Hawaiian roll ham and cheese sliders are the perfect make ahead party food. This big batch of sliders has a crispy buttery top with ooey gooey melted cheese in the center.
My mom had a recipe she used at Christmas time and big graduation parties for these tiny ham and cheese sliders that were individually wrapped in tin foil and baked.
They were insanely delicious but also took some time to prep.
Since we loved that old fashioned ham party sandwich so much, I wanted to figure out a way to make them faster and easier.
These ooey gooey ham and cheese sliders have all the same flavors as my mom's recipe but are baked all at once on a large baking sheet in the oven.
They come together so quickly, we've made this an essential party food all year round!
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Why This is the Best Recipe
My family absolutely loves little slider sandwiches but I think this is the best ham and cheese slider recipe because:
- Saucy Tops: I love the melted butter sauce that gets brushed over the top. It gives the sliders a golden brown top. Don't forget the poppy seeds!
- Fast Prep: I can have the whole pan ready to go in the oven in just 10 minutes.
- Big Batch: I make a huge pan of these for football parties and Christmas gatherings and there is never any leftover. They really feed a crowd.
Ingredients
Ham and cheese sliders only need a few easy ingredients, most of it you have hiding in your pantry right now:
- Hawaiian Rolls: Any slider bun will do but the sweet Hawaiian rolls taste the best with deli ham.
- Deli Ham: Ask your deli server to slice it thinly if you can. Leftover Crockpot spiral ham from a holiday meal would actually work great, too.
- American Cheese: I think the classic American cheese melts much better than cheddar in the oven but you can use whatever you like. My mom used Cheez Whiz!
- Butter
- Dijon Mustard
- Onion Salt
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Poppy Seeds
Assemble the Sliders
Some slider recipes will have you trying to slice an entire tray of slider buns in half all at one time. That feels like an accident waiting to happen to me.
My lazy girl trick is to slice each party bun in half like a hamburger bun and just line them up one by one on a large baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
Lay 1 - 2 slices of ham on each bun. You'll want to ruffle them up so they stay inside the bun and don't drape over the sides.
If you're using leftover spiral ham, you might want to cut it to fit the bun and stack 1 - 2 pieces, depending on how thick the ham is.
Break each slice of American cheese into quarters and put ¼ of the slice on top of each bun.
Brush the Tops
Stir together the melted butter, Dijon mustard, onion salt, and Worcestershire sauce.
Use a pastry brush to brush the butter over the top. If you don't have a pastry brush, you could gently spoon it over the top and let it drizzle down the sides a bit.
Finish with a sprinkle of poppy seeds over the top.
Baking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Loosely cover the sliders with aluminum foil and bake them for 10 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for an additional 2 minutes for the tops to get golden brown.
Make Ahead Tips
You could assemble the ham and cheese sliders up to 24 hours in advance and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Store them in the fridge.
Then just brush the butter over them and bake as directed.
Freezing Instructions
If you want to freeze the sliders, assemble the ham and cheese in the buns and freeze them wrapped in foil.
Let them thaw overnight in the fridge.
Brush them with butter just before baking and serve.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve ham and cheese sliders at family football parties. We've also served them as part of an easy Christmas eve dinner with a big batch of soup in the crockpot.
Any time you're relaxing with your family at home, these ham and cheese sliders make a fun and easy dinner or snack to share.
More Slider Recipes
These Hawaiian roll ham and cheese sliders are the perfect party food because they take just a few minutes to make and feed such a large crowd.
Don't miss these other great slider recipes that are just as easy!
📖 Recipe
Gooey Ham and Cheese Sliders
Ingredients
- 24 Hawaiian rolls or small soft butter rolls
- 24 thin slices of deli ham
- 6 pre-wrapped slices of American or cheddar cheese break each slice into 4 quarters
For the sauce:
- 1 ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 8 tablespoon (1 stick) butter melted
- 1 tablespoon onion salt
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- Poppy seeds for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Line a large baking sheet with tin foil. Line up the 24 buns in a single layer and open them.
- Lay one slice of ham and a quarter of cheese inside each bun and close.
- To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients except the poppy seeds in a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Pour the sauce over the top of the buns. You can use a pastry brush to even it out as needed.
- Sprinkle the tops with the poppy seeds and then cover with a sheet of tin foil.
- Bake 10 minutes, remove the foil and bake 2 minutes longer. Serve warm.
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