Ham and Cheese Sliders are a crazy good combination of ham and Swiss cheese baked to golden perfection. They’re hands down the BEST appetizer around!
Everyone loves these ham and swiss sliders. They’re a classic appetizer that’s perfect for serving a crowd. Layers of ham, Swiss cheese are sandwiched between soft Hawaiian Rolls and topped with a savory, buttery sauce and baked until golden! My mouth is watering just thinking of it.
Normally I use deli sliced ham for these sliders, but around the holidays I grab some extra ham from dinner and use that instead. Want to make it a soup and sandwich night? Try our Leftover Ham and Lentil Soup for a delicious take on vegetable soup!
HAM AND CHEESE SLIDERS
Like this recipe? Pin it to your APPETIZERS pinboard!
Follow Real Housemoms on Pinterest
I’m totally into sliders! I think they are one of the easiest appetizer recipes to make, and they are perfect for feeding a crowd on game day. You can make just about anything into Hawaiian roll sliders.
Some of my go-to slider recipes include my Philly Cheesesteak Sliders and Copycat Big Mac Sliders. They both have all of the flavors of their namesake and are always a hit. But these Ham and Cheese Sliders started it all for me.
They are the OG baked slider, and they are still a family favorite for a reason. Serve them when everyone arrives and bring out another pan during halftime to feed all of your hungry football fans!
These easy-to-make Ham and Cheese Sliders are perfect for potlucks and parties. They’re a favorite with the whole family for a quick and fun pull-apart weeknight meal too.
Ingredients
- Slider buns – I prefer sweet Hawaiian rolls with this recipe, they compliment the ham and Swiss cheese so well!
- Deli sliced ham
- Swiss cheese
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon mustard
- Butter
- Onion powder
- Worcestershire sauce
- Poppy seeds
The butter, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, and Poppy seeds combine to baste and soak into the Hawaiian rolls. This gives them both a new flavor and a crunchy bottom bun crust!
These ham sliders are great as is, but feel free to make it your own with different cheeses, sauces, or dinner rolls! For me, all sliders are great sliders.
How to make Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Start off by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Then you’ll cut your slider buns in half and place the bottom half of the buns in a greased casserole dish. Don’t pull the buns apart, this makes it easier to put the sliders together.
- Next, mix the mayo and Dijon mustard together in a small bowl. Then spread the sauce over the cut side of the bottom buns.
- Now it’s time to layer. Top the sauce with overlapping layers of sliced ham and then Swiss cheese. I like these sliders to be all nice and gooey, so I put a little extra Swiss cheese. 🙂
- One the meat and cheese are one, place the tops of the slider buns on (cut side facing the cheese).
- After that, make the savory butter sauce. Mix together melted butter, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, and poppy seeds in a small bowl. Then you’ll pour this delicious mixture all over the top of the rolls. You can use a basting brush to evenly cover the tops, but make sure you let the excess drip between your sliders to the bottom.
- Then, cover the casserole dish with foil and bake the sliders for about 10 minutes. Carefully remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. (20 minutes of cooking time total.)
- You can now remove your sliders from the oven. Grab a sharp knife and cut the sliders apart. I usually serve them right in the baking dish, but you can transfer them to a serving patter as well. They’re best served warm, but room temperature is okay too.
Prepping for a party? The night before, you can assemble the Ham and Cheese Sliders right up to the point where you add the melted butter mixture. Instead, cover the sliders and place them in the refrigerator.
On party day, make your butter mixture, and pour it over your sliders. Then bake and pull them out of the oven right before guests arrive!
How to Make Ham and Cheese Sliders
A slider is traditionally a steam-grilled sandwich. Possibly originating with the White Castle small slider burgers, but many people refer to sliders as any kind of smaller sandwich on a bun.
These days, both are right, but there’s something about a steamy, crunchy steamed slider, oozing with melty cheese! The requirements for a slider are a bun and a filling. This means you can make sliders with any combination of meats, cheeses, and toppings to wow your guests and family.
Don’t eat ham? Turkey, roast beef, and chicken are all great on sliders!
Trying to stay away from dairy? Skip the cheese, use melted vegan butter, and slather on your favorite sauce!
What sides to serve with Ham and Cheese Sliders
Party foods always call for party sides! When you don’t have room for everyone at the table, stick to handheld sides like our Crispy Homemade Onion Rings.
Pasta salad is my first stop at every party. This Easy BLT Pasta Salad will give you new ideas about what pasta salad can be. Casseroles are easy party favorites, and our Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole brings the richness and fluffy potatoes to the table.
Check out other awesome appetizer recipes!
- Jalapeno Popper Crescent Rolls
- Chorizo Queso Fundido
- Bacon Ranch Cheesy Bread
- Fruit Goat Cheese Bruschetta
- Spinach Artichoke Dip Sliders
- More Appetizer recipes…
Tools used to make Ham and Cheese Sliders
Casserole Dish: This simple and elegant serving dish goes from oven to table! It’s a staple at our dinner table and I know it will be at your table too!
Mixing Bowl: These mixing bowls are perfect for mixing and serving. I love the varied sizes so I always have the right size bowl for all my mixing needs.
*This post originally posted on 01/19/2019.
Ingredients
- 12 slider buns (Hawaiian rolls are recommended)
- 12 slices deli ham
- 8 slices Swiss cheese
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup butter melted
- ½ tablespoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut slider buns in half and place the bottoms in a greased casserole dish.
- Mix together mayo and Dijon mustard then spread over the bottom buns.
- Place the ham on the slider buns, overlapping the pieces.
- Place the Swiss cheese on the ham, and then place the tops of the slider buns.
- In a small bowl, combine melted butter, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, and poppy seeds.
- Pour the butter mixture over the sliders and cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for 10 more minutes, or until the cheese melts.
- Remove from the oven. Use a sharp knife to cut the sliders apart. Serve warm and enjoy!
Nutrition
Sherri says
I loved these! Cut my ham up so you could pull it apart easily without cutting and put some of the butter mixture on top of cheese under top roll. I thought it was a great dish to take to work.
Emily says
EASY for birthday party! I get overwhelmed cooking under pressure–but I have used this recipe two years in a row for a kids’ birthday party and it is low-stress prep before an event.
Jackie says
Great recipe! I tweaked a tad and used Everything bagel seasoning in lieu of the poppy seeds and onion powder. Very good both ways.
Catherine Bertram says
Great idea
Laurie says
These were fantastic…a definite to make again. I followed the recipe as written but will try a double batch next time.
Jaime says
Instead of poppyseed , I used Trader Joe’s everything but the bagel seasoning blend for the top. So delicious!!
Britanie says
Great recipe and always a hit. I took these to a party and they were gone within 10 minutes. I did end up scooping piles of poppy seed off with a spoon and still had a lot on the sliders the first time I made them. Now I just eyeball the poppy seed but I’d say I use closer to .5-1 Tbsp.
I gave this recipe 5 stars though because it’s very easy to remove the poppy seed if it’s too much for you. It doesn’t ruin the meal, just adjust the next time you make it.
Alex says
Just made these. They were delicious, but as others noted, the amount of butter and poppy seeds was excessive – it made the bottoms soggy, not crispy. Next time, I’d use half the amount of butter and only sprinkle the poppy seeds on top.
Daisy says
Did u make again and use less and how the bottom turn out bc I hate the soggy taste on the bottoms
Beth says
The amount of butter was excessive. I didn’t use it all. Otherwise recipe turned out great. We love poppy seeds. I used the 2tbsp as the recipe called for
Terry says
I accidentally mixed the mustard( I used spicy) in with the butter mixture. It’s great! I’ve used turkey or ham and provolone or Swiss or even cheddar. I used 2 packages of rolls and did not need to double the butter mixture. One and a half T of poppy seeds is enough.
Stacie says
Hasn’t anyone used a aluminum foil pan to cook these
Stacie says
Omg family loves!!!! Easy and so yummy keeper for sure.
Mary Flood says
too much poppy seeds I think maybe just two tsp not tablespoons but everything else tasted great
Cindy says
Made for my family tonight. They loved them. Thank you for the recipe 😊
Sandy says
I’m making them with sliced deli chicken.
Meghan says
I only put 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds and it was a ridiculous amount. Everything else was great, I just feel that 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds is way too much.
Katy says
SO good. If you want them a little more ‘spicy’ you can add more mustard to the mixture.
Lori says
These are always a favorite of my family. I cut them apart with a large pizza wheel, following the lines of the rolls.
Pelham says
Yummy thank you!!! Making it for my children and our Great Grand Children❤️
Fran says
Can l make these ahead of time?
Keep liguid separate.
Or does it matter?
Shaun says
Is it ok to use low sodium ham?
Dottie says
I make this without the poppy seeds, I mince real onions and put them inside.
Easier to cut the rolls, ham, and cheese if you do it before the butter and Worcestershire sauce on top. I do not use all the butter either.
I’ve seen the recipe with mustard, butter and Worcestershire sauce mixed and put over the top but started putting the mustard inside like you have here. Very delicious but definitely not something you should eat often.