Ham and Cheese Sliders
Smoky ham and stretchy cheese, layered into soft dinner rolls and baked under a buttery, crunchy, everything bagel coating! Sweet, savory, smoky, and cheesy, these sliders are absolutely perfect for any occasion!
I used Hawaiian rolls for these sliders and they were perfect! Hawaiian rolls have a subtle sweetness that pairs perfectly with the rest of the ingredients in this recipe, especially the salty Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and everything bagel seasoning. That said, you can certainly use your favorite dinner rolls; these sliders will be equally delicious.
What kind of ham should you use for these sliders? I used Smithfield Anytime Favorites Hickory Smoked Boneless Sliced Quarter Ham. The ham is fully cooked, pre-sliced, and incredibly flavorful, making it the ideal choice for these hand-held treats! If you don’t have Smithfield, you may substitute your favorite deli ham.
I used Swiss cheese, but you have options! Swiss cheese is the classic choice for these sliders because it partners perfectly with the salty ham. It’s also super stretchy, which makes serving and eating much more fun! If desired, you may substitute a different cheese, and I recommend mozzarella, Monterey jack, pepper jack, or provolone.
What pan should you use for these sliders? This recipe calls for a 13×9-inch baking pan because it’s the perfect size for 2 packs of dinner rolls. The rolls fit snuggly in the pan and bake to perfection under the buttery coating. If you don’t have a 13×9-inch pan, you can bake the sliders on a lined baking sheet; just make sure to cover the top and sides of the sliders with aluminum foil for the first part of baking.
Everything bagel seasoning makes for the best topping! The buttery topping for these sliders is traditionally made with poppy seeds and dried minced onion. That’s great, but I love the nutty crunch of everything bagel seasoning because it delivers poppy seeds and onion, plus sesame seeds and garlic! It’s the perfect addition to coating of melted butter, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Note: If you don’t have everything bagel seasoning, use a combination of 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, 1 tablespoon dried minced onion, and 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic.
Can you swap ingredients in this sliders? Definitely. While ham and Swiss are classic, feel free to use turkey or roast beef instead of ham, and mozzarella, provolone, or Monterey jack instead of Swiss. For vegetarian sliders, use roasted red peppers, oil-packed/drained sun-dried tomatoes, or pesto instead of meat!
You can make these sliders in advance! To prep these sliders in advance, make them up the part where you pour the butter mixture over top. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until ready to finish the dish. Pull the sliders from the fridge 30 minutes before baking (while you preheat the oven and make the butter sauce). Top with butter sauce and bake as directed!
Ham and Cheese Sliders
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup 1 stick butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons everything bagel seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 12-pack Hawaiian sweet rolls, or 24 dinner rolls of choice, or 12 regular-size rolls
- 1 pound sliced ham, I used Smithfield Anytime Favorites Hickory Smoked Boneless Sliced Quarter Ham
- 1 pound sliced Swiss cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 13×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, everything bagel seasoning, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix well and set aside.
- Halve the rolls horizontally and place the bottom half in the prepared pan (the rolls will fit snuggly). Top the rolls with half of the ham, all of the Swiss cheese, and then the remaining ham. Place the top of the rolls over top.
- Spoon the butter mixture over the rolls, allowing it to drip down the sides. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, until the rolls are golden brown and the cheese melts.