Asparagus Cheese Tart and Pinwheel Crescent Rolls recipes

Out of all the refrigerated dough products I have used over the years, the crescent rolls are my favorite. They are simple and versatile and not something I often make from scratch.

Every month I make food for a local mom’s group, with 40-50 women in attendance. It’s really just an opportunity for me to try out a bunch of new recipes and deliver the calories somewhere else (I do the same thing when sending treats to my husband’s work). While I try to make the majority of the food from scratch, it really is nice to rotate in a couple dishes that use shortcuts like refrigerated dough. Especially when I am trying to get all of my kids more or less clothed, fed, and out the door before 9am.

For this month’s brunch, I decided I wanted to create two spring recipes, using crescent roll dough and less than five other ingredients per recipe. After searching dozens of recipes, I finally settled on a tart and pinwheels. The tart features Dijon mustard, grated cheese, and fresh asparagus. Simply roll out the dough onto a baking sheet, spread with the three toppings, and bake until golden brown.

As I carried all the food into the mom’s group this morning, this asparagus tart definitely got the most attention. It is simple, yet looks impressive with a row of bright green asparagus marching across the top.

The second dish I created involved rolling out the dough and spreading it with Ranch dressing, grated cheese, chopped bacon, and green onions. Then you just roll it up and cut it into rounds before baking. My kids loved helping me with this one.

I figured bacon is good for all seasons, but the bright green onions and fun pinwheel shape felt happy and springy. You could take this idea and run a hundred different directions with it, from sweet to savory. Another combination I like is Dijon mustard, chopped ham, and grated cheese. It would be a simple, tasty addition to any buffet line.

Asparagus Cheese Tart

Adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe

Ingredients

2 pkgs. refrigerated crescent roll dough
1-2 T. Dijon mustard
2 c. shredded Gruyere, Fontina, Swiss, or Parmesan cheese (I used a combination of Swiss and Parmesan)
1 bunch (1 1/2 pounds) fresh asparagus
1 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Unroll the crescent roll dough onto a rimmed baking sheet. Overlap and pinch the edges of the rolls together before rolling out the dough into a sheet that covers the baking sheet.
3. With a fork, lightly score the dough at 1 inch intervals. Bake until lightly golden, about 5-8 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven, brush with Dijon mustard and sprinkle with cheeses.
5. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender and crust is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Have more asparagus than you know what to do with? Try delicious Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Butter!

Crescent Roll Pinwheels with Bacon, Cheese, and Green Onions
from a Pillsbury recipe
yield: 16

1 pkg. (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent roll dough
2 T. ranch dressing
4 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled
1/2  c. finely shredded cheese
1/4  c. chopped green onions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Unroll the crescent roll dough; separate into 2 long rectangles. Roll each into a 12×4-inch rectangle, firmly pressing edges to seal.
3. Spread dressing over each rectangle. Sprinkle with bacon, cheese and green onions.
4. Starting with one short side, roll up each rectangle; press edge to seal.
5. With serrated knife, cut each roll into 8 slices; place cut side down on an ungreased baking sheet.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Serve warm.

What are your favorite recipes using refrigerated crescent roll dough?

Looking for more simple, make-ahead recipes?

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