Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders
Ham and cheese sliders baked on Hawaiian rolls with melty Swiss and a poppy seed Dijon butter glaze. An easy 30-minute dinner or make-ahead party tray.
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Ham and Cheese Sliders are what I make when dinner has to happen in half an hour and nobody’s in the mood to negotiate about it. Sweet Hawaiian rolls, ruffled deli ham, and melty Swiss get brushed with a poppy seed Dijon butter and baked until the tops turn glossy and golden and the cheese runs into the seams.
Slicing the rolls as one connected slab instead of pulling them apart first is what keeps these from drying out. The sides stay pressed against each other in the pan. So the cheese melts sideways into the bread rather than running out onto the dish. You tear them apart at the table.
The butter mixture is where all the flavor lives. Melted butter alone would just make the tops greasy, but Dijon, Worcestershire, and dried minced onion turn it into a savory glaze that soaks down into the rolls while they bake.
Why You’ll Love This Ham and Cheese Sliders Recipe
- Ready in 30 minutes. Ten minutes of assembly and twenty in the oven, and dinner is on the table.
- That poppy seed butter. Dijon, Worcestershire, and dried onion turn melted butter into a glaze that soaks right into the roll tops.
- Melty Swiss in every bite. Cheese layered both above and below the ham melts into the top and bottom halves of the roll.
- Made ahead without any fuss. Build the whole pan in the morning, refrigerate it, and slide it into the oven at dinnertime.
Ham and Cheese Sliders Ingredients
Ask the deli counter to slice the ham thin, then fold each slice into loose ruffles as you layer it in. Flat stacks of thick ham slide out the back of the sandwich on the first bite, while ruffled thin slices stay put and pack more ham into the same height.
- 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls (one 12-count package)
- 1 lb thinly sliced deli ham
- 8 oz sliced Swiss cheese (about 8 slices)
- 6 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 tbsp dried minced onion
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Recipe Variations
- Swap the Swiss for provolone, havarti, or sharp cheddar; all three melt well and each one changes the whole personality of the sandwich.
- Use sliced turkey or roast beef in place of the ham for a different sandwich out of the same pan and the same butter.
- Add a thin layer of sliced dill pickles or a spoonful of pineapple preserves over the ham for a sweet-and-tangy version.
How to Make Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Heat the oven and prep the pan: Heat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Split the rolls: Using a long serrated knife, slice the entire slab of rolls in half horizontally in one steady sawing motion. Keep the rolls connected to each other. Set the bottom slab in the baking dish.
- Layer the ham and cheese: Lay half the Swiss slices over the bottom slab, then arrange the ham on top, folding each slice into loose ruffles as you go. Cover the ham with the remaining Swiss and set the top slab of rolls back on.
- Mix the butter glaze: Whisk together the melted butter, Dijon, poppy seeds, dried minced onion, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder until it looks evenly speckled.
- Brush and soak: Spoon the butter mixture slowly over the tops, working it into the seams between the rolls. Let the pan sit for a few minutes while the oven finishes heating so the glaze soaks in instead of running off.
- Bake covered: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted through the middle.
- Bake uncovered: Uncover and bake 5-8 minutes more, until the tops are golden and glossy. Deli ham is already fully cooked, so bake until the centers reach 165°F.
- Cut and serve: Sprinkle with parsley, cut down through the seams with a sharp knife, and serve warm.
Recipe FAQs
Can I Make Ham and Cheese Sliders Ahead of Time?
Yes. Assemble the pan through the butter step, cover it, and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Bake straight from the fridge and add about 5 minutes to the covered baking time.
What Cheese Melts Best in These?
Swiss is the classic and it melts smooth without getting greasy. Provolone and havarti are excellent too. Use sliced cheese rather than shredded here; slices layer flat and cover the whole surface evenly.
Do I Have to Use Hawaiian Rolls?
Any 12-count slab of soft dinner rolls works. Potato rolls are the closest substitute. Hawaiian rolls are popular for a reason though; that touch of sweetness plays off the salty ham and the sharp Dijon.
Can I Leave out the Poppy Seeds?
Yes, they’re mostly texture and looks. The Dijon and Worcestershire carry the flavor. Sesame seeds or a spoonful of everything bagel seasoning both work as a stand-in.
How Do I Keep the Bottoms from Getting Soggy?
Keep all the butter on the top slab and none underneath, and bake on the middle rack rather than the bottom one. A short rest out of the oven before cutting helps the cheese set too.
Cooking Tips
- Use a long serrated knife and one steady sawing motion to split the rolls. Cutting the connected slab in half is far easier than lining up 12 separate roll halves later.
- Pour the butter mixture on slowly and give it a minute to soak in before baking. Butter that runs straight off the tops just pools in the pan.
- Keep the foil on for the first 15 minutes. Baked uncovered the whole time, the tops brown well before the cheese in the middle has a chance to melt.
Storage and Freezing
To store: Wrap leftovers tightly in foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
To freeze: Freeze them assembled but unbaked and without the butter glaze, wrapped in plastic and then a double layer of foil, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, brush the butter mixture on then, and bake as directed plus about 5 minutes. Baked sliders freeze too, though the rolls lose some of their softness on the way back.
To reheat: Wrap in foil and warm at 325°F for 10-15 minutes. Skip the microwave here; it turns the rolls chewy and the bottoms damp.
How to Serve Ham and Cheese Sliders
Ham and Cheese Sliders go with a bowl of tomato soup on a cool night, or with dill pickles and a simple green salad when they’re doing dinner duty on their own. They also hold up well on a party tray, since they stay good warm or at room temperature for a while. This is one of the recipes in our easy weeknight dinner collection, and more quick family favorites like it are on the way.
Loved This Recipe?
Ham and Cheese Sliders take about ten minutes to build and disappear off the pan even faster than that.
Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.
Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls one 12-count package
- 1 lb deli ham thinly sliced
- 8 oz sliced Swiss cheese about 8 slices
- 6 tbsp butter melted
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 tbsp dried minced onion
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oven and prep the pan: Heat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Split the rolls: Using a long serrated knife, slice the entire slab of rolls in half horizontally in one steady sawing motion. Keep the rolls connected to each other. Set the bottom slab in the baking dish.
- Layer the ham and cheese: Lay half the Swiss slices over the bottom slab, then arrange the ham on top, folding each slice into loose ruffles as you go. Cover the ham with the remaining Swiss and set the top slab of rolls back on.
- Mix the butter glaze: Whisk together the melted butter, Dijon, poppy seeds, dried minced onion, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder until it looks evenly speckled.
- Brush and soak: Spoon the butter mixture slowly over the tops, working it into the seams between the rolls. Let the pan sit for a few minutes while the oven finishes heating so the glaze soaks in instead of running off.
- Bake covered: Cover the dish with foil and bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted through the middle.
- Bake uncovered: Uncover and bake 5-8 minutes more, until the tops are golden and glossy. Deli ham is already fully cooked, so bake until the centers reach 165°F.
- Cut and serve: Sprinkle with parsley, cut down through the seams with a sharp knife, and serve warm.
Notes
If you made this, leave a star rating down in the comments. It takes about ten seconds, and it’s how other cooks decide whether a recipe is worth trying.
