When it comes to vintage recipes that still hold their own, this just might be at the top of the list. The dish was first described to me by a friend and I had some serious questions. Velveeta and crab meat? Wonder bread? And top it all off with… sesame seeds? I was not sold.

The recipe came from said friend’s Nana who made them for every holiday party. As a kid, he’d camp out at the food table to sneak as many rolls as he could before being noticed. He was very insistent that they were worth a try and in the end he was absolutely right.

I first brought them to a potluck where there was no shortage of amazing food, yet all anyone could talk about was the crab rolls. People were asking what the dough was made of and if I could share the recipe. I wish you could have seen the looks on their faces when I told them that the “dough” was white bread. Priceless.

While processed cheese like velveeta can get a bad reputation, it really does work best for this recipe. It melts down so well and blends beautifully with a truly unhealthy amount of butter. This is not a healthy dish, but holiday calories don’t count, right? If you’re going to indulge, might as well go all in and enjoy every last bite!

I owe a big thank you to the Picha family for introducing me to a new guilty pleasure. I hope Nana is looking down and smiling as her great-grandkids sneak a few too many of these cheesy little treats. They’re seriously addictive and you can bet they’ll now be found at all of my holiday gatherings. Give them a try and I’m sure you’ll love them just as much!