Ham and Cheese Sliders tick all the boxes for melty, delicious mini sandwiches to serve at fall & winter gatherings, tailgating parties and holiday buffets!
(Original Post published Aug. 31, 2019. Images & content of this post were updated Nov. 30, 2022. Recipe is the same.)
Plus, they’re easy to make for a crowd.
And, Ham and Cheese Sliders are also excellent breakfast sandwiches. Scrumptious, hand-held comfort!
Smoky, salty, sweet & savory, soft & crunchy, caramelized and scrumptious! Oy! Ham and Cheese Sliders are a delicious mouthful of warm food; and just in time for everything cold weather.
Are you ready for some football!!?? …and tail-gating? … and holiday entertaining? Like many of you, we’ll be enjoying many guests and gatherings over the next few cold, Fall and Winter months.
Whether it’s for Christmas, New Years or an over-the-top Super Bowl party, Ham and Cheese Sliders are at the top of the list of favorites on my perfect buffet and snack table.
It may be a homestyle celebration, with simple, comfort food options. But, that table will be filled with delectable, can’t-wait-for-another-bite treats. And, these ham and cheese sliders are some of the best!
This Ham and Cheese Sliders recipe is the answer to small bites, that are still hearty and will fill up your guests with savory, deliciousness.
They’re a great idea for football Saturday, for bonfires and even, just for dinner. And, they’re one of the first items to disappear at holiday gatherings.
I used leftover ham to put these together and it’s a perfect repurposing that creates a brand new meal. But, if you don’t have leftover ham, grab a package of deli ham and enjoy this outrageously delicious ham and cheese slider recipe.
You really do have to give these a try. Your family will think you’re a gourmet genius! How can you go wrong with sweet Hawaiian rolls, melty cheese and smoky ham? Come on, let’s do this. I’ll tell you all my flavor secrets!
Ingredients for the Ham and Cheese Sliders Recipe
- Leftover Ham, sliced as thin as you can do it (or deli ham)
- Grated Cheese or Cheese Slices, cut into quarters (Of course choose your favorite. Swiss cheese, Smoked Gouda or Cheddar are all fantastic. Just be sure to grate hard cheeses so they melt easily.)
- Sweet Hawaiian Dinner Rolls (Those yummy sweet Hawaiian rolls are our favorite but any dinner rolls will work!)
- Butter, melted
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Poppy Seeds
- Barbecue Sauce
- Stone Ground Mustard (Dijon mustard is common in sliders, but we’re not fans at our house. Use what you love.)
What is a Slider?
Slider is apparently an American term. It generally refers to a small sandwich, usually about 2 inches in diameter and served on a bun.
There are really no rules for slider contents. Which means you can get super creative and miniaturize any of your favorite sandwiches. My yummy Cuban Sliders are a great example!
A slider can be served hot or cold, though hot is most common. And sliders typically contain flavorful sauces or condiments and ooey, gooey, melty cheese.
The first sliders were most likely cheeseburgers. But, ingenuity and creativity have launched sliders of all kinds into popularity as the ideal finger foods for tailgating, casual parties and holiday gatherings.
How to Make Ham and Cheese Sliders
The barbecue sauce and stone ground mustard are your secret weapons! It may seem like an odd combination, but trust me. It’s the right thing to do!
They are perfect complements to the smoky ham and creamy cheese in ham and cheese sliders.
- Build your sliders by, first, splitting the sweet Hawaiian rolls.
- Spread a small amount of barbecue sauce on one half and then stone ground mustard on the other.
- Add a few slices of ham and half a slice of Swiss cheese, American, Cheddar or Gouda. Close the Ham and Cheese Slider and set it in a 9×13 baking pan [affiliate link].
- Snuggle those filled sweet Hawaiian rolls up, close together. You’re going to get all 24 of them in that one 9×13 pan. Once the pan is loaded, it’s time to make your glaze.
Making the Glaze for Ham & Cheese Sliders
- In a small saucepan, mix the brown sugar, melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tablespoons of stone ground mustard and poppy seeds. (You could omit the poppy seed if you want. They do add nice texture and visually, make the sandwiches very appealing.) Bring the mixture to a full, rolling boil.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and drizzle the whole pan of sauce over the tops of those soft, gorgeous rolls. It’s going to go against everything you believe in. But, I promise you, it’s gonna be ok. Just DOOO it!
- Once they’re drizzled, your outrageously buttery, sweet and savory Ham and Cheese Sliders are ready for the oven. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, take off the foil and continue baking for 5 more minutes, until the tops of your sliders are caramely and golden brown.
No slider buns or Sweet Hawaiian rolls? Try these Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches made with crescent dough, instead. Wendy, at Butter Your Biscuits, has a recipe that looks spectacular!
The Recipe
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Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 24 sliders 1x
Description
Ham and Cheese Sliders are smoky, savory and salty ham; gooey melted Swiss cheese (or Cheddar, Gouda or American); sweet and spicy dressings and a caramelized glaze all delivered on warm, sweet dinner rolls. I’ll let you just stop and think about that deliciousness for a minute. Yeah. You’re gonna want to make these!
Ingredients
- 3/4 – 1 lb ham, sliced as thin as you can do it
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons stone ground mustard (reserve the 2 Tbls. for the glaze) (Use Dijon mustard or the mustard you like best, if you prefer.)
- 12 cheese slices or 12 oz. grated cheese (Choose your favorite. Swiss cheese, Cheddar, Gouda, Colby Jack or American are all good.)
- 2 (12 ct pkgs) sweet Hawaiian dinner rolls (Any dinner rolls you like will work great.)
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Assemble the sliders first. Start by splitting the sweet Hawaiian rolls.
- Spread a small amount of barbecue sauce on one half and then stone ground mustard on the other.
- Add a few slices of ham and half (2 of the quarters) a slice of cheese to the bottom half of each roll. This is where your personal preference and creativity will come into play. Choose Cheddar, Gouda, Swiss cheese, American, Colby Jack or any of your favorites. Hard cheeses will melt better if you grate them. Soft cheese can melt as a whole slice.
- Put all the tops on the Ham and Cheese Sliders and snuggle all 24 into a 9×13 pan.
- Next, make the glaze by adding the brown sugar, melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tablespoons of stone ground mustard and poppy seeds to a small saucepan.
- Bring the glaze to a full, rolling boil, then remove it from the heat.
- Immediately drizzle the glaze over the sliders in your pan. (Use all of it.)
- Your sandwiches will be completely coated. Most of the sauce will stay on top of the rolls, because they are pressed together so tightly in the pan. Some may seep down to the bottom and that’s okay.
- Cover the pan with foil and bake in a 350° for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, remove the foil.
- Continue baking for 5 more minutes. This will let the tops get beautifully caramelized and toasty, golden brown.
- Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Friend, I hope you and your family enjoy Ham and Cheese Sliders as much as we do! And, if you get a chance to make them, I hope you’ll consider coming back to leave a comment and a 5 star rating!
Your 5 star rating helps others find our recipe in a search on Google and your comments give them ideas and encouragement that help them make the recipe their own.
Stop by, again, soon! I’m so glad you took the time to visit!
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About Glenda
I believe cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be complicated and that YOU can do it. My simple recipes, tutorials, and cooking tips will help you get weeknight dinners on the table with less stress. Forget takeout or the drive-thru. Let me show you how to make homemade easy. Read more...
I made these for our Super Bowl get together and they were a huge hit! Everyone loved them!!
Yay! That’s awesome! I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Debi!