Antipasto Squares with Crescent Rolls – are the best Italian appetizer there is, if you love antipasto or antipasto platters; these antipasto squares with crescent rolls will become one of your favorite sub recipes there is.
These mini sandwiches made with crescent roll dough sheets are made with Swiss cheese, ham and cured meats; like salami and pepperoni.
For the finishing touch, add some roasted red peppers, pepperoncinis or banana peppers and a little bit of pesto sauce for a flavor that’s simply delish!
By no surprise, these mini Italian sub squares are requested quite often around the holidays. Especially, for Christmas day and new years.
Why You’ll Love Antipasto Squares with Crescent Rolls
- Quick & Easy-to-Make – Ready in an hour, these Antipasto squares are convenient and not as complicated to make as one might think.
- Sheet Pan Dinner – Want to transform a can of crescent roll dough sheet into an easy dinner idea? These Antipasto squares are all that! Serve mini sandwiches along with a leafy green salad, grapes and roasted nuts for a charcuterie board vibe.
- Best Italian Appetizer – Whether you’re serving a crowd on Thanksgiving, Friends-giving or Game-Day. This Italian meat and cheese appetizer is a fan-favorite! Enjoy baked Italian sub squares hot, right out of the oven, for best flavor.
Looking for finger food you can serve at your next Holiday Party? Baked Antipasto Squares are appetizing; serve them for an easy dinner idea as well!
Antipasto Appetizer Squares Recipe
To make Antipasto squares all you need is a 9×13 inch glass baking dish, a colander, paper towels and aluminum foil.
These mini Italian sub squares are delicious and perfect when serving a crowd.
Ingredients Needed
- Pillsbury Crescent Roll Dough
- Swiss Cheese
- Ham
- Pepperoni
- Salami
- Pesto & Seasonings
- Parmesan Cheese
- Provolone Cheese
- Roasted Red Pepper
- Pepperchinni
How to Make Antipasto Squares with Crescent Dough
- Preheat the oven – to 375 degrees and press one can of crescent roll dough into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Press dough up the sides of the pan about 1 inch.
- Bake the bottom layer of crescent dough – in the oven for 6 minutes, to ensure the bottomed crust is not soggy.
- Drain pepperoncinis and red peppers – in a colander lined with paper towels and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine pesto sauce, garlic powder and Italian seasoning; stir and set aside. Remove the bottom crust from the oven – and assemble sub squares. Layer with Swiss cheese, ham, pepperoni, salami and with a knife, spread a thin layer of half of the pesto sauce over-top the salami and sprinkle with half grated Parmesan cheese.
- Top salami with drained peppers – and add the last layer of cheese. Unroll the second can of refrigerated crescent roll dough and lay on top of provolone cheese. Press seems to seal on the sides. Spread an even layer of pesto and seasoning mixture on top of dough and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil – and bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
- Remove foil – and bake uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing. Doing this ensures sub squares set.
Recipe Notes
For a crispy bottom layer of crescent dough: Bake the bottom layer of dough for 6 minutes before layering with meats and cheese. This is how you keep the bottom layer crispy.
To ensure antipasto squares are not soggy: Drain canned red peppers and pepperoncinis in a colander lined with paper towels.
Line another layer of paper towels on top and pat dry.
You may need to switch out paper towels a few times so all liquid is removed from peppers.
Ham with added water: Pat ham dry with paper towels to remove excess water.
Or purchase a dryer cut of ham like; apple wood, honey ham, country ham, or ham off the bone.
Country ham is dry cured so go lighter on the pesto seasonings if using.
To remove excess grease: Pat pepperonis with paper towels before adding a layer of hard salami.
Pat hard salami dry with paper towels as well before baking to remove any grease.
There were some complaints online about some antipasto squares recipes being greasy or soggy.
However, this recipe is not soggy or greasy at all.
These extra steps really make a difference in overall texture and taste.
Meat & cheese order, Makes all the difference, layer Antipasto squares in this exact order to ensure the bottom layer of crescent dough and the top layer of crescent dough do not become soggy.
Assemble Antipasto squares in this exact order; Swiss cheese, ham, pepperoni, salami, half pesto & seasoning mixture, provolone cheese, second layer of crescent roll dough, and spread remaining pesto layer over-top and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
How to reheat Antipasto squares with crescent rolls, Heat the oven to 350 degrees and cover the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil.
Once the oven is heated, bake antipasto squares in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
More Appetizer Recipes
Antipasto Squares with Crescent Rolls
Antipasto squares with crescent rolls are the best appetizer there is! If you're a fan of antipasto, you'll love these mini Italian sub squares.
Ingredients
- 2 8 ounce canned Pillsbury Crescent Roll Dough Sheets
- 4 slices ham
- 6 slices Swiss cheese
- 8 slices pepperoni or 40 pepperoni slices
- 8 slices hard salami
- 2 tablespoons pesto sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 ounces roasted red peppers, drained
- 2 ounces pepperoncinis, drained
- 6 slices provolone cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and press one can of crescent roll dough into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Press dough up the sides of the pan about 1 inch.
- Bake dough in the oven for 6 minutes. While the bottom layer of dough is cooking, drain pepperchinnis and red peppers. Layer a colander with paper towels on the bottom and add peppers. Place another paper towel over top. Let paper towels absorb liquid from peppers and use more paper towels to pat dry if needed. This extra step ensures your antipasto squares are not soggy.
- In a bowl, combine pesto sauce, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning, stir and set aside.
- Remove bottom crust from the oven and layer with Swiss cheese, ham, pepperoni, and salami. Spread a thin layer of half of the pesto sauce over-top salami and sprinkle with half grated Parmesan cheese.
- Top salami with drained peppers and add the last layer of cheese.
- Unroll the second can of refrigerated crescent roll dough and lay on top of provolone cheese. Press seems to seal on sides.
- Spread an even layer of pesto and seasoning blend on top of dough and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.
- Cover 9x13 inch baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional 15-20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing so antipasto squares set. Place Italian sub squares on a tray lined with parchment paper when serving or serve on individual plates lined with paper dollies.
Notes
- You may use crescent rolls, in replacement of crescent roll dough sheets. Press seems to seal before adding meats and cheese.
- For a crispy bottom layer of dough, Bake the bottom layer of crescent dough for 6 minutes before layering with meats and cheese.
- To ensure Antipasto Squares are not soggy, Drain canned peppers in a colander lined with paper towels. Line another layer of paper towels on top and pat dry. You may need to switch out paper towels a few times so all liquid is removed from peppers. It's worth the extra step and ensures sub squares are not soggy.
- Ham with added water, If you are making Antipasto Squares with a ham that has added water make sure to pat ham slices dry with paper towels as well.
- Or purchase a dryer cut of ham like; apple wood, honey ham, ham off the bone or country ham.
- Country ham is dry cured you may want to use less seasoning if using. since pepperonis and salami are dry cured as well.
- To remove excess grease, Pat pepperonis with paper towels before adding layer of hard salami.
- Pat hard salami with paper towels, as well before baking to remove any grease. There were some complaints online about some antipasto square recipes being greasy or soggy.
- However, this recipe is crispy and not soggy or greasy at all. These extra steps really make a difference in overall texture and taste.
- Meat & cheese order, Makes all the difference,
- Assemble antipasto squares in this exact order, to ensure bottom crescent dough and top crescent dough do not become soggy.
- Italian Sub sandwich order; Swiss cheese, ham, pepperoni, salami, half pesto & seasoning mixture, provolone cheese, second layer of canned crescent roll dough. For the finishing touch, spread remaining pesto layer and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
- For less salt, add half pesto seasoning mixture on top later of crescent dough sheet or if you'd like to skip this seasoning mixture all together, try brushing top layer of dough with light olive oil and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Both options give the top later of dough savory flavor.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 large sub slices or 16 smaller sub slices Serving Size: 1 sub sandwich sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 210Total Fat: 7gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 656mgCarbohydrates: 15gSugar: 2gProtein: 10g