↑

Will Cook For Smiles

The Best of Homecooking

  • Home
    • About Me
    • Work With Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Subscribe!
  • Recipes
    • Popular Posts
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Healthy Dishes
    • Soup
    • Salad
    • Sandwich
    • Cauliflower
    • Drink
    • Cocktail
  • How To
  • Instant Pot
    • Instant Pot Main Dishes
    • Instant Pot Side Dishes
    • Instant Pot Soups
  • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Chicken
    • Beef
    • Seafood
    • Pork
    • Chili
    • Pasta
    • Slow Cooker
    • Vegetarian
  • Dessert
    • Cheesecake
    • Cake
    • Cookies
    • Chocolate
  • Holidays
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Super Bowl Recipes
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Cinco de Mayo
    • Mother’s Day
    • Father’s Day
    • BBQ
    • 4th Of July
    • Fall Recipes
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas Dinner
    • Christmas Baking
    • Holiday Leftover Recipes
    • New Year’s
Home » Dinner » Cheesy Dinner Rolls

Cheesy Dinner Rolls

Created: November 4, 2022 Updated: November 4, 2022 by lyuba 30 Comments

21.7K shares
Jump to Recipe

These soft, homemade dinner rolls are a prefect addition to any dinner and they have an added bonus of gooey, cheesy center! Serve them with gravy, butter, or dip it into a bowl of soup – it will be tasty no matter what!

For more bread sides ideas, check out out honey lemon dinner rolls, honey biscuits, and the classic buttermilk biscuits.

pulling part a dinner roll to show the cheesy center.

Fun Homemade Dinner Rolls

It’s the holiday season, and you know what that means! It’s time to narrow down that long list of recipes you’ve been perusing and choose your favorites to serve on Thanksgiving and Christmas. While you definitely have many bread options to choose from, I can’t recommend these Cheesy Dinner Rolls enough.

They’re perfectly soft and fluffy and have a delicious center of gooey mozzarella cheese! Kids really tend to love that cheesy center the most. Even the pickiest eater at the table will gobble up probably more than one of these rolls, so you may want to consider making a double batch if you’re hosting a crowd!

No one can resist a homemade roll of any kind, especially not when they’re filled with a melted cheese center. And if you go all out and serve these rolls with gravy? Swoon! They’ll fly off the table faster than any other side dish.

But don’t just set this recipe aside for the holidays, they’re delicious all year round. I love serving them with so many various soups like Chicken Noodle, Tomato Soup, Cheddar Ale Soup any many more. They’re a step above your average dinner roll because of (you guessed it) that seriously satisfying cheesy middle. Whether you serve them with gravy or soup, on the holidays or in the heat of the summer, you’ll love making and eating these easy homemade dinner rolls!

ingredients for cheesy dinner rolls on the board.

Ingredients Notes:

This recipe calls for simple and inexpensive ingredients. I love making budget-friendly recipes around the holiday season!

  • Flour – all-purpose flour is what you’ll need to give the rolls their structure.
  • Sugar – touch of sweetness balances out the flavor and help with the natural yeast process.
  • Salt – you can add more or less to taste.
  • Rapid Rise Yeast -you will only need one envelope of this ingredient to make these dinner rolls.
  • Whole Milk – whole milk is the best option and it will need to be warmed to 110°F-120°F.
  • Water – this will also need to be warmed to 110°F-120°F.
  • Butter – use unsalted and melted with milk.
  • Eggs – you will need large eggs and it’s best when they are at room temperature, so pull it out about 30 minutes before starting.
  • Mozzarella Cheese – you can swap this with white cheddar for a stronger flavor.

For the topping:

  • Egg White – This will need to be lightly beaten.
  • Salt – Use coarse (kosher) or flaky sea salt.
  • Rosemary – if you wish to add some, it will be a pretty touch that’s also wonderfully aromatic.

Step-by Step Instructions:

flour, sugar, salt, and yeast in a bowl of a mixer.
pouring in warm milk mixture while mixer is mixing the dough.
adding egg to the mixer while mixing the dough.
dough in the bottom of the mixing bowl covered in plastic.

First things first – prepare the dough.

Carefully measure all of your dry ingredients before combining them in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Heat the milk, water, and butter in a sauce pot over medium heat. Once it reaches 110°F-120°F, take the pot off of the heat.

Fit your dough hook attachment to the mixer. Mix on the stir setting. Slowly add the warm milk mixture to the bowl followed by the egg.

Continue to slowly mix everything together until a dough forms. Continue to mix until the dough is fully formed. Stop and scrape as needed.

Time to let the dough rise! Sprinkle a bowl with a little bit of flour then place the dough inside of it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and top it with a towel. Let the dough raise in a warm room for about an hour.

raised dough in a large mixing bowl covered in plastic.

Prepare the rolls, then bake and enjoy!

Grease your 3 baking pans. You can use 8 or 9 inch pans, either will work.

Roll the dough into a long roll that’s around 3 inches thick. Cut it into about 18 even pieces.

Cut the mozzarella block into 18 cubes.

dough separated into eighteen pieces on the silicone mat.
closeup of one piece of dough with a cheese cube in the center.

Press each piece of dough into a circle. Place a cheese cube in the center of the dough, then bring the edges together to seal it up.

Place the prepared rolls into the baking dishes. Cover with a paper towel and let them rise for about 45 minutes.

Whisk together the egg whites, then brush those egg whites onto the rolls. Sprinkle with salt.

Bake at 375°F for about 18-20 minutes.

holding a rolled dough with others around.
raised rolled dough pieces in a covered baking dish.
raised dinner rolls in a baking dish brushed and salted.
baked dinner rolls in a round baking pan.

Make Ahead Instructions:

If you’re making most of your dinner prep ahead of time, that’s great! You can make the dough and prepare the rolls with cheese ahead of time and then just bake the next day when you’re ready to serve them. There are a few things to consider if you go this route:

  1. The dough needs to rise before refrigerating. It’s best to let the dough rise and then shape the dinner rolls. Place them into the baking pans you plan to use and cover them tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for up to a day.
  2. The next day, you will need to give them a couple of hours to rise before baking. Take the rolls out and place them on the counter for an hour to warm them up to room temperature. Then, place them in a warm place to rise for an hour to an hour and a half. Finish and bake according to the recipe.
several dinner rolls in a wooden bowl with a towel.

Freezing Instructions:

You can also freeze these dinner rolls!

  1. Follow the same recipe to the step of rolling the dinner rolls with cheese.
  2. Cover a cutting board with parchment paper and place the rolled dinner rolls onto it seam down. Place them then into the freezer and freeze for 2-3 hours. Remember to a timer!
  3. Once frozen, you can transfer the rolls into a large freezer friendly zip-top bag. Get as much air out as you can, label, and freeze for up to 2 months.
  4. To bake, make sure to thaw the rolls first and then give them a couple of hours to rise. You can place the dinner rolls into greased pans to thaw and rise. It will take 4-6 hours for the rolls to thaw and rise. Then, bake as instructed.
side view of dinner rolls in a wooden bowl with towel.

PIN THIS RECIPE TO MAKE LATER

pulling part a dinner roll to show the cheesy center.

Cheesy Dinner Rolls

These soft, homemade dinner rolls are a prefect addition to any dinner and they have an added bonus of gooey, cheesy center!
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bread, Dinner Rolls
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Time for dough to raise:: 1 hour 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 35 minutes
Servings: 18
Calories: 191kcal
Author: lyuba

Ingredients

  • 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt to taste
  • 1/4 oz rapid rise (instant) yeast (1 envelope)
  • 1 1/2 cups warm whole milk warmed to 110°-120°
  • 1/4 cup water warmed to 110°-120°
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 5-6 oz Mozzarella cheese block

Topping:

  • 1 egg white lightly beaten
  • 1-2 tbsp coarse or sea salt
  • 1-2 tbsp fresh minced rosemary optional
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Prepare the dough:

  • Combine flour, sugar, salt, and instant yeast in the bowl if the stand up mixing bowl and whisk it together.
  • Heat up milk, water, and butter in the small sauce pot over medium heat until it reaches 110°-120°. Take off heat once temperature is reached.
  • Fit the dough hook attachment to the mixer and start mixing on stir. Slowly pour in the warm milk mixture into the bowl and then add the egg.
  • Keep slowly mixing until the dough comes together completely. Stop and scrape the dough hook and the sides when needed.
  • Sprinkle a large mixing bowl lightly with flour and transfer the dough into it. Cover it with plastic wrap and a clean towel and place into the warm place to raise for about an hour.
    Note: good temperature for the dough to rise is around 78° degrees. That is warmer than I like to keep my house so I usually find or create a warm place. I turn on the oven and place the bowl with the dough near it, that way it stays in the warmer ambient temperature.

Prepare the rolls:

  • Grease three 8 or 9 inch round baking pans. (Either size pan should work.)
  • Take out the dough and roll it in a long roll, about 3 inches thick. Cut it in about even 18 pieces.
  • Cut the cheese block into 18 cubes.
  • Gently press each dough piece into a circle and place the cheese cube in the center of the dough circle. Bring the edges together and seal it up. Place the roll in a greased baking pan, seam down. Repeat with the remaining dough and cheese.
  • Cover the baking pans with rolls with a clean paper towel and let them rise for about 45 minutes in a warm place.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°.
  • Whisk the egg white in a small bowl and brush the rolls with egg white and sprinkle with some coarse salt.
  • Bake rolls at 375° for 18-20 minutes, until golden brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 646mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 219IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles
collage of two images of pulling apart a rolls and rolls in basket.

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles March, 2013!

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

21.7K shares

Filed Under: Bread, Christmas Dinner, Dinner, Easter, Side Dishes, Thanksgiving Tagged With: bread, dinner rolls, rolls

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Carla says

    March 29, 2013 at 6:36 pm

    Looks so good, can’t wait to get to try these and see the little guy’s face light up and hunt for eggs!

    Reply
  2. Shannah @ Just Us Four says

    March 29, 2013 at 8:50 pm

    Wow, these look amazing! I could totally eat a dozen of them right now! I hope you will consider linking it up to the Pinworthy Projects Party over at my blog, Just Us Four.

    Reply
  3. Heather @ French Press says

    March 29, 2013 at 9:12 pm

    holy deliciousness!! I have to try these
    I am a carb and cheese loving gal!

    Reply
  4. Morgaine says

    March 29, 2013 at 10:40 pm

    These look so tasty! I might have to try making these for Easter dinner. 😀
    Morgaine from Madcap Frenzy
    http://www.madcapfrenzy.blogspot.com/2013/03/totally-tuesday-link-party-2.html

    Reply
  5. Christie - Food Done Light says

    March 31, 2013 at 9:24 pm

    Oh, these are fantastic. Love the ooey, gooey cheese coming out. My husband would love them. Saw them on I should be mopping..

    Reply
  6. Emily says

    March 31, 2013 at 9:58 pm

    These look so good! Pinned! Can’t wait to try them although baking bread can be a little intimidating for me.

    Reply
  7. Andrea says

    April 1, 2013 at 11:23 am

    These look amazing! I just pinned and am looking forward to trying them. Thanks for sharing 🙂

    RamblingReed.blogspot.com

    Reply
  8. Jeannine @ The Concrete Cottage says

    April 1, 2013 at 12:32 pm

    As it is 11:30 and I’m extremely hungry for lunch, looking at your pics is semi torture!! Oh my goodness these look fantastic! Yummy!!!

    Reply
  9. Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile says

    April 2, 2013 at 8:46 am

    Oh My, these are beautiful rolls. I can almost taste them. I would love for you to link them up at Tuesday Trivia at http://www.memoriesbythemile.com/ it’s live!
    Wanda Ann @ Memories by the Mile

    Reply
  10. Marie says

    April 2, 2013 at 11:22 am

    Those look so perfect. I love how the cheese is oozing out of them. I can never resist melted cheese! Cute bunny hat too. 😉

    Reply
  11. Shannon {Cozy Country Living} says

    April 2, 2013 at 1:01 pm

    These look great! I love trying new bread and roll recipes-and how can you go wrong when they are stuffed with cheese! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  12. Jill says

    April 4, 2013 at 9:37 pm

    Yum!! We would love for you to share this at our Kitchen Fun & Crafty Friday link party…just posted it! http://kitchenfunwithmy3sons.blogspot.com/2013/04/kitchen-fun-and-crafty-friday-link.html

    Reply
  13. Elizabeth @ SugarHero.com says

    April 8, 2013 at 4:22 am

    These sound amazing! I love the combination of fresh homemade rolls and deliciously melty cheese.

    Reply
  14. maggie says

    April 10, 2013 at 3:37 pm

    Hi! I am Maggie over at The Love Nerds. I was one of Ginger Snap Crafts co-hosts last week. I just wanted to let you know that I have featured this recipe today on my blog and can’t wait to try it out myself! I would love if you came over and checked out the other recipes as well as my own projects. Thanks!

    http://thelovenerds.com/2013/04/wow-me-wednesday-recipe-features.html

    Reply
  15. Chelsea says

    April 10, 2013 at 4:48 pm

    These look GREAT. Can’t wait to try them but what temperature do you cook them at?

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      April 12, 2013 at 2:11 pm

      Oh goodness, I missed it didn’t I? 🙂 Thanks for asking, it’s 375!

      Reply
  16. Megan says

    April 12, 2013 at 4:47 pm

    These are so good! I will definitely make them again! My whole family liked them.

    Reply
    • lyuba says

      April 12, 2013 at 4:49 pm

      I’m so happy to hear!!

      Reply
  17. Toodie says

    September 22, 2013 at 5:16 pm

    Oh yummmmmmmm

    Reply
  18. Anita Medford says

    May 28, 2015 at 1:42 pm

    Can’t wait to try these recipes!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

Soup Recipes

spooning some beef soup from a bowl

Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

closeup of Italian wedding soup topped with shaved Parmesan

Italian Wedding Soup

closeup image of crab soup in a bowl centered in a photo

She Crab Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Chicken Meatball Soup

closeup of top view of Cioppino in a bowl

Cioppino – Seafood Stew

A bowl of white bean soup is presented with a spoon on a countertop.

White Bean Soup

vegetable broth in two canning jars next to fresh carrots, garlic, and celery

Vegetable Stock

Our Popular Recipes

Crepes

Reuben Sandwich

Paella is cooked and garnished, ready to be served.

Family Favorite Paella Recipe

Cauliflower Rice

Classic Buttermilk Waffles Recipe

closeup squared view of a slice of tiramisu with piece taken out.

The Best Classic Tiramisu

Top Rated Recipes

The Best French Toast

Cauliflower Parmesan Crisps

Christmas Cheesecake (Cranberry Jam White Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake)

Avocado Salmon Rice Bowl

round decorative bowl filled with apple pie bread pudding topped with ice cream and a fork leaning on the side of the bowl viewed close up.

Apple Pie Bread Pudding

Smores cheesecake on a wooden table

S'Mores Cheesecake Recipe

Sides

30 Min

Pasta

Salads

Breakfast

Drinks

Soups

Gluten Free

FEATURED ON:

featured on

[cp_popup display="inline" style_id="32674" step_id = "1"][/cp_popup]
The Best Classic Tiramisu

The Best Classic Tiramisu

January 14, 2023
Tiramisu...
Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

Baked Ham with Orange Honey Ham Glaze

December 2, 2022
This...
Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata

August 11, 2022
Chicken...
Pad See Ew

Pad See Ew

August 10, 2022
Pad...
Chicken Meatballs

Chicken Meatballs

July 15, 2022
These...
Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush

July 1, 2022
Baba...
Painkiller

Painkiller

June 30, 2022
A...
Truffle Fries

Truffle Fries

June 28, 2022
Truffle...
Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

June 21, 2022
Thai...
Strawberry Daiquiri

Strawberry Daiquiri

June 16, 2022
The...
Privacy Policy
©2023, Will Cook For Smiles. Design by Pixel Me Designs