Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Easy oven-baked ham and cheese sliders are oozing with Swiss cheese and loaded with ham, guaranteed to disappear quickly! Baked sliders are easy to make, and even better, you can make them ahead so they’re perfect for get-togethers!
How long it takes: 15 minutes to prep, 35 minutes in the oven
Equipment you’ll need: baking dish
Servings: makes 12 rolls
I make a lot of grilled cheese sandwiches because they’re my comfort food, right behind popcorn. I love making air fryer grilled cheese because they are so crisp and delicious, but another favorite is Parmesan-crusted pepperoni grilled cheese sandwiches. However, sometimes you need cheesy melty sandwiches that serve a crowd and that’s where these ham and cheese sliders save the day!
Best Ham and Cheese Sliders
So good! When I take these ham and cheese sliders out of the oven, all crispy and gooey with melted cheese, I’m transported back to my college days when grilled cheese sandwiches were pretty much my mainstay. Except! These are about a hundred times better than an ordinary grilled cheese sandwich. They kind of have a chicken cordon bleu vibe, without the chicken.
Easy to make. The buns come all attached. You slice through the whole sheet of them at once, layer the meat and cheese on the bottom half, cover with the top half of the rolls, and pour on the sauce. You cut them into individual sandwiches after they’re baked. Easy peasy!
Perfect for get-togethers. This recipe will serve 12, and you can easily double it if you need to. Serve them nice and hot right out of the oven, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly they disappear. They’re perfect for parties or game days any time of the year. Even better, you can prep them a day ahead and just pop them into the oven when you need them.
Mix and match to your preference. You can easily switch out the ham and use deli turkey or roast beef. Try different types of cheese. You can skip the poppy seeds if you’re not a fan.
Ingredient Notes
- Hawaiian sweet rolls: You’ll need a 12-pack of rolls which also happens to be 12 ounces. Look for rolls that are attached to each other, not separate. The rolls have a somewhat sweet flavor which contrasts nicely with the salty ham.
- Mayonnaise: The rolls are slathered with a rich and creamy spread, the base of which is mayonnaise.
- Dijon mustard: Choose the creamy type of Dijon. You’ll use a couple tablespoons in the spread, and then another tablespoon in the topping.
- Honey: A little bit of honey in the spread really emphasizes the sweetness of the rolls. Plus, honey ham! A perfect combo!
- Deli ham: Look for thinly sliced deli ham which is easier to cut through than thick slices once the rolls have baked. Choose your favorite type. You’ll need 12 ounces.
- Swiss cheese: There’s something about the mild, nutty sweetness of Swiss cheese that makes it a perfect partner to the saltiness of ham. Pre-sliced cheese definitely makes prep easier. If you’re not a fan of Swiss cheese, you can switch it out for another type of cheese.
- Butter: Once you’ve assembled the rolls and put them into a pan, you’ll pour a buttery topping over the whole she-bang. It soaks in and makes these the best ham and cheese sliders!
- Seasonings: Along with a tablespoon of Dijon, the butter is seasoned with poppy seeds, dried minced onion, a hint of Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
How To Make ham and cheese sliders
Slice the rolls. The rolls come connected so just keep them all connected, and slice them all at once horizontally, keeping the top and bottom halves intact, so that you have two big pieces, top and bottom. A long serrated knife works the best for this. If you happen to have an electric knife, that probably would work pretty well, too.
Add the spread. Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, and honey in a small bowl. Spread the mixture on the cut side of both halves of the rolls. Put the bottom half in a greased baking pan or dish, about 11 x 8 inches.
Layer on the cheese and meat. Add a layer of cheese to the buns in the pan, using half of the cheese. Next, layer on all of the ham. Finish up with the rest of the sliced cheese. You’ll see that this is a pretty generous amount of ham and cheese. You may use as much as you like but I would advise using at least a good amount of cheese.
Cooking Tip
Don’t worry about lining up the edges of ham and cheese with the individual rolls. Just layer it on. When you take these sliders out of the oven, you’ll use a sharp knife to cut each roll apart (kind of like lasagna!).
Cover with the top half of the rolls. Simply set the whole thing on top, the side with the spread facing down.
Add the sauce. In a small bowl, blend together the melted butter, mustard, poppy seeds, dried onion, garlic powder, and Worcestershire sauce. Brush the savory mixture over the tops of the rolls. Some of it will run down the sides and into the cracks. Don’t worry, that’s just a lot of deliciousness making its way into the sliders.
Cover and bake. Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes, uncover, and bake five to ten minutes longer to crisp up the top.
Cut and serve. Cut into individual sliders, and serve them nice and hot, with the cheese oozing out the sides. Mmmmm, so good!
Recipe Variations
I have all sorts of ideas about how to make these sliders your own special creation (although they’re pretty spectacular as is!).
- Switch up the meat or cheese. This one might be obvious, but you could use a different deli meat or cheese. Not a fan of Swiss cheese? Try Gruyère or cheddar. I’m thinking you could use shredded cheese, although I haven’t tried that. Not a fan of ham? Use deli turkey, roast beef, or chicken. Try turkey sliders (aka Rachel sandwiches) with turkey, Swiss, coleslaw, and Thousand Island dressing or pizza sliders with pepperoni and mozzarella.
- Can’t find Hawaiian sweet rolls? Use what your grocery store bakery offers. Look for rolls that are attached.
- Possible add-ins: Very thinly sliced apples, baby spinach leaves, apricot or raspberry preserves, caramelized onions, tomato or onion jam, or fig jam. Spread these on the buns in place of the mustard/mayo mixture, or along with it.
- Mustard options: A grainy mustard is really good with the ham and Swiss combination. You could add a touch of horseradish, if that’s your thing. I wouldn’t advise using regular yellow mustard which would dominate the flavor.
- Topping ideas: The topping could include more garlic, if you’re a garlic fan. You could make a sweeter topping with brown sugar (¼ cup) added to the melted butter mixture. If you’re not fond of poppy seeds, omit them.
Ham and cheese sliders can be made ahead. Prepare the rolls with the spread, meat, and cheese, covering the pan with foil. They can be refrigerated for up to one day. Prepare and spread the topping right before you put the sliders into the oven.
Unbaked sliders can also be frozen for up to three months. Wrap securely before freezing so they don’t dry out. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Make the topping and bake as directed.
Refrigerate: If you have leftovers, wrap them well in foil and store in refrigerator for up to a couple of days.
Reheat: Use your oven or toaster oven and bake the foil-wrapped rolls at 350°F for 20 minutes or so, or until they’re heated through.
Free Meal Plan
Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at my Meal Plan #47. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let me do the planning for you this week!
More Sandwich Recipes
Best Ham and Cheese Sliders
Ingredients
FOR SLIDERS
- 12 Hawaiian sweet rolls (12 ounce package)
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 12 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
- 12 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
FOR TOPPING
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 ºF. Spray a 11 x 8 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Use a long serrated knife to slice horizontally through all 12 rolls at once, keeping all the rolls attached. Make the bottom half slightly thicker than the top half. Place bottom half in prepared baking dish.12 Hawaiian sweet rolls
- In a small bowl, combine spread ingredients: mayonnaise, mustard, and honey. Spread mixture on bottom and top cut sides of rolls.¼ cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon honey
- Layer half of the cheese on bottom half of rolls. Top with ham, and remaining half of cheese, and then top with roll tops. It’s fine if the ham and cheese overlap the edges of the individual rolls because you will be slicing them apart when they’re baked.12 ounces sliced Swiss cheese, 12 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
- In another small bowl, combine melted butter, 1 tablespoon mustard, poppyseeds, dried minced onion, garlic powder, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine, and then brush over the tops of the rolls. Don’t worry if some runs down to the bottom of the pan.6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon poppy seeds, 2 teaspoons dried minced onion, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Cover the pan tightly with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until tops of the rolls are crispy and golden brown.
- Cut into individual rolls and serve immediately.
Notes
- Make ahead: Ham and cheese sliders can be made ahead. Prepare the rolls with the spread, meat, and cheese, covering the pan with foil. They can be refrigerated for up to one day or frozen for up to 3 months. Prepare and spread the topping right before you put the sliders into the oven.
- Variations: Although we love these sliders exactly as written, you could easily make adjustments if you want. Try different types of deli meat or sliced cheese. If you can’t find the Hawaiian sweet rolls, look for another type of dinner roll that comes attached.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Delicious! Instead of using onion powder, I caramelized onions, put it on top of ham, then followed the recipe through.
Yummmm – I love anything with caramelized onions!
I love these sliders, my recipe is a little different but not much.
A variation I’ve used before is Boars Head deli roast beef with provolone cheese…I used Boars Head Horseradish with a bit of Dijon mustard, then topping same as recipe…it’s very good also…
Merry Christmas
Sounds so tasty! I love how many different ways this recipe can go….the options are endless!
Sliders, sliders and more sliders!! I’ve made Italian sausage sliders and they were fantastic and so easy. In two half sheet disposable aluminum pans (the size of the 12 connected rolls), generously lined with aluminum foil, I spread a thin layer of Italian sausage and baked in a 400 degree oven. While the sausage cooked I sautéed onions and (red) bell peppers. The buns are cut horizontally, keeping the tops and bottoms connected. When the sausage is cooked thoroughly, form a funnel with the foil to drain off the grease from each pan. Place the roll bottoms on the sausage in one of the pans and flip over. Spread peppers, onions and shredded mozzarella generously over the sausage. Flip the other drained sausage on top and cover with the bun tops. The heat of the sausage should be enough to melt the cheese. (If not, bit back in the oven for 5 min.) Cut and enjoy!!
Yum yum! Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!