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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Hi Jen, Love these little yummy sandwiches. Can these be made ahead and frozen prior to baking them?
So glad you like them! I’ve never tried freezing them, but they should freeze well prior to baking. Just keep in mind that you’ll need to allow a few extra minutes for baking if they’re frozen.
These were delicious. I thought the addition of a pickle slice might be good as I just love Cubano sandwiches, so I took a couple of dill sandwich slices, set them down on a papertowel to dry them some and added it to a few. Those were really good too. This will definitely be one of my go to appetizers for a crowd. So easy to make and so good.
Jenn, these are AMAZING!! And so incredibly easy to make!! They will be my new game day staples.
Thanks for another super recipe
I’ve been making and serving these delicious sliders for years! I’m curious, though..Any particular reason why the ratio of Swiss and Ham has changed over the years? I have prints of the recipe over time where you’ve noted 1 pound each, then 2/3 pound each, and more recently I see 2/3 pound Swiss and 1/2 pound ham. What’s up with the ever shrinking amounts of cheese and ham?
Hi Jodie, I think I must be losing my mind (!) because I don’t recall changing the recipe, but if I did, it was likely because of feedback I received from people about the ratios of meat and cheese. That said, if you’d prefer to use the original amounts, feel free!
Delicious as is! We are snowed in today, so had to roll with what is available in my kitchen. Made the sauce as directed but subbed out poppy seeds for sesame seeds. We made the sandwiches with deli turkey meat and grated cheddar cheese, still yummy! Thanks Jenn, your recipes are always A+ 🙂
So glad to hear that. I have sesame seeds, not poppy. Thank you for posting. Planning on making this, this weekend, with sesame seeds! Jenn’s recipes never fail.
I’ve made these twice now. A huge hit with the whole family and so simple.
Made these sliders for the hockey game last night. I substituted Gruyere for the Swiss cheese, and used a grainy version of Dijon mustard. They were delicious, and so easy to make. Served them with my favorite baked bean recipe. Slicing the entire package of Hawaiian King rolls without breaking them apart was a little tricky, but once the cheese starts to melt in the oven, they kind of all come together. Will definitely make again!
It’s is rare that I have to alter any of Jenns recipes. But with this recipe I made some changes. Eliminate the mustard spread on the bread and only include the mustard in the butter sauce. With this adjustment, the mustard is not so dominating. Second, reduce bake time to 15-18 minutes. At the very least I watched until Cheese had a good melt. Finally, I sprinkled the poppy seeds AFTER I applied the sauce over the top of rolls. It gave it a more even, presentation look. Theses subtle changes make it a 5 star recipe!
I was going to make the same adjustments! And I agree – I NEVER adjust any of Jenn’s recipes because they are truly tested and perfected! But with this recipe, there’s room for personal adaptation since there’s no science involved and it’s just a matter of preference.
I might have a hot oven but I cooked these for 23 mins and they came out very dark. I would cook for 15-20 minutes next time. But otherwise they were good and luckily even a little burned they still tasted good.
This was oh so delicious! I was a little worried that the bottoms would be soggy from all the sauce you pour on top. Definitely not soggy and definitely super tasty! I love the bite that the Worcestershire sauce gives to the topping. Everyone raved and I will be making this again and again.