These oven baked 3-ingredient beef and mozzarella crescent logs are the kind of simple little supper or party bite that reminds me how often the best recipes come from a neighbor’s kitchen instead of a cookbook. With just crescent dough, seasoned ground beef, and mozzarella tucked inside, they bake up crisp on the outside and warm and savory in the middle, making them just right for busy weeknights, after-school appetites, or a casual gathering where folks hover around the tray and reach for seconds before they’ve swallowed the first.
Serve these warm with a little bowl of marinara, pizza sauce, or ranch for dipping if you like. They go especially well with a green salad, a cup of tomato soup, or a plate of raw vegetables and pickles for an easy lunch or light supper. If you’re setting them out for a party, a fruit tray and a simple pasta salad round things out nicely.
Oven Baked 3-Ingredient Beef and Mozzarella Crescent Logs
Servings: 8 logs
Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 tube refrigerated crescent roll dough, 8-count
8 mozzarella string cheese sticks or 8 mozzarella cheese strips
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until fully browned and crumbly, then drain off any excess grease and let it cool for a few minutes.
3. Unroll the crescent dough and separate it into 8 triangles. Place a spoonful of cooked beef on the wide end of each triangle, then top each with one mozzarella stick or cheese strip.
4. Roll up each triangle, starting at the wide end and tucking in the filling as best you can, forming log shapes. Arrange them seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
5. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the crescent dough is puffed and deeply golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Variations & Tips
Add a little seasoning: If you have it on hand, a pinch of Italian seasoning, garlic powder, or onion powder stirred into the beef gives these a little extra flavor without changing the easy spirit of the recipe.
Keep the cheese tucked in: Be careful not to overfill the dough, and set the logs seam-side down so the cheese is less likely to run out as they bake. A brief cooling time helps the filling settle, too.
Make them pizza-style: Add a spoonful of thick pizza sauce inside with the beef, but use only a little so the dough does not get soggy. This version tastes mighty close to a handheld pizza roll.
Swap the cheese: If mozzarella is not what you have, provolone, cheddar, or a Monterey Jack cheese stick can work nicely. Each one gives the logs its own personality while keeping the method simple.