Name: Ham and Cheese Sliders
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 12 dinner rolls* ((sliced in half)); 24 slices deli ham ((I used Honey-smoked Ham)); 6 slices Havarti cheese ((halved and folded)); 1 cup unsalted butter ((2 sticks)); 1/3 cup granulated cane sugar; 2 Tbsp yellow mustard; 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 2 Tbsp poppy seeds

Ham and Cheese Sliders with homemade fluffy sweet bread, salty ham, and melted gooey cheese all baked in a buttery, poppy seed mustard glaze! This ham and cheese sliders recipe is a hit at any gathering! You will love the sweet and sticky sauce over these hot sliders, it’s so EASY for a quick meal or party!

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This Ham and Cheese Sliders Recipe is a must with sweet bread like these dinner rolls, homemade hamburger buns, or Hawaiian rolls. Any enriched dough with milk, eggs, and sugar is ideal to make Sliders Recipes. Try these cheeseburger sliders, or Breakfast Sliders if you love crowd-pleasing sandwiches!

What Are Ham and Cheese Sliders?

Hot ham and cheese sliders are sandwiches made from soft buns like hamburger buns or Hawaiian rolls. They are best oven-baked in a casserole dish covered in foil so they don’t dry out. The sweet and sticky poppy seed sauce oozes down to the bottom when baking, creating a crispy bottom yet fluffy insides. Boiling the sauce makes a glaze suitable for storing and freezing! All you need to fill the sandwiches is deli meat and good melting cheese, and the sauce is where all the savory goodness is. They are so easy to make and everyone seems to love them!

The Best Type of Bread To Use:

The most popular bread for sliders is Kings Hawaiian sliders, but any bread recipe enriched with butter, eggs, milk, and sugar is ideal for making sliders! This type of bread is Hawaiian rolls, Hamburger buns, Potato rolls, and dinner rolls. These types of bread rolls are sweet and super fluffy. Avoid large or chewy rolls, you’ll need small buns that are a type of soft bread.

Ingredients Needed:

These easy ham and cheese sliders are made using simple ingredients. Generally, poppy seeds can be found in little spice jars at most grocery stores. Poppy seeds add a tiny crunch to the sandwich topping but you can make these sliders without poppy seeds, it just won’t look as garnished.

Sweet Buns- like Hawaiian rolls or hamburger buns can be used. I used these homemade dinner rolls that are slightly sweet and freezer-friendly.
Ham- really any deli meat will work here, I’ve made these with turkey deli meat, before! This a great way to use up leftover baked ham too! Use honey-roasted ham for sweet ham, or black forest ham for a savory flavor.
Cheese- I like Havarti cheese for these but mild baby swiss, Colby Jack, Muenster cheese, Monetery, or Gruyere cheese will be fantastic! Really aged cheese can be too sharp for kids.
Poppy Seed Mustard Sauce- butter, Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, granulated sugar, and poppy seeds are all you need to make this sauce. Boiling the sauce over high heat will thicken the sauce to create a delicious glaze for the buns. You could use brown sugar for a darker glaze or coconut sugar for a healthier sweetener.

How To Make Ham and Cheese Sliders:

Baked ham and cheese sliders are one of the easiest sandwich recipes to make with quick prep and 20-minute cooking time! It’s a 30-minute one-pan meal that you can assemble in a 9x13 baking dish and serve hot out of the oven. I like to keep frozen dinner rolls in the freezer that I can use for easy meals like this!

In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and poppy seeds. Bring to a boil and cook over high for 2 minutes. Boiling the sauce will make a shiny glaze perfect for sweet and sticky buns.
Slice the buns in half crosswise. For more info read Pro-Tips For Slicing Bread.
Place the bottom of the buns into a 9×13 baking dish. Add 2 slices of thinly sliced ham to each bottom bun and half a slice of Havarti cheese (folded in half.)
Put the tops on and pour the hot mustard sauce evenly over the buns. Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes.

How long to bake ham and cheese sliders? Baked sliders take about 20 minutes to cook in the oven. How long to cook sliders in the oven depends on when the cheese melts, it can take longer if the buns are bigger and if you have more meat and cheese stuffed inside.

Pro-Tips For Slicing Bread:

Twelve-count dinner rolls typically come in packs with the tops connected, this is great for slicing the tops off in one big slice! Even when I make homemade dinner rolls I like to bake them close together so they rise high and stay super fluffy! Use a sharp serrated bread knife to slice across the centers, I’ve been liking this electric knife for slicing bread. Sweet rolls tend to be soft and squishy so, move the blade lightly back and forth to make a clean cut without ruining the bread.

Can You Make Ham and Cheese Sliders the Night Before?

Hawaiian ham and cheese sliders are great to make ahead in, advance! Simply fill the buns with the meat and cheese and arrange them into a casserole dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight, then make the sauce for ham and cheese sliders in the morning (or when you’re ready to bake.) You can leave unbaked sliders in the fridge for up to 3 days. Once you top the buns with the sauce they should be baked in the oven.

Can You Freeze Ham and Cheese Sliders?

Ham and Cheese sliders can be frozen for up to 6 months, unbaked. This makes it a great party and camping food! Assemble sandwiches with the sauce as instructed and cool completely (do not bake.) Cover with foil and double-wrap the casserole in a plastic bag. It’s a good idea to use a disposable foil pan if bringing it to a potluck or camping trip. Keep frozen for up to 6 months.

To reheat ham and cheese sliders: thaw them in the fridge for up to 2 days then bake as directed until the cheese melts (it may take an additional 5 minutes to bake, cold ham and cheese sliders.)

How To Keep Ham and Cheese Sliders Warm:

So, you would like to cook sliders ahead of time to be party-ready, and keep them warm? Here’s how! Bake your sliders as instructed and then wrap each one individually up with aluminum foil and place into the crockpot. Set the slow cooker over warm or low and keep it warm for up to 2 hours. Another way to keep them warm is to turn off the oven after baking and double-wrap the casserole with foil. Keep them in the turned-off oven until serving or place the dish over an electric warming tray, until needed.

Variations:

Ham and cheese sliders on Hawaiian rolls aren’t the only ways to enjoy these hot sandwiches under a sweet and sticky sauce!

Turkey and Cheese Sliders- use different deli meat like turkey, roast beef, or oven-roasted chicken breast slices. Any cooked deli meat is ideal that is thinly sliced.
Ham and cheese sliders with brown sugar- use sweeteners of choice like brown sugar or coconut sugar for the granulated sugar.
Ham and Swiss sliders with Dijon mustard- there are so many different types of mustard! Try honey mustard or Dijon for the prepared yellow mustard called for. Ham and swiss make great sandwiches use baby swiss cheese for a milder taste that isn’t as sharp as aged swiss cheese.
Garlic Butter ham and cheese sliders- crush 4 cloves of fresh garlic into the sauce before boiling. You can also season the sauce with 2 teaspoons of minced dried onion, salt, and pepper to taste.
Breakfast Ham and cheese sliders- turn this into a breakfast casserole by scrambling a dozen of eggs and adding it over the ham slices. A pinch of sage to the sauce will make this more savory!

What Goes With Ham and Cheese Sliders?

Wondering what to serve with ham and cheese sliders? It pairs nicely with a leafy green salad and many other sides! We love to eat this as the main dish but it goes, well with so many other foods! Here are some delicious ways to enjoy these sliders!

Buttered corn on the cob or steamed corn
Fruits like apples, potato chips, or dill pickles
Mac and cheese, Coleslaw, or potato salad
Vegetable tray or cheesy broccoli side.
Buffalo chicken dip with crackers
Fruit Pizza or Brownie Bars

FAQ:

Can I Substitute Poppy Seeds?

Chia seeds would be the best substitute for poppy seeds in ham and cheese sliders.

Can I Use Regular Hamburger Buns?

This recipe for ham and cheese sliders is ideal with Hawaiian rolls or smaller buns. To use Hamburger buns, use a full slice of cheese and 2-3 slices of deli meat per bun. You do not need to double the sauce.

How To Cook For Fewer Servings:

Cut the recipe in half to feed 4-6 servings. Place into a smaller dish (like an 8-inch round cake pan) and bake covered for 10-15 minutes.

Tips for Making Ham and Cheese Sliders:

Slice the tops of 12-count rolls all together in one big cut so they come off in one big piece. This makes putting the top buns on easier.
Use different cheese slices like provolone, Mozzarella, cheddar, Swiss, or Muenster cheese.
For air fryer ham and cheese sliders, cook in the air fryer for fewer servings. Use a steel baking pan accessory for an air-fryer and cut the recipe in half to fit a 7-inch pizza pan. Cover pan with foil and cook sliders at 300°F for 5-8 minutes.
Whether you’re using mini buns or larger dinner rolls, make sure you fill a 13×9 pan with buns for the sauce proportion.
You do not need to grease the pan you’re cooking the sliders in, the sauce has plenty of butter!
You want to bake the sliders at a temperature of 300 or 350°F to soften the buns and melt the cheese. Always bake them covered so they don’t dry out.
The best ham and cheese sliders are with a boiled glaze! The sauce thickens on the stovetop and creates finger-licking good sauce!
Ham and cheese sliders can be made with Chia seeds for the same crunch! This is the perfect poppy seed ham and cheese slider substitute!
Make an onion poppy seed butter by adding dried onion to the sauce!
Sliders are the perfect way to feed crowds! Bring to a camping trip or make for gatherings.
Line your baking dish with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

How To Make Ham and Cheese Sliders:

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