The Doughboy’s Favorite Picky-Eater Dinner: Crescent Roll Dinner Bar

Sunday dinners during the Christmas season can be a bear—and not a cute polar bear in a Santa hat, either (which is the Doughboy’s favorite kind of bear).

When you’re at the end of a long weekend and each kid wants something different for dinner, tame their growling tummies with a Pillsbury™ crescent dinner bar! Everyone picks their own fillings, the meals all bake at once and holiday harmony is restored as everyone sits at the table together with a dinner that’s exactly what they wanted.

Can you say Christmas miracle?

What is a Crescent Dinner Bar?

Here is our very official definition of a crescent dinner bar: It’s a meal solution that involves family or friends (or both!), as many Pillsbury™ crescent rolls you can fit in your fridge and all the fillings and toppings your heart (and hungry tummy) desires. Everyone gathers together in the kitchen to load up their crescents exactly as they like, then they all bake in the oven until the crescents are puffy and golden brown. The final step? Devour, of course (and feel free to repeat)!

We love the idea of a crescent dinner bar for busy families with picky eaters (sound familiar?). It’s a great option for meal-makers in the family to share the prep work of getting dinner on the table, but it also gives everyone an opportunity to spend time together to both make and eat a meal. And for those little (or big) ones in the family who have more particular tastes, they can customize their crescents however their palates please. Do you hear the collective sigh of relief from parents everywhere? We sure do.

A crescent dinner bar also makes for a fun dinner party option with friends during the hectic holiday season! Whether you plan a party weeks in advance or just feel an impromptu gathering coming on, it’s oh-so-easy to pop open a few cans of crescents, top them with whatever you have on hand and bake them up with the ones you love.

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s show you exactly how it’s done!

Thankfully, setting up a crescent dinner bar is as easy as making and eating the crescents themselves. All you need are a few minutes of prep time and as many filling ingredients as you want—and a hungry crew, of course. Let’s break it down step by step.

Step 1: Set Your Work Station

To get things started, line up as many baking sheets as you need, about one per 2-4 people. Line each baking sheet with parchment paper and, with permanent marker, write down the crescent makers’ names on the parchment paper next to where they will place their creations (so you know whose is whose once baked). Pop open a can of Pillsbury™ refrigerated crescent rolls, separate into triangles and place on a clean work surface or cutting board (or directly on parchment paper-lined baking sheet). Keep in mind that you can bake up to 1 can, or 8 crescents, per baking sheet!

Step 2: Prep The Fillings

The most exciting part of a crescent dinner bar (besides the eating part, of course) is deciding what fillings to put inside your tasty creations! This is also a great time for picky eaters to choose their own favorite foods to add to their crescents. To prep, just cut up whatever ingredients you love (or have on hand) so they can fit inside a rolled-up crescent roll. Set out bowls or plates of individual fillings, and have your hungry eaters get creative. Here are just a few of our favorite easy filling ideas:

• Cheese sticks
• Cooked chicken
• Cooked ground beef
• Chopped tomatoes
• Olives
• Hot dogs
• Sliced bell peppers
• Sliced apples
• Sliced deli meat (such as ham, salami, turkey, etc.)
• Cooked bacon
• Cooked fish sticks
• Cooked strips of steak
• Sliced cheese
• Taco meat
• Chopped green onions
• Pickle slices
• Steamed broccoli
• Mashed potatoes
• Pepperoni
• Spinach
• Pre-cooked breaded chicken strips

Don’t forget to include sauces and spreads, too, such as cream cheese, ranch dressing, pizza sauce, pesto, etc.

Of course, if you want to keep things super-simple, you can purchase and prep fillings for tried-and-true crescent recipes we already have on site, such as our Crescent Dogs, Pepperoni Pizza Crescent Rolls and Ham and Cheese Crescent Roll-Ups!

Step 3: Make and Bake!

The final (but perhaps most important) step is actually making and baking the crescents! Once everyone has finished filling and rolling up their crescents, space the crescents evenly on the parchment paper-lined baking sheets (remember to write names on the parchment paper for easy crescent identification!). Bake crescents at 375°F until fillings are hot and crescents are puffed and golden brown.

Expert tip: If you’re having a party, you’ll probably have more people than oven space to bake all the crescents at once. Set out appetizers, snacks and drinks for guests to munch on while others take turns prepping and baking their crescent creations.

The fun of a crescent dinner bar—whether you make it a weekend meal solution for family or a party with your closest crescent-loving friends—is that you can make it your own! Go big or small, set out hundreds of fillings or just a few, but always do what works best for you. Here are a few more crescent recipes to inspire you to make this dinner idea a new holiday tradition in your household.