In North Carolina, you can’t go to a holiday party without being greeted by a tray of Ham and Swiss Poppy Seed rolls. I have no idea why this delicacy has been deemed a “holiday” recipe, but it does seem to pop up in November and December, then hibernate for the rest of the year.
This recipe is inspired by those delicious, buttery, poppy seed covered rolls. The original recipe has A FULL POUND of brown sugar mixed into the HALF CUP of butter that is poured over the rolls. They are utterly divine, but not exactly appropriate for a casual appetizer. Or, maybe they are, but I’ve consumed my body weight in cookie dough over the course of this quarantine, so I was looking to create something a little lighter.
Cheesy Figgy Everything Bagel Ham Rolls
These rolls are filled with mustard, cheese, fig jam, and ham. A seasonally appropriate (bathing suit season is coming) amount of butter gets brushed over the rolls, then they’re sprinkled with Everything Bagel seasoning. No EBTB at home? Use poppy seeds, or sesame seeds! Or just sprinkle some flaky sea salt over top! More substitutions below in the notes section.
Ingredients
- 1 six-pack of rolls
- 1 to 2 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
- 1 cup shredded Jack cheese
- 4 to 6 ounces sliced ham
- 1 to 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 to 2 tbsp fig jam
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp Everything Bagel seasoning
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- Rolls—> My favorite rolls are Sister Schubert’s and King’s Hawaiian. King’s Hawaiian has a 6-pack perfect for cooking for small groups!
- Mustard—> Omit if you don’t like mustard, but use any kind you have. If you don’t use mustard, put some mayo on the bottom so the rolls aren’t dry.
- Cheese—> Absolutely any shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, swiss, Jack) works. A soft cheese like blue or goat will be too runny.
- Ham—> Roasted turkey or chicken, or any sliced deli meat.
- Fig Jam—> Absolutely any jam you want. Even a hot pepper jelly would be DELISH!
- Butter—> Just spray some cooking oil over top if you don’t have any butter, so that the rolls brown and the seasoning sticks to the top.
- Everything Bagel Seasoning—> Sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Neither? Just sprinkle some flaky salt over top.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Use a long serrated knife to split the rolls in half horizontally. Place the bottom half of the rolls on the baking sheet. If they’re not attached, make sure they’re all touching as close together as possible.
- Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons (depending on your preference!) of mustard in an even layer over the bottom half of the rolls, then sprinkle half of the cheese over top. Layer the ham over top, then add the second half of the cheese.
- Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons (depending on your preference!) of mayonnaise and fig jam onto the cut-side of the top halves of the rolls. Place the tops of the rolls on top of the cheese to close the sandwich.
- Brush the butter over the tops of the rolls, then sprinkle with Everything Bagel seasoning.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until rolls are golden brown, but still soft. Slice and serve.
- 1 six-pack of rolls
- 1 to 2 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
- 1 cup shredded Jack cheese
- 4 to 6 ounces sliced ham
- 1 to 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 to 2 tbsp fig jam
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp Everything Bagel seasoning
SUBSTITUTIONS:
- Rolls—> My favorite rolls are Sister Schubert’s and King’s Hawaiian. King’s Hawaiian has a 6-pack perfect for cooking for small groups!
- Mustard—> Omit if you don’t like mustard, but use any kind you have. If you don’t use mustard, put some mayo on the bottom so the rolls aren’t dry.
- Cheese—> Absolutely any shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, gouda, swiss, Jack) works. A soft cheese like blue or goat will be too runny.
- Ham—> Roasted turkey or chicken, or any sliced deli meat.
- Fig Jam—> Absolutely any jam you want. Even a hot pepper jelly would be DELISH!
- Butter—> Just spray some cooking oil over top if you don’t have any butter, so that the rolls brown and the seasoning sticks to the top.
- Everything Bagel Seasoning—> Sesame seeds or poppy seeds. Neither? Just sprinkle some flaky salt over top.
