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
These were a big hit with my family and bunco gal’s. Will make them again and again. Thanks!
You’re welcome!
Making these again tonight with left over Easter ham. A big hit with my husband!
I’m going to make these for my sons bday next weekend! They look delish! Any suggestions on what I should serve them with?? 🙂
I would usually say a salad but if it’s for a kids party, maybe not. My friend just served these at her son’s bday and made it with spinach dip, guacamole, and fruit.
This is just slightly different than mine. My sauce has brown sugar. Awesome!
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp poppy seeds
I have made these for almost 20 years and we LOVE them!
Once again a winner from your blog!!! totally awesome:-) My kids LOVED them…I have made over 9 different recipes from your blog and they all have Never failed me!! Keep up the good cooking:-)
I love these in any way, shape or form! Here is the version that I have made; the topping has brown sugar in it! It’s always a winner in our house. <3
http://www.plainchicken.com/2011/12/hot-party-ham-sandwiches-football.html
If bringing these to a party, would you bake them at home and serve them at the party ? Or are they best when they first come out of the oven? Thanks!
I love them right out of the oven but they definitely hold up well and can be served closer to room temperature as well. Enjoy!
I bake them at home and do a quick reheat when I get to the party.
My question is: if you are going to make these ahead of time and freeze them, would you wait to put the sauce on them just before baking or go ahead and put sauce on before freezing? Please let me know what works best! Thanks!
I personally would wait but I know others have put it on before freezing and it’s been just fine.
i am curious if you can let them soak several hours in the poppyseed sauce before cooking or if that would make them soggy? i am thinking about taking them to a party that’s over an hour away & it wouldn’t be a problem to pop them in the oven when i got there, but i wouldn’t want to have to make the PS sauce there. thoughts? thanks!
You can put the sauce on even the night before. Shouldn’t be a problem. You might not want to use all of the sauce though.
Hi! I just wanted to let you know I featured this dish on my daily dinner ideas blog, What to Make for Dinner Tonight. Come check ‘er out!
http://whattomakefordinnertonight.com/ham-and-cheese-sliders/
I just shared this recipe on my blog as one of my favorite recipes. i make it all the time for parties, thanks so much for sharing! http://www.handmadeintheheartland.com/2013/09/recipes-i-love.html
Thank you so much, this recipe is amazing. And congrats on the birth of your daughter!! I just wanted to say that I always use 1 tsp. of powdered onion in place of the minced onion and it’s absolutely delicious. I can never look at ham sandwiches the same again!
These are amazing! I altered the recipe as some described below (Hawaiian rolls, provolone cheese, no poppy seeds) and they were to die for!! Thank you for sharing this amazing goodness!! Definitely a keeper!!
I made these for my son’s birthday party in the park. When we taste tested, we tried the mustard sauce over top (as stated) and spread inside. We preferred inside, which kept fingers cleaner, less greasy, and still tasted delish. The mustard-butter sauce is excellent for a pretzel dip too! This can be used with different combinations of deli meat/cheese. I made a variety with ham/cheddar, ham/smoked Gouda, and turkey/swiss. The mustard sauce is what really makes these special. YUM.
Oh My! Very tasty! I used Hawaiian Rolls, Delhi sliced Ham and Pepper Jack Cheese. I didn’t use the poppy seeds but I used dried onions in the the sauce and microwaved them with the butter. I also used spicy brown mustard. My husband loved them.
These are also good with a thin slice of pineapple, or some well-drained crushed pineapple added between the meat and cheese layers
If I am assembling night before and transporting to an event, should I mix sauce ingredients before as well and just bake at site?
That’s how I would do it. Good luck!
I made these and my husband said it was the best thing he has ever ate. This was a few weeks ago and he is still raving about them. I used the Hawaiian rolls and some regular rolls that I had to use up. Hawaiian is the way to go. Thank you for this yummy recipe. Tonight I am making venison burgers and I am going to put the poppy seed sauce over them and pop them in the oven to see how that turns out.
do you think it would ruin the recipe of i added eggs to it?
Hmm. Definitely an interesting twist. I would have to try it to see.
My mouth waters just to look at these. I’ve mad a version of these for years. I use small potatoe rolls, shredded ham, shredded swiss cheese, I don’t use mayonnaise, spread the butter mixture on both insides of bun, then wrap in foil & heat in oven. To those who are unsure about the onions – keep them in, as soon as you mix everything the onions start to be tenderized by the Worcestershire sauce, don’t leave the poppy seeds out either. Everything together is GREAT. I do plan on trying this mayonnaise version on 1 side of bun, then the butter spread on the other half & then the rest of the butter spread over the top. One of my daughters doesn’t eat swiss cheese but loves it on this. Everyone I’ve served these to has loved them.
These looked so good! They definitely have potential but the poppy seed sauce made the bread soggy. We used the Hawaiian sweet rolls. Overall a great recipe but skip the sauce.
I’m sorry they were soggy! You may not need all of the sauce but when they bake they should crisp up.
These looked so good! They definitely have potential but the poppy seed sauce made the bread soggy. We used the Hawaiian sweet rolls. Overall a great recipe but skip the sauce.
Hello! Do they freeze well? I’d like to make them a day or two in advance and bring them to the beach. If so, how would you recommend defrosting/reheating? Thanks!! Can’t wait to try them!
I would just assemble them, freeze them, and then take them out and let them sit at room temperature while your oven preheats to thaw. Then bake as normal. You may need to add 5-7 minutes to the bake time.
I was just listing it as it was listed from the recipe source. I think sometimes you can get away with the generic of an ingredient and sometimes it’s important to not skimp.
I’m featuring this recipe and your photo on my blog (with the link and credit to you!). Please email me if this isn’t OK with you. Thank you!!
We do these without the mayo or Miracle Whip (the mustard sauce stuff on top makes everything wet enough for us). And we leave off the poppy seeds, too, because we’re not that classy. 😉 My husband can’t stand mustard, either, but loves these sandwiches. Unfortunately, our kids won’t touch them (my boy doesn’t eat anything remotely sticky and my girl has a weird aversion to cheese), but we enjoy them often. So good!
OMG, I just found your site and am hooked already. I am definitely a foodie and love to try new recipes and have already pinned and saved several great sounding recipes. Thanks for a wonderful site!
Looks delish! One of our writers, Lindsay, was served this at a friend’s home and it instantly became a favorite. She even featured it in a recipe round-up for Mother’s Day brunch ideas. Check it out: http://thirty-one10.com/entertaining/mothers-day-brunch-recipe-round-up/
I came. I saw. I conquered. I made a ham dinner this last weekend so I could have leftovers for these. Did I mention holy lord?
I’m posting them tonight with a link to your recipe. YUM!!!!
Looks tasty, but sadly, there’s nothing healthy in this recipe.
I make these all the time for poker night with the boys. They gobble them up like crazy and fight over any leftovers, IF there are any. You have to have the sauce; it brings it all together. Your family will love them. I took them to a family reunion one time for the kids…and the kids never had a chance; they were the first thing gone
These were so amazing, after seeing the pin float around Pinterest, I just had to try them and even my 3 year old was raving, she said mmmmm the whole meal! I did not put the poppy seeds on because my daughter would just have me picking them off, ha. Were wonderful on King’s Hawaiian rolls. I will make these again! We had them with corn on the cob.
This design is wicked! You most certainly know how to keep a reader entertained.
Between your wit and your videos, I was almost moved to start my own blog (well, almost.
..HaHa!) Great job. I really enjoyed what you had to say, and more than that, how you presented it.
Too cool!
They were really good will make these again & again. Perfect for ham & cheese
I made these tonight as appetizers huge it!!! Will be making these again for sure 🙂
Someone brought ham and cheese sliders to my going away luncheon and they were to die for! I think this may be the recipe she used, although she said she made the rolls too. So tasty!!
I am hoping to take these for refreshments for our class at church. My only problem is that I will be leaving my house at 9:00am and we have a church service before our class, so they won’t get served until 11:00 – would they stay warm enough during that time if I have them in a covered pyrex dish? Would they still be safe to eat? There is an oven at church, but I couldn’t guarantee that I would be able to use it.
I think they would be safe enough to eat for just that long. I can’t promise that they’ll still be warm but they’re actually good at room temperature.
I made these last night, they were delish!! I just used Black Diamond Swiss processed cheese slices and they were so good.
I am going to try and freeze these.
Does anyone know what the calorie count would be if you followed the recipe?
I absolutely love these sandwhiches! So does my bf! I am making them tomorrow night for a kind of important event (to us anyways) because he requested them. They are sooo good…and messy…but really good. I use regular hamburger buns because if I make sliders I actually eat more…and the bread is so full of carbs. Also, I get whole wheat buns to make it a little healthier.
I made these last night for a New Years party and they were a hit! Everything I make by you is always so delicious! Thank you for posting all these fabulous recipes!!
This photo has been used by others for this recipe. I swear that it looks like sauteed onion between the two sandwiches, not dried minced onion that I assume the recipe calls for? Also do you use powdered mustard or prepared (hot dog) mustard?
FYI Someone sent us a smoked turkey so I am going to try and make them with that.
I use sauteed onion not dried minced onion (although I should try that) and prepared hot dog mustard.
Thank you! Thank you! A friend in college (many moons ago!) would bring sandwiches like these back from home!! Yum!!
I made these last week and they were AMAZING. I used Hawaiian rolls and we ate a whole batch! Making them again tonight!
I LOVE these things and they are always a hit wherever I take them. The only thing I do different is double the sauce, and use less poppy seeds. And I also add laughing cow cheese to the spread they are just awesome!! 🙂
I made these yesterday for a football party and they were gobbled up. Rave reviews from everyone. My husband said they were the best ham sandwiches he’s ever eaten.
Made these for tonight’s dinner! They are all gone, my husband loved them! The only thing we didn’t do was the poppy seeds, they were just as yummy. I didn’t add all of the sauce, just lightly brushed the tops and they came out nice and crispy on top! I left them in for more then 2 minutes, about 5. Next time I might even broil them for a minute. Thank you!
I can’t wait to make these, although I’m doing this for tailgating and I’m going to sub Pimento Cheese for the swiss and add a Wickle pickle. YUMM!!
OK, just made these for dinner and they were AWESOME! My husband and I are in a food coma we ate so many. I did not make the full recipe, only about 6, and now I wish I had done all 24 so I could save them. I omitted the mayo and miracle whip because I am not a fan of warm mayo and used cheddar because I was out of swiss but they were still wonderful. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
I’ll be trying these on Sunday . Question…if I make these ahead of time, can I also add the butter/poppy seed topping before I refrigerate? Thanks!
@Shannon,
Yes, you can add the sauce before refrigerating!
Thanks!
I make these often. Love them!! Super easy & quick. Always a family favorite. Thanks!!
Yum, these are awesome! I don’t normally keep Miracle Whip in the house (and was slightly embarrassed to buy it, actually!) but felt like it would probably make a difference. It was really good in this recipe. Love the poppy seed topping! Halved the butter but held the rest constant and that seemed to be about right. Definitely didn’t use all of it even without the remaining 1/4 c of butter the recipe calls for. So good. Thank you!
Zl6Usv wow, awesome article post. Great.
We absolutely loved these, Christy! Had never heard of them before, thanks for sharing!
I have made these for many years. My Mom has made them for a long time. This is a slight variation though. Previously I never added mayo or miracle whip. I now have made them with both and with just mayo. I think I prefer them with the mayo or mayo/miracle whip mixture. I also used to put the poppyseed mixture inside the rolls, but now add it to the top like these.
We tried these tonight, practicing for a halloween party, they turned out great, we loved them. They are going to be a smash at the party, we didn’t change a thing!
I discovered this recipe through Pinterest in April, and I’ve made them at least 6 times since then. We don’t like miracle whip or mayonnaise, so I’ve omitted it every time and they are still plenty moist and delicious! The first time I made them, I realized that my plain yellow mustard was expired, so I used Dijon – and I’ve never looked back! It is super delicious. I had the problem with the ‘sauce’ not really emulsifying, so I usually melt the butter halfway and then add the mustard and melt again. The two being warmed together seems to keep the sauce from breaking. I always make my own dinner rolls – it really adds an extra special element and doesnt take that long. For adult portions, I use about 2 or 2.5oz of dough per roll; for my 2 year old’s bday, I made them tiny – about 1.5 oz per roll. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!
Love them! Thanks for this amazing recipe!
I just made these, they were awesome and my husband LOVED them.
The only difference is that I made them on regular size fresh bakery hamburger buns. I will certainly make them again. Thanks for the recipe and I love your website!
Loved it! Used it for a 25th Anniversary event (private academy) that I was catering…about 125 people.
Many a compliments for this!!!
Only difference I made was using Hawaiian King rolls! AWESOME!
Thanks
tyronebcookin
Oh my gosh, we all loved these! I made them 2 weeks ago, and I wanted to make them last week, but didn’t want to repeat a meal quite so soon. So what happened? One family member already asked when I could make these again! Well, I’m more than happy to make them this weekend, ha! 🙂
I love these!!!! I have made them twice this week and they are a hit with everyone in my family.. I think that the best roll for this one is the Hawaiian sweet roll..Gotta try this one!!
So I made these for the third time in two weeks time lol they are soo good! Definitely a winner! Will more than likely do them again & again. My kiddo that doesn’t like mayo or mustard loved them lol. Used Hawaiian rolls & didn’t pour all sauce since they do get a lil soggy if you do. Also baked for 18-20 mins for toastier rolls. Awesome! Thanks for the recipe!
These are THE BEST!! A hit with the entire family, including my picky 5 year old. I LOVE the poppy seed sauce, so I usually double it… so yummy!!
Made these for dinner tonight and used both ham and turkey – SOOO good!! Will definitely be making again!!
These Ham and Cheese Sliders are awesome. Photo is too tempting. I am cheese lover. I will try this. Thanks for sharing with us.
Had these 3 times this week! Used Hawaiian rolls; with same recipe except Dijon mustard and added an onion finely chopped; sauteed all til onions were transparent. Brushed it lightly on the bottom of bread (not too much or will be soggy), laid deli ham, turkey and swiss cheese, then spread mixture on the bottom of TOP of roll (more this time), replaced tops and lightly, spread mix over top. Baked 20 min for nice crusty top and bottom. EXTRA GOOD!!! Everyone loved them including my 93 yr old mother!!!
My boyfriend LOVES these….they are his new fav. I make them with pepperjack cheese and the Hawaiian rolls. Everything in and on them are his fav! Thank you!!!!!!!!
My family love, love, loves these. Another variation we do (aside from hawaiian sweet rolls) is adding some brown sugar to the sauce and use Dijon mustard It sweetens it up nicely. Love your blog!
I make these all the time… these “melty sandwiches” are a favorite in our house. I use the Hawaiian rolls… I use a big knife to slice the entire bunch of 12 rolls in half, then lay the mayo, ham, cheese on the base, replace with tops, and use a sharp knife to cut between the rolls. SO much faster than assembling the sandwiches individually!
We had a wine party the other night and my friend Teri brought these sandwiches. I thought they were FABULOUS and when I asked for the recipe she directed me here for the recipe. Thanks for posting, I’ll be blogging about these soon. 🙂
Has anyone tried preparing these on a gas grill? I’m thinking for tail-gating or at the beach.
Thank you Christy! Btw. my name is written in Cyrillic so it is DraganaGaga in Latin letters 😉
@Aparaharara,
I’ve used just mayonnaise and they taste pretty much the same.
Hi! I would like to make this sliders but I can not buy “miracle whip” as we do not have it here in Europe. What could I use as a substitute? Thanks and keep up a good work! 🙂
@Kari,
I would pour over the sauce and freeze them or you could wait. I think it would work either way.
How would I go about freezing these? Would you still assemble and pour the sauce on top and freeze?
I made these for our church youth group bible study…and they were a huge hit! I assembled them the morning of…including basting them with the sauce…covered the pan with aluminum foil and refrigerated until I was ready to bake. Not only did they taste AMAZING…they also smelled AMAZING! I did add two teaspoons of sugar to the sauce just for a little sweetness on some…. absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe and for your comments. This was SIMPLE…and I’m all about that 🙂
These were amazing! Taste just like the sandwiches my mom used to get me from a deli when I was little, and I’ve always craved them but could never find them! lol. These will probably be made weekly in my house from now on! 😉
Thanks so much for these! They are amazing! I actually leave out the onion and they still have so much flavour. They have become a regular meal at our house.