contain dairy, they should not be stored on the counter at room temperature.
• To reheat in an air fryer: this is seriously my favorite way to reheat everything these days. Just pop these rolls from the fridge to the air fryer at 400°F for 5 minutes and they’re crispy on the outside, with a delicious warm cheesy filling inside!
• To reheat in the oven: place the rolls in a single layer on a baking sheet and into a 400°F oven for 6-8 minutes.
• To reheat in the microwave: place the rolls on a microwave safe plate, in an even layer, and reheat for 30-60 seconds, until warmed through.

Pro tips

• The cheesy filling can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days before making the rolls.
• If you want a crispy texture on the outside of all of the rolls, bake them separated on a baking sheet, instead of in a casserole dish. This way, every side of the roll will be exposed to the heat, crisping them up on all sides of each roll. Be sure to line the baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray it with cooking spray first.
• You can prepare and bake the rolls ahead of time, then heat them up before serving at a party. I recommend using an air fryer or oven to reheat them for the best texture.
• This recipe makes 16 rolls, but you can easily cut it in half and only make 8 rolls, if you’re making the recipe for a small family snack or dinner appetizer. Simply use one can of crescent roll dough, then cut the other ingredients in half to make the filling and garlic butter.

More cheesy recipes

It’s easy to make delicious appetizers even better with the addition of Cabot cheese! Check out these other easy cheesy appetizer recipes.

• Cheesy Pull Apart Rolls
• Everything Bagel Cheese Ball
• Cheeseburger Egg Rolls
• Waffle Fry Nachos with Green Chili Cheese Sauce
• French Onion Dip Queso
• Cheesy Bacon Wrapped Meatballs

Be sure to visit CabotCheese.coop for even more cheesy recipe ideas and to learn where to find their products at a grocery store near you!

Cabot is 100% owned by family farms throughout New England and New York. That means that each time you purchase Cabot products, 100% of the profits go back to the hard-working farmers that help make the worlds best cheddar! Support a farmer and eat delicious cheese, that’s a win in my book!

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