This ham and swiss slider recipe is absolutely amazing. So easy to make and using ingredients most people will like, this is my go to for group events, potlucks, and parties.
In fact, I made these for a potlock just the other day and they were a huge hit. Both trays were gobbled up in no time! And we were getting compliments all night long.
Why This Ham and Swiss Slider Recipe is so Good
First of all, it’s fantastic for all ages. The flavor profile is mature enough for adult parties (like the one I attended) but still agreeable enough that kids like them too. Who doesn’t like ham, cheese, sweet rolls, and butter!
If you’re drinking, these ham and swiss sliders are easy on the stomach and suck up the alcohol. (They’re also great warmed up the next with a hangover, don’t ask me how I know.)
Prep is super easy and they transport easily to the party venue if you’re bringing them along.
Last, it’s almost a complete meal. Albeit unhealthy. You can serve ham and cheese sliders as a “main course” if you’re doing a finger food type situation. Just make sure you have some fresh veggies and other easy to eat sides to go with them.
Can You Use Cheese Other Than Swiss?
I don’t like swiss cheese, but it does taste good in this recipe. Make sure you choose a good quality swiss, and look for creamy options if you’re not a fan of stronger swiss flavors.
If you can’t get swiss or really don’t want to use it, you can sub it in this recipe. Swiss is on the sweeter side, so look for something with a similar taste: Havarti or Monterey Jack.
Make Them Hawaiian Ham and Swiss Sliders By Adding Pineapple
If you’re a pineapple fan, they could be added into the sliders as long as you slice it quite thin. This will give them a more Hawaiian taste but it’s really good. Think about a ham and pineapple pizza, it’s almost the same ingredients.
Plus typical pineapple ham glaze has mustard – these flavors, despite seeming to be at odds, work well together.
How to Make Vegetarian Cheese Sliders
The easiest way is to just omit the ham altogether. Maybe double up on the cheese. All the other ingredients are vegetarian so the recipe will still work almost identically.
You might want to add the pineapple (see above) for some extra substance in the sandwiches.
Ham and Swiss Slider Ingredients
This recipe doesn’t call for a long list of ingredients but you’ll probably be making a trip to the store since they’re not all something people usually have on hand.
The base of the sandwich is made up of one package of sweet rolls. I use brioche for my recipe – specifically the packs from Costco. Brioche is sweet and light, giving these rolls the perfect texture and taste. A lot of people also use Hawaiian rolls (Big King Hawaiian rolls is the brand). Hawaiian rolls are a lot sweeter than brioche. It really doesn’t matter which you use when it comes to how the recipe turns out.
1 lb of deli ham and 6-8 slices of swiss cheese is used for the middle. I used regular cooked ham – it’s sweet, mild, and not too dry. But you could use black forest for a more savory dish.
Finally, the topping is made up of 1/2 cup butter, 1 tbsp onion powder, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 3tbsp Dijon mustard, and 1 tbsp poppy seeds.
Makes 12-16 ham and swiss sliders depending on the size/brand of your buns.
How to Make This Ham and Swiss Slider Recipe
This recipe is super easy. Prep shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes, and then they bake for about 30-35 minutes in the oven.
Note: This recipe makes enough for a 9 x 13″ baking pan, but the one in the photos is 9 x 9″.
Step 1 – Slice the Buns
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take your entire pack of rolls and slice it in half like you’re making a giant sandwich. Don’t separate the buns from each other.
To make slicing easier, I hold my hand on the top and carefully move my knife through evenly while they’re on the counter.
Step 2 – Start Assembling Sliders
Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. If you don’t have any, lightly grease the pan with butter. Set the bottom slice of rolls in the pan. It should fit almost perfectly.
This is also a good time to put the 1/2 cup of butter in the microwave. I use a larger microwave safe bowl so I can just mix the other ingredients into it.
Step 3 – Ham
Layer ham so you cover the entire surface. I like to double up on my ham to make a more filling (and delicious) slider.
Step 4 – Cheese
Repeat the last step, only this time you’re placing the 6-8 slices of cheese. Make sure you cover everything with cheese because it’s one of the keys to holding the slider together!
Step 5 – Topping
Put the top buns on the sliders. Now we’re going to make the sauce. Take out your melted butter and add in 1 tablespoon of each onion powder and Worcestershire sauce, plus 3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard. Mix well.
Note: The onion powder can easily be substituted for fresh or dried minced onion. You can also increase any of these ingredients to taste.
Step 6 – Finish Assembly
Pour you butter mixture over the sliders in the pan. Make sure you coat them evenly. It’s OK if some of the mixture runs down into the pan – the sliders will absorb it.
Next, top them with poppy seeds. I do this by just sprinkling the poppy seeds on top with my fingers.
Step 7 – Bake
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until browned on top and cheese is melted. They’re going to smell good!
Step 8 – Serve
Once your sliders are done let them cool for a few minutes and then serve immediately, while the cheese is still melty. To serve, slice the sliders where the buns are connected. They should come out of the pan easily.
Ham and Swiss Slider Recipe
This ham and swiss slider recipe is absolutely amazing. My go to recipe for parties and potlucks! Simple enough that kids like them, but a huge hit at adult parties too.
Ingredients
- 12-16 sweet rolls (Brioche or Hawaiian rolls)
- 1lb cooked ham
- 6-8 slices of swiss cheese (see note 1)
- 1/2 cup of butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon of onion powder (see note 2)
- 3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Slice the rolls in half, keeping the individual buns together, so you have a top and bottom slab.
- Grease a 9"x12" baking pan.
- Place the bottom of the rolls in the baking pan.
- Do a layer of ham - it's best if you double it.
- Add a layer of cheese.
- Put the top of the buns on.
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter.
- Add in the Worcestershire sauce, onion, and Dijon mustard. Mix well.
- Pour butter mixture on top of the rolls, coating them evenly.
- Sprinkle poppy seeds on top.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until tops are browned and the cheese is melted.
- Slice the sliders apart and serve!
Notes
1. Swiss cheese can be substituted for another sweet cheese like Havarti or Monterey jack.
2. Onion powder can be replaced with dried or fresh minced onion, and qty can be adjusted to taste.
To Make Ahead:
Making these 1-4 hours ahead actually makes them taste better because the toppings have a chance to absorb. Make sure you cover it tightly so the buns don't dry out and refrigerate the sliders until you're ready to bake them.
To Freeze:
If you want to make them ahead, these can be assembled and frozen really easily. Just follow the steps without turning on the oven all the way up to when you'd normally bake the sliders. Instead, cover them really well for freezing so they won't dry out. Sliders can be frozen for 3 months.
To cook you can bake them right from frozen. I wouldn't recommend this in a glass pan. You'll need to adjust the cooking time since they'll take a lot longer if baked from frozen. Alternatively, thaw in the fridge overnight and bake as normal.
Storing Leftovers:
Leftovers can be kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat sliders in the microwave for a delicious snack (and great hangover food.)
Leftovers can also be frozen and defrosted as needed.
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Liked This Ham and Swiss Slider Recipe? You Might Also Like:
If you need another great appetizer idea I love this spinach dip recipe. For other simple (and kid-friendly) meal ideas, you should try our flatbread pizza – it uses puff pastry and ricotta cheese for an easy meal! Finally, if you want to make an even more unhealthy sandwich, you just have to try deep fried grilled cheese!
More Tips for Making This Ham and Swiss Slider Recipe:
Can You Double This Ham and Swiss Slider Recipe?
Yes! It actually doubles super easy. You’ll just need two pans. The Costco pack of brioche that I used in my recipe actually comes with enough for a double recipe, so it works out perfect.
Plus, and I’m being serious here, one pan isn’t enough even for a small crowd. They’re that good.
Can These Ham and Cheese Sliders Be Made Ahead?
Actually, they taste even better if you make them a bit ahead. Follow the assembly instructions completely so all you’re left for is the baking step. Let the sliders sit for awhile to better absorb the butter and other ingredients.
Make sure you keep the sliders in the fridge until you’re ready to bake them. Also, make sure they’re well covered. Absorption is good but you don’t want the buns to dry out.
They can also be made ahead and frozen:
How to Freeze Ham and Swiss Sliders
This recipe is great because it’s super forgiving, meaning it freezes really well. To freeze, follow all the steps besides heating the oven and baking.
Once you’ve completely assembled the sliders, cover them up really well for freezing. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.
To bake your frozen sliders you can pop them right into the oven. Just remember to adjust cooking time accordingly. The rule of thumb is add an extra 50% of time, so another 15 minutes or so to baking time – but this varies.
Glass and Pyrex dishes are really sensitive to extreme temperature changes so you shouldn’t go right from freezer to oven if you frozen in glass. Thaw the pan a bit first.
Speaking of thawing, you can also thaw frozen ham and cheese sliders in the fridge overnight and bake them as normal.
How to Transport Sliders For a Potluck
Like I mentioned before, these ham and swiss sliders are my go to potluck recipe. Here’s how I transport them safely (and so they stay warm.)
First of all, try and time things well. You don’t want these sitting out too long since there’s meat involved. Plan for the sliders to be coming out of the oven shortly before you leave.
I used a plastic grocery bin, but you can use almost anything that’s easy to carry and the pans fit in snugly. Before setting the pan inside, I double layered tea towels so I could put the hot pans right inside.
Next, wrap the hot pan (s) in tin foil so they hold in the heat. Set the pan in the bin on top of the tea towels. If you made a double batch the other pan can be set right on top.
Finally, top with another tea towel or two to hold in the warmth.
You’re thinking, “won’t that make the sliders soggy?”. Kind of, but they’re good that way. This recipe is already really soft and moist, and believe me when I say they held up great.
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