Hot ham and cheese slider sandwiches are the ultimate crowd-pleasing party food! Savory ham, melty swiss cheese, and an unbelievable Dijon-butter sauce make this easy snack unforgettable.
Maybe you grew up with groaning trays of ham and cheese sliders at potlucks and tailgates ~ I didn’t discover these irresistible mini sandwiches until later in life. But even though I’m a little late to the party, I’m all in for hot and cheesy grab and go snacks. And this is one hot appetizer that’s actually fun to make: just layer it up, slather in butter sauce, bake, and slice!
let’s dig in
what are ham and cheese sliders?
“Wait, back it up, what are we even talking about here?” <– if that’s you, don’t worry, I’m here to help. Hot baked ham and cheese sliders are a classic American party snack that start with plush Hawaiian rolls layered up with deli ham and Swiss cheese. They get topped with a decadent Dijon mustard butter sauce studded with poppy seeds and dried onion, and baked until warm and gooey. All that butter makes the bottoms of these sandwiches nice and crispy. Drooling yet? Let’s get cooking!
related: Sheet Pan Tuna Melts
ingredients for ham and cheese sliders – add to cart!!
No fancy, hard-to-track-down ingredients here:
- slider rolls
- King’s Hawaiian rolls are the classic choice, but you can also use other mini rolls. Look for ones that come in a pack of 12 and are baked together, in one piece.
- sliced ham
- use your favorite deli sliced ham, you’ll need about 1/2 pound.
- sliced swiss cheese
- feel free to substitute another kind of cheese if you like.
- unsalted butter
- Dijon mustard
- poppy seeds
- granulated onion
- don’t skip this, the onion adds such great flavor to these sliders!
- Worchestershire sauce
- honey
- a small touch of honey balances the flavors in the butter mixture perfectly. Feel free to omit if you prefer.
from whence ham and cheese sliders?
Though simple, these sliders have a very distinctive ingredient list and flavor profile, and recipes don’t vary very much at all. Curious about where the recipe comes from?
These classic baked ham and cheese sliders have their origins in classic Southern cooking, and are very closely related to a traditional dish known as funeral sandwiches. In fact, some recipes for Southern funeral sandwiches are nearly identical to these popular ham and cheese sliders, while some others vary slightly. Why funeral sandwiches? Like their cousin, the famous funeral potatoes, these recipes became associated with large gatherings like funerals and were known for being easy to prepare, comforting, and crowd-pleasing.
more crowd pleasing sandwiches
want to vary it up?
A sandwich is just about the ultimate customizable food, so get creative and make these sliders your own!
- Try different meat and cheese combinations ~ I think roast beef and provolone would be great, or turkey and cheddar. Keep it simple, though, and resist the temptation to add too many more filling ingredients to keep these baked sliders from getting heavy and difficult to eat.
- Instead of the poppy seeds and granulated onion, take it up a notch and use a pre-mixed everything bagel seasoning!
- You’re not limited to Hawaiian rolls ~ try mini pretzels rolls or biscuits for a change.
- Like a little heat? Use a hot mustard in place of the Dijon for some extra kick.
- For a little extra moisture and flavor, spread a thin layer of mayonnaise and/or mustard over the bottoms of the rolls before layering up your ham and cheese.
- Want to tone it down on the butter? Though they will be less rich, you can definitely get away with using about half of the butter mixture and brushing just a light layer over the sandwiches before baking.
why we’re ham and cheese sliders fans forever
There are tons of easy and delicious appetizer recipes out there, but it can be hard to find recipes that will feed a hungry crowd while still being easy to throw together and make ahead-friendly. This recipe ticks all the boxes! So easy to make, perfectly portable, filling, and most importantly, totally delicious!
Ham and Cheese Sliders
Equipment
- parchment paper or foil
Ingredients
for the butter sauce
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp poppy seeds
- 1 Tbsp dried granulated onion
for the sandwiches
- 1 package King's Hawaiian rolls (or other mini rolls)
- 1/2 lb thinly sliced deli ham
- 1/2 lb thinly sliced Swiss cheese (you may have some leftover)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet or pan with parchment paper or foil.
- In a small saucepan on the stovetop, melt the butter.
- Remove from the heat, and whisk in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, honey, salt, poppy seeds, and granulated onion. Set aside.
- With a sharp serrated knife, carefully slice the rolls in half, keeping them together.
- Lay the bottom half of the rolls, cut side up, on your prepared baking pan.
- Layer about half the ham over the rolls. Then lay the sliced Swiss cheese over the ham, overlapping it somewhat.
- Lay the rest of the ham over the cheese.
- Place the tops of the rolls on top. Pour the butter sauce over the sandwiches, and brush to coat evenly.
- Cover the sandwiches with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, until heated through. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 5 minutes or so.
- Remove from the oven, use the parchment paper to gently lift the rolls out of the pan. Use a serrated knife to separate them, and serve immediately.
I like this recipe. I want to take to a party snd double the recipe. Can I bake 2 recipes on a sheet pan successfully?
Yes, if your pan is big enough, that works fine.
I also omitted the honey, to previous post
I have been making these for years from a recipe of my loving Aunt. However I use potato rolls instead of Hawaiian and fresh minced onion instead of granulated. Still everyone loves them wherever I take them and there are none left
Made these for Sunday lunch. They were a big hit and I would definately make again. Easy but tasty! Thanks from New Zealand!