Make This Easy Ham and Cheese Monkey Bread for Christmas Breakfast.
I’ve never considered canned cookies a “must” during the holidays before, but I think I might come here. My latest canned adventure was monkey bread, but not sweet. I find it hard to resist a savory breakfast, and this one is just that – impossible to resist. For a Christmas breakfast treat to snack on between unwrapping presents, try this Ham and Cheese Monkey Bread.
What is monkey bread?
Monkey bread is a cute name for some types of bread that can be taken apart. (The jury is still out on how it got its name , perhaps because it looks like a certain tree, or maybe because it looks like you would groom it when you eat it.) It is usually made from trimmings dough, but really you can use any dough. cut into small pieces. The pieces are mixed with butter, sugar and cinnamon and pressed into a pan. After baking, the dough pieces are easily separated from each other. You grab a piece with your fingers and walk away. It’s casual, delicious and the kind of messy fun that only finger food can provide. In this case, I replace the sweet mixture with ham, cheese and garlic butter.
When it comes to cookies, homemade is better than canned. Full stop. But when it comes to a pliable, salty, tender dough base that’s easy enough to pound but still fluffy, canned cookies win. This breakfast pastry needs to be rolled out and kneaded a little. While homemade cookie dough can’t handle this kind of stress without losing its rise, canned cookies are up to the task.
How to Make Ham and Cheese Monkey Bread
This recipe comes together pretty quickly, and you can even pre-cut the ham and cheese the day before if you want to put it together even faster.
1. Preheat the oven and generously grease a loaf pan with butter. Cut the ham and cheese into approximately quarter-inch pieces. I used sliced ham and some gouda, but you can chop up any meat and cheese you like. While I like the slight smokiness of gouda, you can use shredded cheddar or mozzarella if you have it on hand.
2. In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt two tablespoons of butter and set aside while you form dough balls.
3. Dust your work surface with flour. Open the cookie jar (I used a jar of eight cookies). The cookies will fall out into eight pieces, but you can split each cookie in half. Run your thumb along the edge and you will see the dough naturally break apart at one of the “peel spots.” Divide the dough into two circles. Repeat this for all the cookies. Lightly roll out all the cookies into a rectangle shape. In the picture I did six rounds, then staggered the next row of five and another row of five. It’s not perfect, and the beauty of it is that none of it has to be. Press the dough with floured fingers and try to close any large gaps in the dough circles.
4. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the sliced ham and cheese. You can press the pieces into the dough until they fit snugly, especially around the edges. Starting with the long edge closest to you, begin to roll the dough tightly into a log. Some pieces of meat and cheese may fall out, just press them anywhere into the dough.
Once you have the log, squeeze it to make sure all the ingredients stick to the dough. Then use a knife to cut the curl into half-inch slices. Squeeze each segment in your fist to form a nugget. It doesn’t have to be a ball, but it can be a ball. Transfer them to a large bowl.
5. Drizzle the dough balls with butter and sprinkle salt and garlic powder in a bowl. I also added some dried parsley, but that’s just for fun. Mix everything with a rubber spatula. One or two of my rolls of dough fell apart, which is completely normal. Just don’t be too rude to them.
6. Place bunches of garlic butter in a greased loaf pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350°F. The loaf is ready when it has risen completely, the edges and top are nicely browned, and the center feels firm when lightly pressed. The biscuit dough will try to trick you with a nicely browned top, but be sure to press down on the center to make sure it’s firm, otherwise the dough may end up undercooked in the middle. You can also use a toothpick to check if it comes out dry. Cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan, or serve while still in the pan if you prefer.
I kept coming back to that loaf of savory sponge bread for “just one more.” If you want to add an egg, you can reduce the amount of ham and cheese a little and chop up a couple of hard-boiled eggs and add them to the mixture. Just top them with ham and cheese. For a large crowd, double or triple this recipe and use a casserole dish. Keep in mind that larger monkey breads will take longer to bake.
Easy Recipe for Monkey Bread with Ham and Cheese
Ingredients:
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1 tube of canned biscuit dough (for 8 biscuits)
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¾ cup chopped cheese
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¾ cup chopped ham
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2 tablespoons butter
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¼ teaspoon garlic powder
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¼ teaspoon salt
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½ teaspoon dried parsley flakes (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a loaf pan (I used an eight-by-four-inch pan).
2. Melt the butter in the microwave and set aside.
3. Dust your work surface with flour and open the tin of biscuit dough. Peel each of the eight cookie pieces in half and lightly shape into a rectangle. Press the dough to even it out and close the gaps between the cookies.
4. Sprinkle the entire surface with sliced ham and cheese and press the pieces into the dough. Roll the dough into a spiral, starting with the long end closest to you. Squeeze the rolled dough tube tightly to secure all the pieces inside.
5. Cut the log of dough crosswise into quarter-inch segments. Squeeze each segment into balls and throw them all into a large bowl. Drizzle oil over dough balls and sprinkle garlic, salt and parsley around bowl. Mix gently but thoroughly with a rubber spatula.
6. Place ham and cheese balls in prepared loaf pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the loaf is risen and browned on all sides. Check doneness by pressing in the center. It should be hard. You can also check doneness with a toothpick. If you think the top is too browned but needs more time, cover the top with a piece of foil. Chill the loaf briefly before serving.