Rolling Hills Recipe

Prepare ingredients

Trim any excess fat from the ham and dice into roughly 1/2-inch pieces. Thinly slice the green bell pepper into 1/4-inch strips. Peel and thinly slice the onion. Clean mushrooms with a damp towel and slice about 1/4-inch thick.

Cook bacon

In a large skillet over medium heat, lay out the bacon slices and cook until crisp, about 8–10 minutes, flipping occasionally. Transfer cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain and cool, then chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet and discard excess, or wipe skillet and proceed with oil for a cleaner flavor.

Brown sausage

If there is no bacon fat left or you prefer, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet and heat over medium. Add the breakfast sausage (break up with a spoon) and cook until no longer pink and lightly browned, about 6–8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a bowl, leaving drippings in the pan.

Add the diced ham to the skillet and sauté 2 minutes just to warm and brown lightly, then remove and combine with the cooked sausage and chopped bacon.

In the same skillet with remaining drippings, add 1 tablespoon olive oil if needed. Add the sliced green pepper and onion. Sauté over medium heat until softened and slightly caramelized, about 6–8 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and continue to cook until mushrooms release moisture and most of it evaporates, about 4–5 minutes.

Stir in the minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Return the sausage, ham and chopped bacon to the pan. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper, taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and let the filling cool 8–10 minutes before assembling so it won’t make the dough soggy.

Preheat and prepare dough

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it. Lightly flour a work surface with the 2 tablespoons of flour. If using pizza dough, divide into 8 equal portions and roll each into a 6-inch circle. If using crescent roll dough, unroll and separate into triangles or use whole sheet and cut into 8 rectangles.

Portion about 2–3 tablespoons of the cooled filling onto the center of each dough round/rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Top each portion with about 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella and 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar (approximately equal to the 1 cup each total divided among 8).

Fold the dough over the filling to form a sealed pocket: for circles, fold into half-moons and crimp edges with a fork; for rectangles, fold long edge over to make a roll or envelope and pinch edges closed. Make sure seams are sealed to prevent leakage. Place prepared rolls seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart.

Whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon water to make an egg wash. Brush each roll lightly with egg wash for a golden finish. If desired, sprinkle chopped parsley over the tops for color.

Cut a small 1/4-inch vent slit in the top of each roll to allow steam to escape during baking.

Bake in the preheated 400°F (200°C) oven for 15–18 minutes, or until rolls are golden brown and the dough is cooked through. Rotate the pan once halfway if your oven has hot spots.

Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm. Optionally serve with a side of marinara or honey mustard for dipping.