I shudder at the idea of how much food I will have to cook when my little boys become teenagers. Sometimes they eat more than me and they are only 6 and 3! I guess if I bounced on the trampoline, climbed trees, and ran everywhere making shooting noises, I too would have a voracious appetite. Joshua and Caleb both love these Ham and Pineapple Pinwheels and I don’t mind making them because of how easy they are. I first got the idea for baked pinwheels because they love Hawaiian style pizza and I had a bunch of ham leftover in the fridge. So I put the two together and POOF! Dinner (and snacks for the next day) were done in about 30 minutes. I’m also pretty proud that for at least one afternoon I kept the boys from sneaking granola bars and handfuls of goldfish. 🙂
Grab a roll of crescent or pizza dough from the refrigerator section of your supermarket. I personally prefer the crescent dough because of the buttery taste, but the pizza rough works just as well. If you use the crescent dough, be sure to press the perforated edges together and gently roll it out into a large rectangular shape. Cover the dough with a generous amount of mozzarella cheese. I also use crescent dough to make Mozzarella and Pepperoni Pinwheels.
Now add some diced ham. I used meat I had leftover from cooking my Red Pepper Jelly & Coffee Crusted Ham the weekend before.
Drain a 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple. Use a sieve to press the pineapple down so that all the juice escapes. If the pineapple is too juicy, the dough will be too moist and it will not bake properly.
Sprinkle the pineapple on top of the ham. Now roll the ham and pineapple pinwheels tightly from left to right. You should have a short, fat, log of dough.
Cut the log into 7 or 8 equally measured pinwheels and place them in a greased pie tin.
Bake the ham and pineapple pinwheels at 400 degrees for about 25-30 minutes. If you have a dark pie tin like mine, you’ll need a little extra baking time. The ham and pineapple pinwheels should be nicely browned on the tops and edges, but soft and chewy on the inside.
Now, let me be honest. Making one pan of these is pointless. I have to make a minimum of two batches for my hungry crew. But it doesn’t bother me because they make great leftovers and snacks the next day.
Ham and pineapple pinwheels can be done up to look fancy for a party, but at their root they are down-home, finger-licking good food that everyone wants more of. I mean, seriously, could you walk by these at a buffet table? If so, props to you because you have way more control than I do! If you need other quick dinner ideas, you’d probably like to check out my 30 Minute Meals. Or if it’s party food you’re after, follow my Pretty Potluck Food and A+ Appetizers boards on Pinterest. Happy cooking y’all!
Ham and Pineapple Pinwheels
Ingredients
- 1 roll crescent or pizza dough
- 20 oz can crushed pineapple drained
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup diced ham
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Roll out dough with rolling pin on a floured surface. Pinch perforated edges together.
- Sprinkle cheese on top.
- Add ham to the cheese.
- Darin pineapple with a sieve and sprinkle on top of the ham.
- Roll the dough up tightly from left to right so that you have a short log form.
- Cut into 7-8 equal pieces and place face up in a greased pie pan.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until the edges and top are browned.
- Serve warm.
Notes