Donna Kelce's Famous Thanksgiving Staple Is An Award-Winning Recipe From The 1960s

Between Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs and the now-retired Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles, the Kelce family has cemented itself as one of the most noteworthy clans in the NFL over the past decade. Thus, considering football is one of the greatest Thanksgiving traditions across the country, the ins and outs of a Kelce family Thanksgiving dinner have been a topic of conversation in recent years. However, according to Jason Kelce himself, no course on the table each Thanksgiving can compare to the delectable Mama Kelce dinner rolls, which are a sweet and addictive pastry that originated long before the matriarch first served them on Thanksgiving.

Jason Kelce told the story during an appearance on YouTube's Mythical Kitchen in 2023 of how his mother, Donna Kelce, first introduced the delicious item to the dinner table. "Every Thanksgiving, there was always a different meat medley and sides, but the one constant that my mom always has to make is the Mama Kelce dinner rolls," the elder Kelce brother explained. "She made them one year and we loved them so much. My wife still gets upset because my mom will come over, and this is like the only thing I want."

While Donna Kelce introduced her signature dinner rolls as the Kelce brothers were growing up, the unique recipe has actually been wowing people for even longer than most may think.  The recipe for the rolls was first documented when Minnesota baker Edna Walker entered it into the 1969 Pillsbury Bake-Off under the name of Magic Marshmallow Crescent Puffs. The dessert was deemed remarkable and delicious practically immediately, winning the grand prize and making Walker $25,000 richer.

So, even if Mama Kelce wasn't the inventor of her world-famous dinner rolls, she undoubtedly helped repopularize a truly iconic dish. Fans of the Kelce brothers across the internet have tried their hand at baking the Pillsbury Bake-Off Hall of Fame recipe in recent years, getting the opportunity to experience the exquisite taste and texture that Jason Kelce happily enjoys each year on Thanksgiving. As Reddit shows, some have decided to add the rolls to their own Thanksgiving dinner rotation as a result.