These Stuffed Garlic Knots are made with homemade dough filled with smoky ham and melty cheese, tied into knots, and brushed with fresh garlic butter before and after baking. They’re soft, cheesy, buttery, and perfect for an appetizer, game day, or whenever warm bread stuffed with ham and cheese sounds like the right answer.
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These Stuffed Garlic Knots are what happens when homemade garlic knots get a serious upgrade. Soft, fluffy dough gets loaded with ham, cheese, and garlic butter, then tied into knots and baked until golden.
They're a little messy to shape—and that's okay. Anything that falls out gets piled right back on top before baking. The result is buttery, cheesy, garlicky goodness with crispy little bits of ham and cheese tucked into every nook and cranny.
Why You'll Love These Stuffed Garlic Knots
- Stuffed with the good stuff: Ham and melty cheese are folded right into the dough.
- Garlic butter twice: They get garlic butter before baking and another brush while they're warm.
- Homemade but so easy: The yeast dough is simple and forgiving, even if bread-making isn't usually your thing.
- Perfect for sharing: Twelve knots make an easy appetizer, game-day snack, or addition to a party spread.
- Messy is good here: Cheese and ham spilling out means crispy, golden bits around the edges.
What You'll Need & Why
Here’s what you’ll need to make these Stuffed Garlic Knots with Ham and Cheese.
Garlic Knot Dough
- Active dry yeast + sugar: Give the homemade dough its soft, fluffy texture.
- All-purpose flour: The simple base for the garlic knot dough.
- Kosher salt: Seasons the dough.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Keeps the dough from drying out while it rises.
Ham & Cheese Filling
- Butter + fresh garlic: The garlic butter gets brushed inside the knots and over the top after baking.
- Everything Bagel seasoning: Adds plenty of savory flavor and a little texture.
- Cheddar cheese: Melts throughout the knots and gets crispy wherever it escapes.
- Ham: Finely diced so you get some in every bite.
The Recipe Rundown
- Make the dough: Mix, knead, and let rise until doubled.
- Make the garlic butter: Combine melted butter, fresh garlic, and Everything Bagel seasoning.
- Fill: Roll out the dough and top with garlic butter, ham, and cheese.
- Shape: Fold, cut into 12 strips, and tie into knots.
- Rest: Let the knots rise for about 20 minutes.
- Bake: Bake until puffed and golden brown.
- Finish: Brush the warm knots with the reserved garlic butter and dig in.
Swaps & Variations
These stuffed garlic knots are easy to switch up depending on what you have on hand.
- Use store-bought dough: Store-bought pizza dough works great if you want to skip making dough from scratch.
- Change up the meat: Try cooked bacon, sausage, pepperoni, or salami instead of ham.
- Swap the cheese: Cheddar is great here, but mozzarella, Monterey Jack, Gruyère, or a combination would all work.
- Make classic garlic knots: Skip the ham and cheese and shape the dough as directed for simple homemade garlic knots.
Recipe Testing Notes
A few things I’ve learned that make these stuffed garlic knots even better:
- Shred your own cheese: It melts much better than pre-shredded cheese and gives you those gooey, crispy cheese bits.
- Don't overfill the knots: You want plenty of ham and cheese, but too much makes the strips difficult to tie.
- Expect some filling to escape: Ham and cheese will fall out while you're shaping the knots. Just tuck it back in or pile it on top before baking.
- Let the dough tell you when it's ready: For the first rise, look for the dough to double in size rather than relying only on the clock.
- Save that garlic butter: Reserve a few tablespoons for brushing over the knots as soon as they come out of the oven. Do not skip this part.
Stuffed Garlic Knots Recipe
Ingredients
Garlic Knot Dough
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 packet active dry yeast
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Filling
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoon Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup ham, finely diced
Instructions
- Make the dough: Add the warm water, sugar, and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer. Let sit for 5–10 minutes, until foamy.
- Mix and knead: Add the flour and salt. Using the dough hook, mix on low for 1 minute, then increase to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Let it rise: Drizzle the dough with a little olive oil, cover, and place in a warm spot. Let rise for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Make the garlic butter: Melt the butter and stir in the grated garlic and Everything Bagel seasoning. Set aside.
- Roll the dough: Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle about ¼-inch thick.
- Add the filling: Brush the dough with the garlic butter, reserving 2–3 tablespoons for finishing. Sprinkle the ham and cheese evenly over the dough.
- Fold and cut: Fold the dough in half over the filling and gently press it together. Cut into 12 even strips.
- Tie the knots: Gently stretch each strip, then tie it into a loose knot. Don't worry if some ham and cheese falls out—just tuck it back into or on top of the knots.
- Let them rise: Arrange the knots on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover loosely and let rest for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake: Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the knots are puffed and golden brown.
- Finish: Brush the warm knots with the reserved garlic butter and serve.
Nutrition
Storage & Reheating
These stuffed garlic knots are best warm from the oven, but they also store and freeze well.
- From frozen: Reheat straight from the freezer at 350°F until hot in the center. Add a little melted garlic butter afterward if you're feeling fancy.
- Refrigerator: Store cooled garlic knots in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Let the knots cool completely, then freeze in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Freeze them individually first if you want to grab just one or two at a time.
- Reheat: Warm in a 350°F oven or air fryer until heated through. You can also microwave them for a quick option, but the outside will be softer.
More Homemade Bread Recipes You'll Love
- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting — Same homemade-dough confidence builder, just sweet instead of savory.
- Savory Monkey Bread — This feels like an especially strong internal link: pull-apart, buttery, savory bread.
- Dutch Oven No-Knead Olive Bread — Another approachable homemade bread filled with salami and olives.
- Sheet Pan Pizza: Simple homemade pizza without all the kneading and minimal cleanup.
- Sour Cream Biscuits with Bacon and Cheese: Tender, savory biscuits loaded with bacon and cheese.
Who’s Stirring the Pot?
Hi, I’m Ruth—the recipe developer and comfort-food enthusiast behind Rufus For Real. I believe dinner should be the best part of your day, not the most stressful one. That’s why I focus on meals that are simple, satisfying, and impossible to mess up in a real-life kitchen.
I want to hear from you! How did you like these Stuffed Garlic Knots?! Let me know in the comments below—I read every single one!
You’ll find me sharing even more comfort-food goodness, kitchen tips, and behind-the-scenes chaos over on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube (@rufusforreal everywhere).
If you love approachable recipes with a whole lot of personality, pull up a chair—there’s always room at this table.
Happy Cooking!
-Ruth aka Rufus
BT says
Excellent!!
Rufus says
Thank you so much!