Ham and Cheese Sliders
Ham and Cheese Sliders are an easy recipe and crowd pleasing cheese sandwiches great for dinner, lunch, or potlucks. Layers of ham and melted Swiss cheese on soft Hawaiian rolls with a poppy seed butter sauce. For these Ham and Swiss Sliders you can use Hawaiian sweet rolls or any rolls you like.
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HAM AND CHEESE SLIDERS RECIPE
I know what you are thinking…ham and swiss sliders; does that really require a recipe? The answer is YES it does. Even if it is an easy recipe.
These have so much flavor. Sure you have your classic hot ham slider recipes as the base of the recipe but then you top it with a flavorful poppy seed sauce.
The butter mixture is a combo of Worcestershire sauce, onion, mustard, and butter that makes these Hawaiian roll sliders anything but ordinary.
These are great party food because they can be made ahead and are kid friendly because they are small and familiar. What better way to use up leftover ham and perfect for game day.
My son hates mustard but couldn’t taste the little bit of mustard in the sauce. You could use Dijon mustard or even honey mustard for a little more mild flavor.
I don’t know about you but sometimes I just want to cook something that I know my kids will eat without complaining about it.
This definitely would qualify for a “No Cooking” Friday meal because it’s so easy.
I make these right after Easter because they’re a great recipe for my leftover ham especially with these Scalloped Potatoes or some tomato soup.
WHAT KIND OF BREAD SHOULD I USE?
The most popular bread to use for these are Kings Hawaiian ham sweet rolls. Slider buns are a bit smaller than regular rolls so you may need less ingredients or you can simply make more sandwiches. These are great as an appetizer or make it a meal.
Other brands of individual sliders are a bit bigger.
DO I HAVE TO USE POPPY SEEDS?
These are great as an appetizer or make it a meal. You can definitely make these easy Ham Sliders with or without poppy seeds on top of the rolls because sometimes they can scare little kids.
CAN I USE A DIFFERENT KIND OF CHEESE?
Yes. You can use any cheese you have on hand like cheddar, Colby Jack, Havarti, or Provolone. Swiss cheese has a nice pairing with ham though.
INSTRUCTIONS
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice rolls lengthwise with a large serrated knife.
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In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of deli ham and a slice of Swiss on the bottom half of the rolls. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.
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In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour or brush melted butter evenly over all of the sandwiches. You do not have to use all of the sauce! Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until cheese melts. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until top half of the rolls are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm.
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OTHER HAM RECIPES:
- Ham and Swiss Stromboli
- Cuban Sliders
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Enchiladas
- One-Pan Ham and Cheese Rice
- Ham and Cheese Pinwheels
- Ham and Cheddar Cheese Ball
- Creamy Ham and Potato Soup
- Breakfast Pizzas
- Ham and Swiss Breakfast Casserole
Ham and Cheese Sliders
Ingredients
- 24 white dinner rolls or slider rolls, sweet Hawaiian rolls work well here
- 24 honey ham slices
- 24 small slices Swiss cheese
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup miracle whip
Poppy seed sauce:
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 Tablespoon minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Slice rolls lengthwise with a large serrated knife.
- In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise and miracle whip. Spread onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham and a slice of Swiss on the bottom half of each roll. Close rolls and place them into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. Place very close together.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour melted butter evenly over all of the sandwiches. You do not have to use all of the sauce! Just use enough to cover the tops. Let sit 10 minutes or until butter sets slightly. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until cheese melts. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops of the rolls are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm. Note: Sandwiches can be assembled ahead of time. I don't like to do it more than a day ahead because they can get soggy from the mayo mixture. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
@Anonymous,
I haven’t ever made them the night before but a lot of people have and said they were fine the next day…
I am planning on making these for a baby shower tomorrow morning: I made them once before using left over ham, just for our family, and they were fantastic! I’d love to make them tonight so all I have to do is bake them in the morning- but I’m worried about the buns getting soggy with the sauce over night? Thought maybe I could assemble them up to that point, then do the sauce in the morning- but will the mayo make the inside of the buns soggy overnight? Thanks!
These look delicious! I’m definitely going to try these! I’m your newest follower! ~ Tammy
This is a wonderful ham and cheese slider recipe! This will surely be a good offering to any occasion or gathering. Thanks for sharing.
I was asked to make these AGAIN! That never happens at my house. I mean sure ONE person will like something and ask but ALL of them came and asked for me to make them again..separately. Crazy easy..and really good.
I just spot lighted them on my blog. Of course giving you credit..and linking to your recipe. Not sure it will add to your traffic but it’s just too good to not share!
Please check it out…
http://lifestooshorttoplaypossum.wordpress.com/2012/06/19/the-best-hot-ham-and-cheese-ever/
the sauce is actually kinda sweet tasting isnt it?? i had these at a pitch in and they were sooooo delicious, we volunteered at my daughters school and went to the teacher pitch in and couldnt find out who made them to get the recipe, and here it is!! oh thank you soooo much!
I have made these for years, but do not use mayo. Also, I melt the butter, and stir everything else together with it, then spread on the rolls (inside) I have also started substituting pepper jack cheese for a little more kick. everyone loves them no matter how you make them!
Jan Jones
[email protected]
I also wanted to comment on the “soggy” complaints.
I literally WHISKED the sauce together…and used a basting brush to QUICKLY…hit each sandwich w/ sauce. I made sure every roll was covered…but they weren’t dripping or anything..in fact some of my sauce settled into the creases on the kaiser rolls I used and I baked UNCOVERED 12 min.
All were crispy and awesome…
I did have most of the sauce left over…prob could have kept it for another sandwich tomorrow 🙂 but decided against it..and just threw it out.
I made these for dinner tonight! I used 10 mini kaiser rolls and used all the cheeses I had on hand, provolone, shredded swiss, and two american slices for my little who is uber picky. We didnt have miracle whip…so just did mayo..left off poppyseeds too, we don’t eat them. I brushed the sauce over ALL the sandwiches (even picky eater son)…they were a HIT! He came out asking why the bread was so good..as he doesn’t normally like breads..even hamburger/hotdog rolls…
Very happy! Thanks for sharing this ! I pinned it!!
Featured these yummy sandwiches yesterday on my blog: http://estherscardcreations.blogspot.com/2012/05/recipes.html
@Ashley W,
Not a dumb question…use already baked ones. I get mine from fresh from my bakery.
This is probably a dumb question, but are the rolls uncooked or already baked?
I am way too over-the-top excited about this recipe. I used to make these way back in the 80’s and lost the recipe. I’m always telling people about these things but they have no clue what I’m talking about. Can not wait to make a ton and show them what the fuss is about!
We love these at our house but I use Hawaiian king rolls ! I have to stop myself from eating to many! Thank you for sharing .
@Unknown, You are welcome! I just made them too. Love ’em…
I am back to make these sliders AGAIN! People keep asking me to make them! They are the perfect thing to bring to a cookout- they are gone is minutes. I wanted to say thanks!
These are amazing!!! Turns a simple sandwich into something extraordinary! 🙂 I didn’t have poppyseeds, so I substituted dried oregano and it was delish!!
My family has made these every year for Christmas eve since i can remember only without the mayonnaise! They are the best!!!
I made these a couple weeks ago and they were awesome! Super easy too. Thanks for the recipe!
Made these tonight with whole wheat rolls and they were delish! I didn’t cover them and just put them in the oven (top rack) and cooked them for 5 minutes. They were perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside! Thanks for the recipe!!!
I make these all the time now. They are requested at any party I go to. I don’t change a thing but I do use those sweet Hawaiian dinner rolls. They are to die for! Thanks for sharing this! 🙂
I use the dinner rolls for making mini-burgers, the family loves them. I grill onions and add cheese, then everyone uses their own condiments, delish! I am making the ham sliders right now, can’t wait to taste!!
@brittyyybird,
They are a great finger food but when we have them I always try to have a green side like broccoli or salad to make the meal a little more nutritional. -Christy
What would you make to go along with these? I’ve always had them at get togethers as a finger food…and I’m dying to make them for my hubby 🙂
just tried these on a sunday afternoon with bloody mary’s! omg! yummy! thank you so much!
I made these tonight for a mom’s meeting at church. Except I used turkey and monterey cheese because that’s what I had on hand. They were delicious!
Mmmmm, this looks sooo good!
I’ve had this recipe pinned on Pinterest for awhile waiting until I had leftover ham. I made these tonight for dinner and they were a hit! Even my 5-year-old son loved them. There are a few leftover sandwiches that I’ll be enjoying for lunch tomorrow.
I know why they call these sliders. The first time you take a bite, the ham and cheese slides out of the roll. Think it’s because the miracle whip/mayo mixture is on both sides. Next time gonna use a very thin layer of mayo on one side and brush the mustard/butter mixture on the other.
Pinned your recipe…it was really yummy and there are SO many options to change it up. Thanks for sharing. Hope your weekend is great! Smiles~Beth
Pinterest girl here too! 🙂 LOVED them. They received rave reviews – even from a picky eater. (Her only complaint was the mayo. Really?!) The sauce was definitely worth a post on ham and cheese sandwiches!
@awilson,
I’m sorry! I think the problem is that you do NOT have to use all of the sauce. Just use enough to cover the tops. That’s the only reason why I can see these would be soggy. I’ve changed the directions to state that more clearly. So sorry!
Maybe I did something wrong but these were VERY soggy on the bottom. It was unpleasant eating them.
I definitely think you could sub turkey if your kids aren’t fans of ham.
Hi! These look so good, but do you think subbing sliced smoked turkey would still taste good? My kids aren’t ham fans, so what do you think?
Yummy!! I posted a link to this on my blog @ http://thecraftbarn-ny.blogspot.com/2011/12/tasty-tuesday-12611plus-2-cooking-book.html .
Thanks,
Jennifer @ The Craft Barn
@Alisa,
The top roll should definitely not be soggy. You should uncover them and cook them unti the tops are slightly brown an crispy. It shouldn’t matter what rolls you use. Did you place them on a bottom rack of your oven? That’s the only reason I can think why the bottoms were crispy and the top were not. Sorry they didn’t turn out!
I don’t know what I did wrong, but they taste like a regular ham and cheese sandwich. Also, my top roll was soggy and it was too many poppy seeds. I thought the sliders would taste buttery and be crispy, but they wern’t at all and I followed the directions 100%. Does it matter what rolls we use? I used the Hawaiian Sweet Rolls. The bottom crisped up but the top was soft/soggy.
These look fabulous. Thank you for sharing.
@Anonymous,
Yes, use prepared mustard. If you whisk the butter and mustard together it should combine. My poppy seeds kind of clumped too but it all works out. Hope it works out for you!
Did you use prepared mustard or dry? I just made these for tonight’s party but haven’t baked them yet. I used prepared mustard, I found it difficult to get the butter and the mustard to mix. So when I poured out the seed glaze, the butter was floating and the mustard was sinking. I just let the butter drizzle on a pass and then the mustard and sinking poppy seed. The poppy seeds seemed to clump, but a quick pass with a silicone baster evened them out nicely!!! Looking forward to trying this tonight!!! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
wow…what an amazing sandwich! I’ve shared it here: http://dollarstoremom.com/2011/10/pinterest-picks-the-im-hungry-edition/
That is a fantastic looking sandwich and I want to eat some now! The poppyseed sauce sounds sooo good….I’m going to make some this weekend!! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
I found this on pinterest, I made it tonight, it was delicious and I got to send all my guests home with lunch for the next day! I served it with macaroni and cheese and green beans with apple cobbler and icec cream. Thanks!
Hey there! Well, I’m mostly here to repeat what everyone else is saying…
1.) I found this on Pinterest.
2.) They sound delicious & I can’t wait to try them.
3.) Your photo is mouth-watering.
4.) I’m your newest follower.
Yep, that about sums it up!! Really, though, THANK YOU for sharing. I am totally making these for dinner one night, and the leftovers (I’ll have to hide them,) will go into the kids lunchboxes the next day….which will then be posted on my blog with my weekly lunchbox round up, and I’ll link the pic back to you for folks to grab the recipe.
Thanks again for sharing & have a great day! 🙂
Becka @ Just a Bunch of Momsense
My grandma made these sandwiches. No mayo, just the mustard mix. We put the mustard on the buns then individually wrapped them in foil. If you didn’t want to cook them right away we froze them. Then we could bake them and havethem whenever we wanted!
Found this on Pinterest. Made today (left out the minced onion). Everyone is still talking about them! So delish!
oh and I am your newest follower!! 🙂
I have tried a version of these before and they are yummy! Great pic!
These look so good! My husband just took a ham out of the freezer!! I just need to get some rolls and I’m sure we will all be enjoying these 🙂
I just found this post via Pinterest and wanted to share – I make this exact same recipe EXCEPT I leave them open face to serve as an appetizer at tailgates, etc. Just another way to serve them for less of a meal and more of an entertaining snack. Everyone always raves about them! Your picture is gorgeous!
Hello! I saw this on someone’s sidebar and had to come here to see more of this. Man, THESE LOOK SOOOOO GOOD! You did a great job with the photo, I want to bite the screen. 🙂
I copied the recipe to try these one day. Thanks for sharing!!! YUM! 🙂
Best,
Gloria
I’ve had these with the ham minced before, too – and you can freeze them! Then you can just pop them out and warm in the oven (wrapped in foil) for quick snacks or appetizers.
@kirsti,
Haha! Of Course! Miracle Whip is just a sweet mayonnaise. You could definitely just use regular mayonnaise and that should work just fine!
You answered my question–Miracle whip is not allowed in my house!! I would think that the mayo and mustard would do the trick. The King’s Hawaiian Rolls would add the sweetness if desired.
Hi just found these on Pinterest…they look yummy but can you tell a simple Scottish girl what Miracle Whip is please:) x
Hi I’m your newest follower. I found your site when I saw this picture for Ham and Cheese Sliders on Pinterest. I made them tonight for supper and Oh My Goodness… These are delicious. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I think I’m going to make these for our small group this week! They sound so good!
Someone brought these ham and cheese yummies to a Bible study a while back, and since then I’ve been wanting to make them. After finding your blog on Pinterest, I’ve decided to make them for dinner tonight. Thanks for reminding me of such a great and easy dinner idea! I’ll reference you when I blog about them. 🙂
Have a great day!
These look amazing. I never thought ham & cheese could look this good. Great work. Great recipe. I found your picture over at pintrest.com and clicked over to see that it was you! I’m a big fan of your blog. Keep it up.
These are so DELISH!!! I looked at the picture and my mouth watered (as it often does when I look at your blog)then my friend made them for our bunco night and let me just say…OH MY GOODNESS!!! thanks for posting 🙂
Just was thinking about this recipe the other day – it was something that my mother made and we all enjoyed. Slight variation though – I was surprised – (read that as stunned) – to see that the recipe through the years I guess had morphed- When we ate these at home back in the 60’s – both sides of the rolls were spread with the butter mixture – the sliders – which that term only existed in baseball I think back then – and then wrapped in a foil package and baked – that allowed us to pick the small sandwich up and eat with our hands – can not imagine putting the butter mixture on the top – Glad to find the recipe – not one that I have in my recipe box and I never think to look for it when I go home. Thanks
Just made these for my son’s second birthday party, and they were a HUGE hit! THanks for the recipe!
Wow! This looks so delish! I want to have a bite right now! I can’t even wait!
These were beyond delicious. So simple and soooooo good! Thanks!
I made these last night for dinner, they were great! I altered the recipe a little. I used Hawaiian Rolls, and in the sauce I used 1/2 stick butter, dried minced onion, no poppy seeds and baked covered for 10mins then uncovered for 4mins. They came out a little crunchy on the outside and nice and gooey on the inside. GOOD GOOD GOOD!
I made these for a baby shower and everyone loved them!! These are my husbands favorite. Thanks so much, I love your blog.
@Amy K,
Yes. I love these too. They are so simple but so good…
I made these for the 2nd time last night, and my entire family told me that I could make these at least once a week, and they would not tire of them! Thanks for sharing this winner recipe!
I make these and put in the freezer. Kids can reheat for a snack after school.
These look really wonderful!!
Fantastic. We tried them tonight, making no changes except, in absence of poppy seeds, I used dried oregano and a healthy dose of coarse ground pepper before popping them in the oven. Wonderful!
Thanks for the great recipe. 🙂
Those look so good!! I made pot-roast for dinner tonight (flop) I hate that stuff, why do I always make it? So I saw these burgers and my mouth watered! I may try to make them… anyway here is the link in case you were interested!
http://sparrowsandsparkles.blogspot.com/2010/04/salsa-verde-turkey-burger-my-favorite.html
She said it was a Rachel Ray original.
Oh whoa. These little sandwiches look AMAZING!! I must make these. Thanks for sharing!
I definitely love this! The poppyseed sauce really does give it that extra special quality!
These look delicious!
My mom makes these! This recipe is so nostalgic! 🙂 Thanks for posting.
I make these for gatherings all the time and they are devoured. I use those Hawaiian King rolls. Oh so good.
OMG…those look so good…never thoiught of using dinner rolls for sliders….pure genius!!
Ooh I have made (& blogged) these before! They are really good. Your photo looks great of them!
I need to bookmark this. I have a ham in the freezer and these would be perfect.
They are the best! I have already bookmarked this page!