Ham and Cheese Sliders
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Make your next gathering a hit with these simple yet delicious ham and cheese sliders: soft buns filled with ham and melted Swiss cheese, all smothered in a tangy butter sauce.
Ham and cheese sliders are a personal favorite of mine for any casual gathering, big or small. Soft, fluffy buns (such as King’s Hawaiian rolls) are filled with sliced ham and melted Swiss cheese, but the real star is the tangy butter sauce brushed on before baking. Made with Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and poppy seeds, the sauce gives the sliders a bold, buttery flavor that’ll have everyone coming back for more.
The sliders are also super convenient for hosting since you can make a big batch at once (double the recipe if you need to) and prep them ahead of time. Whether I’m serving them at a party, a game day tailgate, or just a night in with family, they go quickly. Trust me, make extra!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Ham And Cheese Sliders
- Sauce (Melted Butter, Dijon Mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, Poppy Seeds, Garlic Powder, Salt): Adds a rich, tangy, and savory flavor to the sandwiches, and keeps them moist.
- Soft White Dinner Rolls: Provide a slightly sweet, soft base that complements the savory filling. Their texture and flavor are ideal for sliders, making them easy to eat.
- Dijon Mustard: Adds a sharp, tangy layer of flavor directly to the sliders; cuts through the richness of the ham and cheese.
- Swiss Cheese: Melts nicely, adding a nutty flavor that pairs well with the ham.
- Black Forest Ham: This dry-cured, smoked ham that originally comes from the Black Forest region of Germany has a savory and slightly sweet flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by making the tangy butter sauce. In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and poppy seeds. Stir to combine.
Using serrated bread knife, cut the rolls in half, leaving the top and bottom halves intact. Spread Dijon mustard over the cut side of the rolls.
Place the bottom half, cut side up, in a 9-inch square metal baking pan. Place half of the cheese in an even layer over the bottom. Follow with all of the ham. Finally, add the remaining cheese.
Cover with the roll tops. Evenly spoon the butter sauce over the top, letting it drip down the sides.
Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and toasted.
Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes in the pan. Using a large spatula, carefully transfer the sandwich block to a cutting board.
Using a serrated knife, slice into mini sandwiches. Serve warm or room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can assemble the sliders a day ahead and top them with the butter sauce, refrigerate overnight, and then bake the following day.
Black Forest ham is prized for its distinctive smoky flavor and seasoned exterior, which adds depth and character to the sliders. However, if you can’t find Black Forest ham or prefer a different type, other smoked hams like honey ham or Virginia ham are excellent substitutes.
King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls are known for their soft texture and mild sweetness, and they conveniently come in pre-connected sheets that make assembly and baking easy. If you’re looking for alternatives, potato rolls or brioche buns are a fantastic option, offering a similar softness and sweetness, and they can sometimes be found in pre-connected sheets. If those aren’t available, individual slider buns are also suitable.
If using individual buns, you can still recreate the convenience of a sheet. Simply place the individual buns closely together in your baking pan, mimicking a connected sheet, and assemble your sliders on top. To ensure you can remove the sliders easily as one whole unit, line your pan with a foil sling.
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Ham and Cheese Sliders
Make your next gathering a hit with these simple yet delicious ham and cheese sliders: soft buns filled with ham and melted Swiss cheese, all smothered in a tangy butter sauce.
Ingredients
For the Butter Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ tablespoons poppy seeds
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Sandwiches
- One 12-count pack square soft white dinner rolls, such as Kings Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ⅔ pound sliced Swiss cheese
- ½ pound sliced Black Forest ham
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the butter sauce. Set aside.
- Using a serrated bread knife, slice the rolls in half horizontally, keeping the top and bottom halves separately intact. (Don't worry if the rolls fall apart; you can piece them back together in the pan.) Spread the Dijon mustard evenly over the cut sides of the roll tops and bottoms.
- Place the bottom half of the bread, cut side up, in a 9-inch square baking pan. Place half of the cheese in an even layer over the bread. Top with all of the ham, followed by the remaining cheese. Cover with the roll tops.
- Evenly spoon the butter sauce over the top of the rolls, letting it drip down the sides.
- Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden brown and toasted. Let cool for 15 to 20 minutes in the pan. Using a large spatula, carefully transfer the sandwich block to a cutting board. Slice into sandwiches and transfer to a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The sliders can be assembled a day ahead and topped with the butter sauce, refrigerated overnight, and then baked the following day.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 slider
- Calories: 338
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated fat: 8g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Sugar: 1g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 16g
- Sodium: 648g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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So yummy! Even the kids loved them…and they’re always picky! We did reduce some of the cheese and it was still really good!
I (with my husband’s manual labor) made a triple batch of these for a New Year’s Eve party last night and they were delicious!! We received numerous compliments on them. The only change I would make would be to cut the poppy seeds down to about 1/3 of the amount in the recipe.
Made these easy ham sammies for the family and they were a big hit. Will make again. Yummy!
We made these last year for a party and they were a huge hit. We’re hosting another party this year with most of the same people and would like to use the same concept but with different filling. Maybe from a roasted chicken or turkey. Can you suggest what else to include? Type of cheese? Anything else? Apple slices? Cranberry sauce sounds good to me but not everyone likes it. Those ingredients might not heat well. Melted cheese (and all of the butter!) held the sandwiches together.
Hi Renee, This is pretty flexible. I think turkey, sharp cheddar and apple slices (sliced very thin) would be glorious. Another option that comes to mind is corned beef, swiss and a bit of coleslaw and a little Russian dressing. Hope you enjoy whatever you come up with!
Thank you for another amazing recipe!! I made the sliders with the recommendation you gave above of turkey, apple, and cheddar—Delicious!!!
I‘m making them for Superbowl, but this time need to make them without the apple. Is there anything else you would recommend using instead with the turkey and cheddar? Would cranberry work?
Glad you enjoyed that variation on the recipe! I think a cranberry or fig spread would be a great option. Please LMK how they turn out!
I have made them with roast beef and horseradish cheese. Very yummy!
You’re right Jen, I should off made extra! ended up making another batch because it was delicious!! Great recipe! Thank you
🙂
If I prepare these the day before, should I put the sauce on the day before or not until I’m ready to bake it?
I’ve made this once and loved them! But, this time I really need to prepare ahead and then bake next day-how best to do?
Thank you!
You really can go either way, Margaret. If you do put the sauce on ahead of time, they won’t be soggy once baked. 🙂
These are delicious, I’ll be making them again real soon! My only change was using shaved Black Forest Ham, a favorite of ours, and leaving the seeds off. Plus, I basted mine a few times with the butter sauce while they baked. Sooo yummy!
Tried the turkey, sundried tomato pesto and provolone, and wasn’t thrilled with the result. I think it might work with a milder cheese–all I had was smoked provolone and it pretty much took over the sandwich. Now thinking about sliced meatballs, BBQ sauce and cheddar…
Made these tonight and my husband and 4 yr old twin boys LOVED them. They were devoured in nothing flat. My one son kept saying, ‘mommy these are so good’ and he’s a picky one! Will definitely make them for Sunday football
These are great! Would love to hear some more suggested variations. Maybe sun dried tomato pesto with turkey and provolone? And how about breakfast–would pre-cooked scrambled eggs end up over cooked?
I love the sound of the turkey combo you mentioned! I also think eggs would work here; you could make them in a sheet pan like in this recipe as it would make it easier to lay them on the rolls. I don’t think overcooking would be a big problem. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Jenn,
I would love to make these sliders, but I don’t eat mustard or even mayonnaise. What would be another good spread so that they are still flavorful and maybe not so dry? I will making these with turkey and cheddar because I’m also not a fan of ham or swiss.
I’m am definately a fan. Thanks!
Hi Tiffany, I think pesto would work nicely as an alternative to mayo and mustard. Hope that helps!
Recently tried these with 1/4 c red pepper jelly instead of mustard to appease one finicky guest. Turned out fabulous!
Would love to make these for a super bowl party! I’m allergic to shellfish and seafood-is there an acceptable substitute for Worcestershire sauce since it contains anchovies?
Hi, you could swap out the Worcestershire sauce for soy sauce. Hope you enjoy the sliders!