Cheesy Ham Braid...

...in which we learn that I am not very good at making things look pretty. ;)

Cheesy Ham Braid
(TOH)
1 16oz package hot roll mix
1 Cup warm water (120-130)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoon butter, softened, divided
1/2 Cup chopped onion
2 Cup chopped, fully cooked ham
1 1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Cup Ricotta
Dash Parsley
1 egg white
1 Tablespoon cold water

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine the hot roll mix and contents of yeast packet. (If you are wondering where the yeast came from, it was part of the hot roll mix box. You must be a first time hot roll mix user too. LOL.) Stir in the warm water, egg, and 1 tbsp butter. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead for 5 minutes. In a skillet, saute onion in remaining butter until tender. Remove from the heat, stir in ham, cheeses, and parsely.
On a greased baking sheet, roll dough into a 15x10 rectangle. Spoon ham mixture lengthwise down the center of dough. On each long side, cut 1" wide strips about 2" into the center. Starting at one end, fold alternating strips at an angle across filling. Pinch ends to seal. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 15 mintues or until doubled.
In a small bowl, beat egg white and cold water; brush over dough. Bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.
(Huh, that really doesn't look like the picture in the magazine...oh, I was supposed to tuck the ends IN?)
Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.



So... what would we do different next time?
1. Don't do ham & cheddar. Maybe ham & mozz?
2. Cut ham smaller! I definitely cut the ham too big! Oops. :)
3. Cut down on ricotta... a lot. Maybe substitute with mozz, at least partially?
4. Try to actually make it look braided. (Which is where the 'not good at making things look pretty' part comes in.)

Overall, it was yummy! Just making changes to make it better for next time!