Cheddar Cheese Rolls

Hey boys, look what Mommy made!

My little boys love these Cheddar Cheese Rolls.  One of my little boys asked me if I was going to make these for Halloween this year.   Of course I am.  They decided it would be a good idea to come home for Halloween so they could have their traditional dinner and torment “Trick or Treaters”.  

Since the beginning of our family I have made a warming Halloween dinner.  It’s usually a chilly night here in Utah on October 31st.  Before the kids went out trick or treating I wanted them to have a full belly so they wouldn’t eat too much candy.  I know…what world was I living in?  It was a nice dream.  

Over the years I have made various hot rolls, breads and doughnuts for Halloween night. Cheddar Cheese rolls just happen to be one of the favorites and pair very well with a bowl of hot soup.  

I want to share this recipe with you so you can make the little boys in your home as happy as mine are going to be on Halloween.

 Oh, by the way, my little boys are 24 and 28 years old…still in school…not married…any takers???  I’ll cook for you!

To make the roll dough you will need:  all-purpose flour, yeast, sugar, salt, butter and eggs.

In the bowl of an electric mixer add 4 cups of the flour.

Add the sugar…

…the salt…

and the yeast.  I am using SAF instant yeast.   It’s great yeast.

Attache the dough hook to your mixer.  I just always use the paddle attachment.  I like it.  It works.

Turn the mixer on and blend those dry ingredients together.

I forgot to show the milk in the picture of ingredients.  You will need milk! 

When the butter has completely melted and begins to boil, add the milk.

Let the milk warm with the butter, but only until it reaches a temperature of 110-115 degrees.  An instant read thermometer works great to test the temperature.  You can go by feel as well.  It should be warm to the touch not hot.

If the milk and butter get too hot, it will kill the yeast.  Remember yeast is your friend, but it does not like it hot. 

When the milk and butter have warmed pour into the flour mixture.

Turn on the mixer and let the mixture beat for about 5-7 minutes.  I like to make sure the yeast full dissolves.

Add the eggs.

Beat until smooth for about another 5 minutes.

Add the remaining flour one cup at a time.  Beating well after each addition. 

You might not need all the the remaining 3 cups.  That’s why I mix it in 1 cup at a time. 

Add flour just until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.  You don’t want the dough super sticky, but it will stick to your fingers just a bit.

Place the dough into a large that has been lightly oiled.

Turn the dough over to coat completely with oil.  Cover the dough with a cloth and place in a warm place to rise.  This should take about an hour.

Look how pretty!  The dough has been rising for one hour and has risen to the top of my bowl.

I check my dough to see if it has risen enough by poking my finger into the dough.

If my finger mark stays, then it has finished rising.

Looks like the belly button of my former stomach.  My stomach doesn’t look like that any more.  I’m sporting a “6 pack”.  Soon, very soon, I’ll be featured on the cover of Runners World magazine.  You have to be ripped to be featured on that cover. 

Enough about my ripped abs.

Turn the dough out onto the counter top.

It shouldn’t stick too much because of the oil that the dough was coated with from the bowl.

Cut the dough in half.

Now cut into quarters.

Cut each quarter into eighths (1/8).  You should have about 8 little balls of dough.

To complete the rolls you will need about 1 lb of cheddar cheese.  You can use sharp or mild.  Whatever floats you boat!  The cheese is stuffed into the middle of the rolls. 

After the rolls bake, they will be brushed with melted garlic butter and sprinkles with Parmesan cheese and parsley.  

You can actually do this step while the dough is rising.

Chop abut 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley.  You can substitute with 1 teaspoon of dried parsley, if you would like.

Set aside.

Melt the butter.

Add one garlic clove that has been minced.  Set aside.  I like to let this stand so the butter becomes infused with garlic.

Cut the cheese into 1/2-inch slices. 

Basically you will need about 36 cubes of cheese that are about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick.  Depending on how much cheese you want oozing out of your roll.

Let’s stuff these cubes of cheese into the roll dough.

Take one of the pieces of dough that you have previously cut.

Flatten the dough out a bit.

Place a piece of cheese into the center of the dough.

Close the dough in on and around the cheese.

Place the roll on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment or well greased.   Make sure the roll is pinched side down.

Repeat the process and allow at least 1/2-inch space between the rolls for rising.

Cover the rolls with a clean cloth and allow to rise for about 3 minutes.

Uncover and bake the rolls in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden.

See how pretty they look.

Immediately brush the rolls with the garlic butter mixture.

Definitely serve hot.

7 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons yeast
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 ½ cups milk
½ cup butter
2 eggs
1 lb cheddar cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes

In the bowl of an electric mixture combine, 4 cups of the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. In a medium size sauce pan melt the butter. When butter has melted add the milk into the pan. Continue to barely warm the milk until it reaches a temperature of about 110-115 degrees. Remove from the heat and pour over the flour mixture while the mixer is running. Continue to beat for about 5-7 minutes. Making sure the yeast has dissolved. Beat in the eggs. Add remaining flour 1 cup at a time. Add enough flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough or until the dough begins to pull away from the edges of the bowl while mixing. Place the dough in a large bowl that has been oiled. Turn the dough to coat completely in the oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a counter top. Divide the dough in half then into quarters. Divide each quarter into 8 equal size balls. Place a cube of cheese in the middle of the dough. Pull the dough around the cheese to form a ball then pinch the dough tightly so that the cheese doesn’t melt out during baking. This will make approximately 36-40 rolls. Place the rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet about ½-inch apart. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden.

Meanwhile, melt the ¼ cup butter and add minced garlic. Set aside. Mix grated Parmesan cheese with parsley and set aside. When the rolls come out of the oven, immediately brush with the garlic butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese parsley mixture. Serve immediately. Makes about 36-40 rolls.

I don’t know what Halloween is like in your neighborhood, but I have to purchase about 300 candy bars for all the “trick or treaters” that come to our door.  That’s a lot of kids.

Bring it!

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