Andrea Dekker

16 Comments

Cheesy Pesto Crescent Bites

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure here.

cheesy pesto crescent bites

Dave and I have officially entered our holiday party season… which means I’ve been scouring the internet for quick and simple dessert and appetizer recipes that require very few ingredients and very little prep time.

I have a pretty good list of easy recipes that I can make in very short notice with ingredients I almost always have on hand… and today’s recipe is one of those crowd-pleasing appetizers that tastes way more difficult than it actually is 🙂

If you’re looking for a super simple, last-minute appetizer idea to bring to a holiday party — or just a really quick side dish for dinner tonight, this recipe should satisfy!

Recipe for Cheesy Pesto Crescent Bites

{print recipe}

Makes 24 “bites”

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tube refrigerated crescent rolls
  • 4 string cheeses (or about 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese)
  • 1/4 c. prepared pesto sauce

DIRECTIONS:

  • Divide Crescent rolls into 8 triangles and cut each triangle into 3 smaller “triangles” (see image below)
  • Flatten each smaller triangle so they are a little larger and quite thin
  • Spoon approximately 1/2 teaspoon of pesto sauce onto each small triangle
  • Cut each string cheese into 6 chunks and place one chunk on each pesto covered triangle
  • Roll crescent dough up and press to seal edges
  • Place crescent bites on baking sheet (I line mine with parchment paper to make sure nothing sticks)
  • Bake at 375*F for 8-11 minutes (or until golden and very puffed up)
  • Serve warm

Since these only take a few minutes to bake, I usually have them all made ahead of time and bake them when I get to the party (when I know I have access to an oven).

You can also use the same recipe with full-size crescent rolls (not cutting them into 3 smaller “triangles”) to make delicious rolls as a side dish for almost any meal.

These bites are amazingly tasty, super versatile, and oh so simple — so yes, they’ll be on my favorites list for a while!

Oh, and if you’re looking for more dessert and appetizer recipes for your upcoming holiday festivities, check out these recipes from around the blogosphere!

Holiday Sweets

Savory Treats

What are your favorite go-to party sweets, treats, and appetizers?

Visit my virtual recipe box for more simple, delicious, family friendly recipes!

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

subscribe without commenting

Comments

  1. Stephany says

    Oh my … I am so hungry right now! I can smell these bites! Thank you so much for this recipe! This Saturday, my boyfriend’s parents will come at home and I will definitely make these bites to impress them. Regards!

    Reply

  3. Trudy says

    I do something very similar…..use the whole crescent triangle, no pesto, but use pepperoni, salami or turkey….still with the stick cheese, just cut in half.

    We like them for sandwiches or an appetizer.

    Reply

  5. Jules says

    We call them Tarts but they’re pretty similar to your “bites” and use a mini-muffin pan. They are a Christmas staple and are gobbled up!

    Unroll crescent roll dough and press into a large rectangle, pinching seams to seal. Cut rectangle into 24 equal square pieces. Place 1 square in each mini-muffin slot and spoon in whatever filling you have on hand. I am pretty generous in filling because you want to not just taste bread. The tops are open so you can see what’s inside! Bake as per directions on the crescent roll wrapper, but keep an eye on them!

    For fillings, I’ve used typical omelet fillings (chopped peppers, onions, mushroom, cheese for vegetarians or ham/cheddar cheese/onions for carnivores)
    Mini pepperoni and mozzarella drizzled with pizza sauce (or any other pizza toppings)
    Ham and pineapple (sort of like hawaiian pizza)

    but you could make them more like dessert with chocolate chips, marshmallows, cinnamon/sugar and butter, etc. Anything that would taste good with a crescent roll would be delicious. And you can obviously experiment with seasonings, salt and pepper, etc. based on your tastes and filling ideas.

    This year, I will be trying them with pesto and cheese thanks to you 🙂

    Reply

    • Andrea says

      yay — glad to give you a new idea! and honestly, your way sounds even easier than mine 🙂

      One tip, you can actually buy “crescent sheets” in the same tubes as crescent rolls — but they aren’t cut into triangles. So you can just unroll the sheets, cut, fill, and bake!
      I think I might try your way (with my pesto and cheese filling) for an upcoming party this week! Thanks!

      Reply

  6. Anna says

    I always get requests for my blueberry-apple dump cake and it is so easy.
    1 can apple pie filling
    12 oz frozen blueberries
    1 cup sugar, divided
    Yellow cake mix
    1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
    1 stick butter, melted

    Spread pie filling in greased 9×13 cake pan. Toss blueberries with 3/4 cup sugar.
    Add to pan and sprinkle cake mix on top. Pour butter over mix and sprinkle with remaining
    sugar and nuts. Bake for 30 minutes at 350.

    Reply

Footer

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.