Italian Beef Crescent Pinwheels

5 from 2 votes

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Italian Beef Crescent Pinwheels are an easy appetizer or dinner for your family. The bottom crust is crispy and the cheesy is melty perfection.

Take this dish to backyard barbecues or pot luck dinners. They will be requested again and again!

serve italian beef pinwheels with reserved broth

What are Italian Beef Crescent Pinwheels? 

This Italian sub crescent ring is made with beef cooked in a slow cooker with Italian seasonings, beef broth, and banana peppers.

The beef is melt-in-your-mouth good and is piled on pizza dough, topped with provolone cheese, rolled up, and baked in wheel shapes.

They’re perfect served with the reserved broth for dipping, a green salad, fruit salad, or roasted vegetables.

Ingredients: 

Here are the ingredients to turn this delicious homemade slow cooker recipe in to pizza pinwheel perfection. Say that 5 times fast!

italian beef pinwheel ingredients
  • Chuck roast
  • Beef broth
  • Italian seasoning
  • Garlic powder
  • Butter, sliced
  • Banana peppers
  • Pizza dough
  • Provolone cheese

How to make Italian Beef Crescent Pinwheels: 

Here’s a brief overview of how to make this dish. See the recipe card below for the specific recipe instructions. 

Spray the pot of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and add the roast to the pot.

Add the beef broth and season with Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Top with the butter slices.

add butter to beef and broth mixture

Spread the banana peppers in an even layer over the top of the roast, then add the liquid from the banana pepper jar.

italian beef and peppers in slow cooker

Place the lid on the slow cooker and set to cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.

When the meat is finished cooking, remove it from the pot and shred it with a fork. Set it aside to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unroll the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out until it’s around 1/8 inch thick.

roll out pizza dough

Layer the cheese slices evenly on top of the dough.

layer with cheese

Spread the Italian beef in a thin layer over the top of the cheese.

add shredded italian beef and peppers

Roll the dough up tightly until it resembles a long log. 

roll dough and slice into pinwheels

Cut the log into 10 even slices, around one inch thick. Place the slices cut sides down on the baking sheet.

bake pinwheels

Bake in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until the pizza dough is golden brown.

Serve with liquid from the slow cooker for dipping (au jus).

Tips for success: 

Here are a few tips for success and variations you can try to make the best easy Italian pinwheels you’ve ever had.

italian beef pinwheels ready to eat
  • Instead of making pinwheels, you can make Italian crescent casserole by putting the meat mixture in a casserole dish and place dough over the top of the dish. Brush an egg yolk wash over the top and make slits with a sharp knife.
  • Make this dish into different designs like a spoke pattern, or a crescent ring.
  • Instead of the jelly-roll style, turn these into Italian sandwiches or French dip sandwiches with au jus.

Other pastry to use  

These Italian beef pinwheels are made with pizza dough but you can make them with another flaky crust if you’d prefer or if your grocery store doesn’t carry crescent dough.

Some other options are puff pastry dough, pie crust, or crescent roll dough. You can find these either in the refrigerated section or the freezer aisle of the grocery store.

Another option is to make them from scratch at home. These are easy doughs to make and can be frozen to use later on busy nights when you don’t have time to make homemade dough. 

Add vegetables to beef crescent rolls  

These cheesy roast beef pinwheels are made with banana peppers but you can add other vegetables if you’d like more robust rolls.

Some options are:

  • roasted red peppers
  • corn
  • zucchini
  • yellow squash
  • mushrooms
  • fresh bell peppers
italian beef pinwheels on baking sheet

How to store:

To refrigerate: Keep any leftover crescent rolls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

To freeze: You can also freeze these wheels after they’re baked.

Allow them to completely cool and then store them in an airtight bag in the freezer.

Let them thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat them in an air fryer to get the rolls crispy again.

Otherwise, reheat them in a microwave until they’re hot all the way through.

To meal prep: You can easily prepare these roll-ups ahead of time to bake later.

Follow the recipe up until baking, wrap them individually, and put them in an airtight zip-top bag.

When you’re ready to make them for dinner, let them thaw in the fridge overnight and then bake them the next day.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between pizza dough and crescent rolls?  

Crescent dough is flakier and slightly sweeter than pizza dough. Pizza dough is chewier and perfect for heartier dishes.

What other meat can I use for Italian beef crescent rolls? 

While Italian beef crescent rolls are made with beef, you could use a pork shoulder instead.

What types of cheese can I use with beef crescent rolls? 

This recipe uses provolone cheese but you can use slices of mozzarella cheese, Havarti, Muenster, Swiss cheese, or parmesan cheese.

Print the Recipe Card

This is such a great dinner recipe and so versatile! If you love easy meals like this, try our crescent roll empanadas and buffalo chicken rolls!

Italian Beef Pizza Pinwheels

5 from 2 votes
Slow-cooked Italian beef is shredded and rolled up with cheese and pizza dough and baked until golden brown perfection. Great for dinner and leftovers.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 6 hours 20 minutes
Total: 6 hours 40 minutes
Yield: 5 servings

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound chuck roast
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ cup butter, sliced
  • 1/3 cup banana peppers, plus 2 tablespoons liquid from the jar
  • 1 package premade pizza dough
  • 9 slices provolone cheese

Instructions 

  • Spray the pot of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray and add the roast to the pot.
  • Add the beef broth and season with Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Top with the butter slices.
  • Spread the banana peppers in an even layer over the top of the roast, then add the liquid from the banana pepper jar.
  • Place the lid on the slow cooker and set to cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours.
  • When the meat is finished cooking, remove it from the pot and shred it with a fork.
  • Set it aside to cool slightly.
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Unroll the pizza dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out until it’s around 1/8 inch thick.
  • Layer the cheese slices evenly on top of the crust.
  • Spread the Italian beef in a thin layer over the top of the cheese.
  • Roll the dough up tightly until it resembles a long log.
  • Cut the log into 10 even slices, around one inch thick.
  • Place the slices on the baking sheet.
  • Bake in the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until the pizza dough is golden brown.
  • Serve with liquid from the slow cooker for dipping.

Notes

Nutrition values are estimated and should be confirmed with your ingredients.

Nutrition

Serving: 2rolls, Calories: 567kcal, Carbohydrates: 40g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 111mg, Sodium: 1141mg, Potassium: 418mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 642IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 297mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian

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About Andrea Updyke

Andrea Updyke is a married mom of two boys living in Raleigh, NC. She is a published author and blogger of more than 18 years and loves to celebrate the little things that make life awesome.

Whether she's sharing tasty recipes, traveling or hanging with the family, Andrea's goal is to help make your days a little easier and a lot more fun! Email inquiries to andreaupdyke@gmail.com.


5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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