Ham and Cheese Sliders

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Soft Hawaiian rolls are stuffed with deli ham and Swiss cheese, then covered in a tangy honey-mustard glaze with poppy seeds and baked until golden-brown. These definitely aren’t your average Ham and Cheese Sliders!

Easy Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders

I can’t even think about these warm and buttery ham and cheese sliders without drooling. Ham and cheese alone are a fabulous duo, especially when there’s baking involved to get the cheese nice and gooey. When you add the fluffy, sweet Hawaiian rolls and the tangy-sweet glaze with dried onion flakes and poppy seeds, you have an appetizer that everyone will go crazy over!

These starter sandwiches are a popular munchie for potlucks, football night or any other festive occasion. And this recipe does it better than ever with no extra effort. It’s all thanks to a flavorful ingredient list that never fails!

What You’ll Need

Let’s go over the items you’ll need to make the ultimate ham and cheese sliders. Spoiler alert – it’s not much!

• Hawaiian Sweet Rolls: This recipe uses one 12-count package.
• Deli Ham: Your variety of choice, cooked and thinly sliced.
• Swiss Cheese: Thinly sliced.
• Unsalted Butter: Melted.
• Honey: You’ll need 1/4 cup, for the glaze.
• Dijon Mustard: For a touch of tang.
• Poppy Seeds: Omit these if you must, but I think they add a really nice touch to the sandwiches.
• Dried Minced Onion: For depth of flavor.

How to Make Ham and Cheese Sliders

The process of making these oven-baked sliders is super straightforward. Everything comes together right in the baking dish!

Prep for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Cut Rolls: With a large serrated knife, cut the connected rolls in half through the middle so you have the top buns together and the bottom buns together.

Layer with Ham & Cheese: Place the bottom buns open-faced in the prepared dish. Arrange half the deli meat in a single layer on top of the bottom buns. Next, place a layer of swiss cheese, then top that with the remaining ham slices. Cover with the tops of the buns and set aside.

Make Glaze: In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, honey, dijon mustard, poppy seeds and dried onion flakes.

Add Glaze to Sliders: Pour the mixture evenly over the top of the prepared sandwiches. Some of the glaze will pool around the rolls.

Cover & Cook: Cover the sandwiches with aluminum foil and bake them, covered, for about 25 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Uncover & Cook: Uncover the sliders and cook them for another 3 minutes, or until the tops have slightly browned.

Serve & Enjoy! Remove the baking dish from the oven and cut out the individual sliders. Serve them warm.

Can I Make These in Advance?

Sure – feel free to prepare your sliders a few hours before you plan to serve them. Simply place them in the fridge once they’re covered with foil and store them until you’re ready to bake. Keep in mind that the longer they sit, the more the glaze will soak into the buns. I don’t recommend making them more than 3-4 hours ahead of time.

Tips for Success

Take a second to look over these tips before you start making your sliders. They’ll help make the process even easier!

• Leave the Rolls Connected: When you’re cutting the rolls into top and bottom buns, do so while they’re all stuck together and leave them intact when you layer them into the baking dish. Doing everything one-by-one takes more time – it’s so much simpler to separate them at the end!
• Ham, Cheese, Ham: I like layering my cheese in between two layers of ham to keep it from soaking into the bread while it melts.
• Cook Covered, then Uncovered: If you don’t cover the sliders, the tops of the buns will burn. If you don’t uncover them, you won’t get that lovely golden brown effect. Follow the instructions in the recipe for the best results.
• Serve Immediately: Not that you’ll be able to resist it, but you definitely want to enjoy these sliders while they’re still warm. Melty cheese, yes please!

Variation Ideas

There’s nothing wrong with putting a little spin on a classic recipe. In fact, I’ve got some great ideas!

• Use Another Kind of Cheese
• Add Jalapeños
• Sub Ham for Turkey
• Make Buffalo Chicken Sliders
• Use Wheat Rolls
• Add Fresh or Canned Pineapple
• Spread Mayonnaise onto Rolls

What to Serve with Ham and Cheese Sliders

Whatever you want to pair with these sliders, I promise it’ll be a good match. They’re versatile like that! But there are definitely certain dishes that I tend to lean toward.

• Serve with Pineapple Pasta Salad: It’s basically a golden rule that ham and pineapple go together wonderfully. This Pineapple Salsa Pasta Salad is seriously the perfect partner for these sliders!
• Pair with Potato Salad: This ultra creamy Potato Salad recipe uses not one, not two, but three kinds of potatoes! It’s another classic appetizer that tastes even better than before.
• Serve with Cornbread: Can I get a round of applause for cornbread? It simply always hits the spot. If you disagree with that, then you clearly haven’t tried this Old Fashioned Cornbread Casserole!

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Although I recommend serving these fresh, properly stored leftovers can be kept for up to 2 days. Place completely cooled ham and cheese sliders in a covered container and refrigerate. To reheat your sliders, bake them at 350°F, covered. Once warmed through, remove them from the oven and enjoy!

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More Appetizers to Try

If you like this recipe, why not try a few more? I guarantee you’ll enjoy the following dishes just as much.

• Shrimp and Crab Nachos
• Easy Fruit Salad