Anthony Bourdain called it his favorite sandwich: simple and yet sublime, the Mortadella Sandwich. Inspired by his love for this classic Italian deli staple, I’ve created a fun and easy twist on that iconic bite: Mortadella Stuffed Crescent Rolls! Thinly sliced mortadella, pan-fried to crisp perfection, melty provolone cheese, and a touch of tangy mustard are nestled inside buttery, flaky crescent rolls and baked until golden brown. These savory treats are the perfect appetizer for game day, or as a delicious side to a bowl of soup.
What on earth is mortadella?
I grew up in the hose-water-drinking generation, who left our houses at 9 am on summer mornings with the dreaded bologna sandwich — that’s bologna (pronounced baloney), cheese, and mustard on squooshy white bread — tucked in the baskets of our bicycles, riding off on the day’s adventures with the sound of the clackers on our spokes brrrrrrrrrr’ing out behind us.
Our local butcher kept the outer wrapping on the roll of baloney when slicing it up for my mom. Which meant that about 75% of the time, there was a ring of wrapper around the baloney slice still in my sandwich, when mom forgot to peel it off (which started a lifelong aversion to things with a papery texture. Like shredded coconut.)
More often than not, the sandwich got traded to Ken, who liked to paint his tongue blue in art class and would willingly eat a handful of playground dirt on a dare.
Even as an adult, I couldn’t help but look at mortadella and think, fancy bologna. Lol. I had heard about Anthony Bourdain’s famous sandwich long ago, but stopped short of trying it myself when I saw the meat roll at the butcher shop. That changed last year, when it showed up at Kroger, neatly sliced and looking nothing like my childhood nemesis.
But as it turns out, mortadella is bologna. At least, it’s the authentic bologna from Bologna, Italy, whereas baloney is an American invention. Mortadella has salami-like spiced notes, and its thin slices are tender and rich. And when I say fancy, the loaf is usually studded with pistachios or myrtle berries.
Truly, it’s nothing like the rather dismal deli meat of my youth, and it’s outright fabulous pan-fried to crispy edges. Bourdain knew what he was talking about.
Although I have to limit the delicious sandwich to an occasional treat, these game-day appetizer crescent rolls were inspired by it, with the goal of having a little three-bite treat while enjoying the sportsball festivities.
Mortadella Stuffed Crescent Rolls are —
- Inspired by a classic: A fun twist on Anthony Bourdain’s favorite mortadella sandwich.
- Simple yet flavorful: Just a few ingredients create big, bold flavors. The pan-fried mortadella adds beautifully textured crispy edges, while the provolone melts into gooey perfection.
- Great for any occasion: Serve them as an appetizer, game day snack, or a side to soup.
- Quick & easy: Made with refrigerated crescent rolls for an effortless, no-fuss recipe.
- Crowd-pleasing: An unexpectedly tasty nibble that’s perfect for parties and gatherings.
Main Ingredients and Substitutions
Crescent rolls — A refrigerated roll of crescent rolls makes this appetizer the easiest thing ever. They’re pre-cut into triangles, so there’s practically no effort involved in the biscuit portion of this recipe. Just separate the triangles, taking care not to stretch them out too much.
If your store happens to be out of crescent rolls, any refrigerated biscuit dough will do, but I would recommend something hearty biscuit like Grands. Bake the biscuits by themselves first, then split in the middle and assemble like a sandwich instead of a roll-up.
Mortadella — I grew up on bologna, as I mentioned, and swore I would never touch the stuff again lol. But mortadella is different from my childhood fare. Although similar in appearance, it’s far more flavorful and its thin, delicate slices fry up to golden, crisped perfection.
Provolone — Unlike its more assertive salami cousins, you’ll want to pair mortadella with a mild, but still flavorful cheese. Provolone is a great option, as it’s very melty but has an almost aged-cheese flavor to it. Havarti or muenster would be delicious, too, but provolone was the go-to cheese for the famous Bourdain sandwich.
Dijon mustard — Just a little schmear adds the right amount of spicy foil to the richness of the pork and cheese.
How to Make Mortadella Stuffed Crescent Rolls
Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to get the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and printable, detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through of making the appetizer.
Prep notes
Here are some helpful guidelines for prepping the recipe ingredients. Anything that simply needs to be measured out of a container – such as dried herbs and liquids – are not addressed here. Note that you can absolutely measure everything out into separate bowls or containers ahead of time. It’s a classic organizational technique called mise en place — literally, “everything in its place” — that helps the cooking workflow run smoothly.
- Remove the crescent roll dough from its packaging and carefully separate it into the pre-cut triangles. Arrange the triangles on a large baking sheet (use parchment paper for easy clean-up).
- Cut the provolone cheese slices in half. Although cheesy is good, a half of a slice is plenty per roll.
- Scrunch up/fold up/wad up each mortadella slice into a rough rectangle.
- You’ll need a tablespoon of butter, if you want to top with the rolls with melted butter and Everything Bagel seasoning (optional).
Step 1: Pan-fry the mortadella
Pan-fry each mortadella in a large oiled skillet. You should be able to fit all eight pieces with room to flip. When the underside has golden edges, carefully turn each bundle over to the other side. Tongs are handy for this.
Step 2: Melt the cheese
Break each half-slice of provolone in half once again. Arrange the two pieces on top of one mortadella bundle, covering it from end to end. Breaking the halves in half lets you arrange the cheese on the mortadella without wasting any overhang on the skillet.
Let the cheese melt. Speed up the process by covering the skillet with a lid or a baking sheet to trap heat and steam in the pan.
Step 3: Load up and roll up the crescent biscuits
When the cheese has melted, transfer each bundle to the wide end of a crescent triangle. Roll up the biscuit, starting at the wide end, and ending with the point on top. Oh, and don’t forget a schmear of mustard!
Arrange the rolls on the baking sheet with plenty of room in between to expand as they bake.
Step 4: Bake and top
Bake the rolls in a preheated oven per package directions. While the rolls bake, melt the butter, if using. At the end of the baking time, brush each roll with melted butter and sprinkle some Everything Bagel seasoning on top. Return to the oven for another minute or two, to let the butter dry out.
Storing
The Mortadella Stuffed Crescent Rolls are best when served fresh out of the oven. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge and reheated at 350ºF for a few minutes in the oven or air fryer.
Serve Mortadella Stuff Crescent Rolls as part of your Game Day appetizers spread. Or with an Italian-inspired soup, such as Tuscan White Bean Soup, or salad, like my Italian Antipasto Salad.
Mortadella Stuffed Crescent Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 can crescent rolls (8 count)
- 2 teaspoons olive or avocado oil
- 8 slices mortadella
- 4 slices provolone cheese , cut in half
- Dijon Mustard
- 2 tablespoons butter (optional)
- Everything Bagel seasoning (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Cover a large baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or foil (optional, but helps with cleanup).
- Unwrap the crescent rolls and carefully separate them into their 8 triangles. Arrange the unrolled triangles on the baking sheet
- Spoon the oil into a large skillet. Use a paper towel to spread the oil over the surface in a thin, even layer.
- Heat the pan over medium heat, until water droplets flicked onto the surface sizzle.
- Fold or scrunch each mortadella slice into a bundled, narrow rectangle and place on the hot pan. Leave enough room between the slices so you can pick them up.
- Let the mortadella bundles fry on the first side for 2 or 3 minutes. The underside should take on golden edges, but not burn.
- Use tongs to carefully flip each bundle to the other side, and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Take one of the provolone half slices and tear it in half. Lay the two quarters on one of the mortadella bundles. Repeat with the remaining cheese halves and mortadella bundles.
- Let the cheese melt. This will take several minutes, but can be speeded up by placing a lid (or even a large sheet pan) over the skillet, to trap heat and steam.
- Transfer one mortadella bundle to the wide edge of one of the crescent roll triangles. Spoon a small amount of mustard on the dough next to the mortadella. Roll up the crescent biscuit starting at that wide end. Reposition the roll with the pointed end of the dough visible on top.
- Repeat with the remaining rolls. If necessary, rearrange the rolls on the sheet so there’s plenty of room for expansion as they bake.
- Bake the rolls per package direction, 10 to 13 minutes.
If topping the rolls with butter and seasoning:
- While the crescent rolls bake, melt the butter in a small pot on the stove or container in the microwave.
- When the biscuits have a golden hue, brush each roll generously with butter and sprinkle seasoning over the top, pressing down lightly to help the seeds stick to the butter.
- Return to the oven for another minute or two.