Name: Cheesy Dinner Rolls
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 155 min
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); 1 egg white (lightly beaten); 1-2 tbsp coarse or sea salt; 1-2 tbsp fresh minced rosemary (optional)

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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:

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.
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!

Follow the same recipe to the step of rolling the dinner rolls with cheese.
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!
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.
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.

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