Easy Make-Ahead Mushroom Rolls—NO Pastry Dough Involved!

Step 1

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat

Step 2

Add the mushrooms and the salt and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid they give off has evaporated

Step 3

Add the flour and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes

Step 4

Add the half-and-half and simmer, stirring for about 4 minutes

Step 5

Remove from the heat and stir in the chives, lemon juice and pepper to taste

Step 6

Let cool

Step 7

Working in batches (so the bread doesn't dry out), cut off the crusts from the bread, reserving the crusts for another use such as breadcrumbs

Step 8

Using a rolling pin, roll out the bread so that it is quite thin

Step 9

Cover the stack of flattened bread with plastic wrap and, working with about 4 slices at a time (keeping the rest covered), put a heaping teaspoon of the mushroom mixture, spreading it evenly, on one end of the bread

Step 10

Moisten the other end of the slice with water and roll up the bread tightly, enclosing the filling

Step 11

Press the seam to seal tightly and set the rolls aside, covered with plastic wrap, until you have stuffed and rolled all of the slices

Step 12

Melt the remaining butter and butter the top and sides of all the rolls well

Step 13

Transfer the rolls to a rimmed sheet pan and freeze them for 30 minutes

Step 14

Cut them in half crosswise

Step 15

At this point you can either bake them or transfer them to a container to freeze until you are ready to use them

Step 16

To bake the mushroom rolls, preheat the oven to 400°F

Step 17

Arrange them in one layer on lightly buttered parchment and bake them on the middle shelf of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, turning them once, or until the bread is lightly golden and crisp