Rhodes Frozen Dinner Rolls

Baked Rhodes roll with butter and herbs being held in a hand.

4.80 from 20 votes

Rhodes Frozen Dinner Rolls

You found our family-famous Rhodes Dinner Rolls! We’ve made these rolls again and again for over 15 years for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and even weeknight dinners. After making them so many times, we’ve really narrowed down what works! We’re sharing all of our tips, including overnight vs. faster thawing methods, what pan to use, and how to make enough for big holiday crowds.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Rising Time3

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings: rolls

Calories: 53kcal

Author: Danielle

Ingredients

Nonstick spray or neutral oil for greasing
12 (57 gram) frozen Rhodes rolls (or 15 of the 38 gram rolls)
6 tablespoons butter melted
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh herbs finely chopped (our favorites are rosemary and thyme)

Instructions

Regular Method

Spray a 12 inch skillet with nonstick spray or lightly grease with oil. Place 12 Rhodes frozen dinner rolls evenly around the pan leaving equal space in between them. Take a piece of plastic wrap and drape it over the rolls. Spray the top of the plastic warp with the nonstick spray. Turn over the plastic wrap so that the sprayed side is towards the rolls. Allow them to rise at room temperature 3-5 hours until the rolls have doubled in size.
12 (57 gram) frozen Rhodes rolls, Nonstick spray
When the rolls are ready, preheat the oven to 350°. While the oven is heating, melt the butter and mix in the salt and herbs. Pour 4 tablespoons of the melted butter mixture over the tops of the rolls, saving the rest for the end. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
6 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon fresh herbs , ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
When the rolls are finished baking remove them from the oven and gently brush or spoon over the remaining butter mixture. Allow to cool slightly in the pan before serving.

Quick Thaw Methods

Method 1: Preheat oven to 175° while you prepare rolls as stated in step 1 above. Before placing the rolls in the oven be sure to turn it off. After the first 1 hour begin checking the rolls every 30 minutes until they have doubled in size. Once thawed, remove pan from the oven and continue as directed in step 2 above.
Method 2: Place the pan of frozen rolls in the oven with the light on and a pour hot water into a shallow pan that's set on the lower rack. Place the rolls on the rack above the pan of water and close the door. Once thawed, remove pan from oven and follow the same instructions as in step 2 above.

Overnight Thawing Method

Place the prepared pan of Rhodes frozen dinner rolls into the refrigerator for 8-10 hours or overnight, but the next morning (or after 8-10 hours in the refrigerator) they need to be put in a warm place for about an hour. Again, you are looking for the rolls to be soft and fluffy. Follow the baking instructions as directed above starting at step 2.

Video

Notes

Tips & Tricks

Handle the plastic wrap gently to avoid deflating the rolls after they have risen. Spraying it with non-stick spray helps a lot!
The first couple of times you make these, check the rolls often as they rise. You'll quickly get a feel for how fast they rise in your specific kitchen, and it will help you catch them before they over-rise.
When pouring the butter over the tops of the rolls, make sure not to miss the outside edge. This helps those edges get golden and buttery, and also prevents sticking.

Notes:

If you use the smaller (38 gram size) rolls it will take 15 Rhodes rolls per pan. Also, they won’t rise quite as tall as the ones in the picture, but they will have the same soft and fluffy “baby’s bottom” look. They also might thaw and rise a bit more quickly, closer to the three hour mark than the five hour mark.

Nutrition