The holidays are approaching and my mind turns to feeding family and friends with easy to prepare foods that I can plan for in advance.  It’s amazing how impromptu gatherings can throw you for a loop if you aren’t careful.  When company is coming, I try my best to have great hot meals, but there are days when spending time with my company takes precedent over the time I have to spend in the kitchen.  Sandwiches to the rescue! 

I love a good sandwich prepared with a yummy, freshly baked Rhodes Texas Roll.  But if you’re having a party and want things to be appetizer-size, you can easily bake smaller versions with the same bread dough and make them into Dollar Sandwich Buns.  Here’s what you will need:

1 – 24 count Rhodes Frozen Texas Rolls

Flour for dusting, vegetable spray, 2 large cookie sheets and plastic wrap.

Place the frozen rolls on a cookie sheet sprayed with vegetable spray; cover with plastic wrap that has also been sprayed with vegetable spray.

 Let sit until thawed, but still cold.  I didn’t need 48 rolls (24, cut in half = 48) , so I just set out 12, but if you need to make more, you will definitely need 2 cookie sheets.

Cut each of the rolls in half with either a knife or kitchen shears. 

Roll each piece in flour; dust off any heavy excess flour.  They almost look like Mexican Wedding Cake cookies, but that is flour, not powdered sugar!

Slightly flatten each roll and place on sprayed cookie sheet.  (If you are trying to use the same pan that you defrosted the rolls on, you will probably need to re-spray the pan.)  Leaving space between the rolls will allow each roll to have their own finished, baked edges…none of that touching wanted for these!  Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let rise until doubled…that’s what the directions said to do, but I was making these before going to work, so mine only raised for about another 40 minutes before baking them.  The dollar rolls ended up being a little denser, but that’s how I like my rolls anyway – not too full of air.

One of my favorite fillings for Dollar Rolls is Chicken Salad, so I thought I’d share my easy recipe with you for the filling.

Chicken Salad

3 cups diced chicken breast (you could also use leftover turkey)

1 to 1 1/2 cups mayo

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped celery

1/2 to 3/4 cup Craisins

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the above ingredients and let chill at least 3 hours, but overnight is better.  The reason the ingredient amounts are flexible is so that you can adjust to your own tastes. Start off with the lesser amount and add to if the consistency isn’t right.  I almost never use anything but an ingredients list because I like to taste as I go to make it right for my own taste buds.  The Craisins give it a slightly sweet taste and I love the crunchy texture that the celery provides.  I bake my chicken in a foil lined pan with sliced onions on the bottom (I do not put the onions in the chicken salad), but if time is of the essence, buy a rotisserie chicken (I love the ones at Costco!), take the meat off the bone, let cool and dice that up.  And here’s a look at what the Chicken Salad looks like inside!

The Rhodes Dollar Rolls can be baked up the day before so that precious kitchen time the day of a party can be allocated to assembly.  They are easy to prepare, and things always taste better when you include Rhodes Frozen Breads to your supply list!