Cheesy Turkey Pesto Rolls
These Cheesy Turkey Pesto Rolls make a great snack or appetizer perfect for tailgating or the holidays! Gooey mozzarella makes this easy four-ingredient recipe absolutely irresistible.

I don’t think things get much busier than they do during the holidays. It seems like everything is hustling and bustling, with holiday shopping for everyone on your list, kids out of school for the holidays, holiday parties galore, and of course…tons and tons of food.
Food is one of the cornerstones of the holidays, with our meals being where we all come together to celebrate each other and get really, super full. I don’t know about you guys, but my family is always in a major food coma after every holiday meal. The food all seems to disappear oh so much quicker than it took to come together.

While the holidays are definitely one of the times to slave away in the kitchen, I think it’s important to also squeeze in family time. Not every minute needs to be spent cooking, so when shortcuts can be made without sacrificing quality, I’m all for it.
Appetizers are usually one of the places we get a little lazy for the holidays in my family. Usually, a cheese plate and some chips are lying around, but it’s always fun to have a warm appetizer to pass around. Points scored if it’s cheesy. Thankfully, the appetizer I have for you today scores a lot of points.

These Cheesy Turkey Pesto Rolls have only four ingredients and will be the perfect Thanksgiving appetizer, or tailgating snack for the next game! They’re almost too easy thanks to Pillsbury™ crescent rolls. I picked up a tube at Safeway and had such a hard time deciding to make with them. There are so many delicious things you can do with crescent rolls, but I’m definitely glad I went with these rolls.
Because the crescent rolls are meant to be pulled apart, they do have the seams. For these rolls, we don’t want those seams. Thankfully they come out quickly if you roll over them lightly with a rolling pin or press them together with your fingers, just enough to make the rolls stick together, but you don’t want to make the dough too thin.

How easily do these Cheesy Turkey Pesto Rolls come together?
Very! After you have a cohesive rectangle, spread the dough with pesto, sprinkle with cheese, and lay the turkey on top. Roll ’em up, slice it, and bake till gooey and golden brown. I prefer serving these cheesy turkey pesto rolls warm! If you have leftovers, they also warm back up deliciously in the toaster oven.
I love how easy and convenient the Pillsbury crescent rolls make these rolls, and they’re so versatile. If you want a vegetarian version of this appetizer, skip the turkey and you have a delicious three-ingredient appetizer. What’s better than that?! Less time in the kitchen, more time with the family. Enjoy! :)

Need more easy appetizer ideas?
- Easy Brie Bites are made with just FOUR ingredients
- Sesame Pecan Snack Mix is perfect for snacking
- Cranberry Brie Tart looks fancy, but is super easy to make!

Cheesy Turkey Pesto Rolls
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 9 rolls 1x
- Category: Appetizer, Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Cheesy Turkey Pesto Rolls make a great snack or appetizer perfect for tailgating or the holidays! Gooey mozzarella makes this easy four-ingredient recipe absolutely irresistible.
Ingredients
- 1 tube Pillsbury crescent rolls
- ¼ cup pesto
- ¾ lb. thin sliced deli turkey
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese + extra (to sprinkle on top)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF and grease a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Roll out your crescent dough and press into an approximately 13×18 inch rectangle, making sure to press together the seams where the crescent rolls would normally be pulled apart. Spread the rolls evenly with pesto, and then sprinkle on the mozzarella. Top evenly with slices of turkey.
- Starting on the long side, roll the dough up tightly. Pinch the ends together and place them with the seam facing down. Cut into 9 even pieces.
- Place your rollups in your baking dish, evenly spaced. Sprinkle with extra mozzarella cheese if desired.
- Bake, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool for a few minutes before serving warm!
Notes
If you want to make these a little easier to roll up, you can also use slices of cheese instead of shredded.
Thanks to Safeway for sponsoring this post. The opinions and text are all mine.
What an easy way to bring a “hot meal” to the kitchen
thank you
Are there any recipes to make the dough gluten free?
Hi Kathy, this recipe is from before I was gluten-free, but I imagine you could make my gluten-free flatbread recipe and use that as the dough for this recipe!
These sound absolutely delicious but I’m not a fan of pesto (neither is the boy friend lol). Any options for a replacement for it without ruining the recipe?
Hi Trish, you can replace it with a red pesto (made with sundried tomatoes, so it’s a different flavor profile) if you guys enjoy that! You could also use a super thick tomato sauce (you can reduce it on the stove). Otherwise, you can just leave it out and serve with a dipping sauce of your choice!