Air Fryer Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
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If you’re tired of the same boring snacks, check out these easy air fryer ham and cheese pinwheels. They make for a quick appetizer, afternoon snack or an easy dinner or lunch idea. And don’t forget finger foods for parties and game day eats.
You can make these pinwheels with ham and cheese with a few simple ingredients and they’re ready in about 20 minutes. The easy recipe features tender dough wrapped around tasty ham, melty cheese and a brushed with simple buttery seasoning blend.
And making them in the air fryer cuts down on the cooking time and the need to heat up the kitchen.
We’re sharing tips to help you get the best results with this recipe. If you don’t need the tips, scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and a printable recipe card.
While I’m a fan of a good sandwich, when you throw pizza dough in the mix it’s a game changer. And there’s something about the ham and cheese combination – it’s a perfectly flavorful combo. So you know these air fryer ham and cheese pinwheels are amazing!
I’ve even piled ham and cheese into a breakfast sandwich, aka the Monte Crisco. It’s more of a brunch item, but definitely worth a try. And it you like crescent rolls you’ve got to try this easy ham and cheese crescent ring.
New to air frying? Get the low down on maximizing your usage of this amazing small appliance, including easy clean up tips, with our best air fryer tips for beginners.
In my opinion, pizza dough is better when cooked in the air fryer. And I love that it’s a versatile dough so you can make other dishes like calzones.
If you like easy recipes that call for the dough to be made from scratch try my air fryer breakfast bombs. Or if you have some leftover puff pastry try these impressive egg tarts.
Ingredients Needed
- pizza dough – fresh or refrigerated pizza dough can be used
- deli ham – make sure it’s sliced thinly
- Swiss cheese slices
- salted butter
- Italian seasoning
- garlic powder
- parsley for garnish
How to Make Air Fryer Pinwheels
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface, stretching until it’s a 13×9 rectangle.
Place the slices of ham so they completely cover the dough sheet.
Top with cheese slices, trimming as needed so it covers the dough evenly.
Roll the dough tightly on the long edge to keep the ham and cheese inside, then pinch the ends closed.
Use a sharp knife to cut the roll into 8 pieces (about one inch slices). To make thinner pinwheels for party appetizers, slice it into 10 or 12 pieces.
Grease a 9 inch pie pan. Place the pinwheels cut side down in the pan in a single layer and set aside.
Lori’s Tip:
Make sure the 9-inch pan fits your air fryer basket before you start. Use a smaller pan, like the ones you find in the accessory kits, if needed.
Combine the butter and seasonings in a small bowl then melt in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Be careful not to overheat it or it will separate.
Brush the tops of the ham and cheese pinwheels with the melted butter mixture then place the pan in the air fryer basket. Cook for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Remove the pan from the air fryer and allow the ham and cheese roll ups to cool slightly before serving and garnishing with parsley.
Oven Instructions for Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
Line a baking sheet or casserole dish with parchment paper. After you have the pinwheels rolled and cut, place them on the prepared sheet pan, leaving a little room between each piece.
Brush with seasoned butter and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
How to Store and Reheat
These pinwheels are best served fresh but you can save the leftovers and reheat them.
Store cooled ham and cheese rollups in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat: place pinwheels in the air fryer or oven at 350 degrees F and cook for a couple of minutes until they are warmed through.
Substitutions
- Swap the ham slices for thinly sliced oven baked turkey breast or roast beef.
- Use Havarti, provolone, pepper jack, Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese in place of the sliced Swiss cheese.
- Change the dough to use what you have on hand. This recipe works with flaky puff pastry dough, crescent roll dough, or a crescent dough sheet. If you use puff pastry dough it needs to be thawed before making the ham pinwheels and may take a little longer to cook.
Variations
Mustard: add a thin layer of yellow, spicy brown or dijon mustard on the dough before adding the ham and cheese.
Italian: use salami and provolone instead of the ham and Swiss, maybe even add a few thinly sliced veggies.
Pizza: go with pepperonis and mozzarella cheese then serve with a marinara dipping sauce.
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Air Fryer Snacks and Appetizers
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Air Fryer Pinwheels
Equipment
- 9-inch cake pan
- Small mixing bowl
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
- 13 ounces fresh pizza dough or 1 13-ounce can of refrigerated pizza dough
- 15 thin slices deli ham
- 10 slices cheese, Havarti, Swiss, provolone, pepper jack, Monterey Jack
- 8 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to form a 13 x 9 rectangle.
- Place ham slices so the dough is fully covered.
- Top the ham with cheese slices. Trim the cheese to fit the dough.
- Roll the dough on the long edge, enclosing the ham and cheese. Continue rolling tightly to keep the ham and cheese inside. Pinch the ends closed.
- Cut the roll into 8 pieces with a sharp knife. For thinner pinwheels, cut them into 10 or 12 pieces.
- Lightly grease a 9” pie pan and place the pinwheels into the pan. Set aside.
- Place the butter, garlic, and Italian seasoning in a microwave-safe measuring cup or small bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Do not over-melt the butter or it will separate. Once melted, stir to mix in the seasonings.
- Brush the tops of the pinwheels with the seasoned butter.
- Place the pan in the air fryer basket and cook at 350°F for 10 minutes or until the crust is fully cooked and golden.
- Remove from the air fryer and allow to cool.
- Garnish with parsley if desired before serving.
Notes
- Make sure the pan fits your air fryer basket before starting. Use a smaller pan if needed.
- You can substitute the pizza dough for crescent roll dough, puff pastry dough or crescent sheet dough.
- Pinwheels are best served fresh but you can store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Reheat in the air fryer at 350 degrees F for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
Nutritional Estimate
Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently for accuracy.
