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This Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Stromboli is ham, Swiss, and pineapple rolled up in pizza dough and baked until golden. The poppy seed butter brushed over the top is what makes it, sweet and savory and just sticky enough. It comes together in 10 minutes flat.
Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Stromboli
If you’ve had those little Hawaiian roll sliders with the poppy seed butter, you already know where this is headed. Same flavors, one big roll instead of a dozen small ones, and a fraction of the assembly.
The pineapple is the part people question and then stop questioning. It goes soft and jammy against the salty ham, and the Swiss holds the whole thing back from tipping into sweet.
We’re using refrigerated pizza dough. I’ve made this with homemade dough and it’s lovely, but on a Tuesday the can wins. The whole thing bakes on 1 sheet pan, which is very much my comfort zone.
What Is Stromboli
Stromboli is an Italian American invention, not an Italian one. Pizza dough gets rolled around a filling into a log, baked, then sliced into pinwheels. It traces back to the Philadelphia area in the 1950s and it’s been a sandwich shop fixture ever since.
The filling is usually cured meat and melting cheese. Ours goes ham, Swiss, and pineapple, which is not traditional and I don’t care.
Stromboli vs Calzone
These two get mixed up constantly. The difference comes down to shape.
A calzone is folded. Filling goes on half the dough, the other half folds over, and you crimp it into a half moon. It’s a single serving, and ricotta almost always turns up inside.
A stromboli is rolled. Filling spreads across the whole surface, then the dough rolls into a log and bakes seam side down. You slice it and share it. No ricotta, and the cheese is a melter like mozzarella or Swiss.
One more difference. Calzones usually come with marinara on the side for dipping. Stromboli often has sauce rolled right in, though ours skips tomato sauce entirely.
Ingredients in Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Stromboli
- Refrigerated pizza crust (1 can): I use Pillsbury. It unrolls into a rectangle and bakes soft rather than crisp, which is exactly what you want when you’re slicing pinwheels. Fresh store bought dough works, and so does homemade.
- Mayonnaise (¼ cup): Sounds strange. Isn’t. It’s the moisture barrier between the filling and the dough, and it keeps the inside from going dry.
- Swiss cheese (8 slices): Nutty, mild, and it melts without turning greasy. Provolone is the closest swap.
- Deli ham (8 ounces, sliced thin): Ask for it shaved if your deli counter will do it. Thin slices lie flat and roll tight.
- Crushed pineapple (½ cup): The sweet note that makes this Hawaiian instead of just ham and cheese.
- Unsalted butter (3 tablespoons, melted): The base of the topping.
- Dijon mustard (1 tablespoon): Cuts the brown sugar and keeps the top from reading as dessert.
- Poppy seeds (1 tablespoon): Standard for a Hawaiian roll style butter.
- Onion powder (1 teaspoon): Savory backbone.
- Brown sugar (1 tablespoon, packed): Goes glossy in the oven and sets into a light glaze.
Tips
- Roll from the long side, not the short one. You get more spirals and neater slices.
- A serrated knife slices this cleanly. A chef’s knife squashes it.
- If the ends look loose after tucking, pinch them firmly. Filling that escapes will burn onto the parchment.
- The topping goes on before baking, not after. It needs the oven time to set.
Variations
- Swap the Swiss for provolone or mozzarella if that’s what’s in the drawer.
- Turkey works in place of the ham.
- Add a handful of chopped jalapeño with the pineapple if you want heat against the sweet.
- Skip the pineapple entirely and you’ve got a straight ham and cheese stromboli. Still very good, just not Hawaiian anymore.
Make Ahead and Storage
You can build this the night before. Follow everything through the rolling, then instead of baking, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Brush on the topping and bake it off the next day.
Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat slices in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes so the dough firms back up. The microwave works if you’re in a hurry, but the crust goes soft.
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Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Stromboli
Ingredients
- 1 can Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust (13.8 oz)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 8 ounce deli ham sliced thinly
- ½ cup pineapple crushed
Topping
- 3 tablespoon butter unsalted, melted
- 1 tablespoon Djijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar packed
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Unroll the pizza dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush the ¼ cup of mayonnaise over the entire surface, stopping ½ inch from the edges.
- Layer the 8 slices of Swiss cheese over the mayonnaise, followed by the 8 ounces of ham, then the ½ cup of crushed pineapple.
- Roll up jelly roll style, starting from a long side. Pinch the seam to seal, tuck the ends under, and place seam side down on the baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, whisk the 3 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar together. Brush all of it over the roll.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until deep golden brown. Garnish with parsley if you like.
- Cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.
Tips & Notes:
- Dough: If you cannot find Pillsbury refrigerated pizza crust, use store-bought pizza dough, or make your own, using this recipe.
- Rolling: Roll from the long side for more spirals and tidier slices.
- Slicing: A serrated knife cuts cleanly. Let it rest the full 5 minutes first.
- Make ahead: Assemble through the rolling step, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Brush with the topping and bake the next day.
- Storage: Keeps 3 to 4 days refrigerated in an airtight container. Reheat at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes.
nutrition facts
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use homemade pizza dough?
Absolutely. Roll it out to roughly the same rectangle a can of refrigerated dough gives you, about 12 by 10 inches. Everything else stays the same.
Why is there mayonnaise in this?
It’s a moisture barrier. It sits between the wet filling and the dough and keeps the inside from drying out. You won’t taste it.
Can I freeze it?
I’d freeze it baked and cooled, wrapped tightly, for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen at 350°F until warmed through.
Do I need to seal the ends?
Yes. Tuck them under and pinch firmly, or the filling works its way out and scorches on the pan.
