Ham and Cheese Sliders
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These Ham and Cheese Sliders are a family staple. They are super easy to make, budget-friendly, great for a group of people, and even freezer friendly. I’ve been making these for YEARS and constantly have people ask for the recipe.
Reasons We Love This Recipe
- It’s easy! This recipe is a great one for beginner cooks. Simply layer the ingredients and drizzle a sauce over it for prep.
- It’s freezer-friendly. Simply assemble, freeze, thaw, then bake. I’ve prepped this recipe for the freezer SO many times. It works!
- It’s a kid-friendly meal. Kids and adults both love Ham and Cheese sliders.
- It’s a perfect recipe for potlucks or serving groups of people.
- You can make it in advance. Simply assemble the sliders right up until baking and store in the refrigerator. This makes it ideal for a holiday meal or Birthday Dinner.
Ingredients
- Rolls – You can use wheat or white. I like brioche rolls!
- Deli ham – You can also use leftover ham like from our Crockpot Spiral Ham.
- Swiss cheese slices – I use provolone and mozzarella a lot too.
- Butter
- Dijon mustard
- Worcestershire
- Poppy seeds – I often make it without these. The recipe works just fine.
- Brown sugar
Tips for Success
Since I make these so often, I have a few tricks to make them even tastier!
- I prefer to use an unsweetened ham from the deli. Since the glaze brings the sweetness factor, no need for the honey ham.
- I’ve found that I can leave the poppy seeds out and they taste just as delicious.
- I also sometimes omit the mustard if these are being made for kids. I think the mustard brings a depth of flavor but it can for sure be left out if needed.
Can I Freeze Ham & Cheese Sliders?
YES! Like many of our freezer meals, Ham & Cheese Sliders work wonderfully to prep ahead and freeze.
To Freeze:
After assembling the sandwiches and covering them in the glaze, do not bake. Wrap the casserole dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil or place them in an airtight container before freezing. (Here are a few freezer dishes we use and recommend.)
You can freeze these sandwiches for 3-6 months (or longer if you properly package them for freezing!)
To Prepare:
When you want to eat them, let them thaw in the fridge overnight and then just bake them as directed.
FAQs
You use any down-the-pipe dinner roll that you find at the store. It saves a little time if they are pre-sliced! Popular choices are Hawaiian Rolls, Brioche Buns, or Wheat Rolls.
Butter
Dijon mustard
Worcestershire
Poppyseeds
Brown sugar
Yes! This is one of the many reasons I love this recipe. If I have a group of people coming over or just want to get dinner done ahead of time, I prep the sliders all the way up until baking. I stick them in my fridge (for up to 2 days) and then just pull them out and bake them when I’m ready!
While the buns do soak up the sauce a bit, I wouldn’t describe them as soggy. The sliders sit in the sauce but don’t soak up too much of it.
Totally. I have done this quite a bit actually and it doesn’t change the flavor.
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Side Dish Ideas
Here are some recipes that would be tasty to serve with Ham & Cheese Sliders:
More Slider Recipes
We are big fans of sliders because they are perfect for families (since kids can be smaller eaters) and can stretch a food budget pretty far.
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Ham and Cheese Sliders
These Ham and Cheese Sliders are a family staple. They are super easy to make, budget-friendly, great for a group of people, and even freezer friendly. I’ve been making these for YEARS and constantly have people ask for the recipe.
Ingredients
- 15–20 mini wheat rolls
- 1 pound deli ham
- 7 ounces Swiss cheese slices
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire
- 1 tablespoon poppyseeds (find in spice aisle)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
- Assemble the sandwiches, using 1-2 slices of folded ham and a 1/2 slice of cheese on the rolls. Place in 9×13 baking dish (or whatever size you have). Squeeze sandwiches in side by side.
- Mix butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, poppy seeds and brown sugar into medium sauce pan.
- On medium-high heat, bring sauce to a boil and then reduce heat.
- Lightly drizzle each sandwich with the prepared sauce. (Freezing instructions begin here.)
- Cover with foil and bake for about 20 minutes.
Freeze For Later: Prepare sandwiches with sauce on top in casserole dish, but do not bake. Seal tightly with a lid or wrap with plastic wrap and/or foil very well. Freeze.
Prepare From Frozen: Let sandwiches thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bake according to directions in step 6.
Notes/Tips
- Don’t let the sauce boil too long or it will get very sticky!
- Sometimes kids are turned off by the poppyseeds. You can leave those out if that’s the case.
- Many types of cheese will work. I often use provolone or mozzarella instead of Swiss.
Does anyone have any idea how it would work if you made a large portion for a large group in a Nesco roaster? If you’ve done this, any advise?
They taste good when hot, but I don’t know how to get them really hot. I have made them several times but they are never hot enough even if I do 30+ minutes. I have started taking them out of the oven and microwaving them individually for 15 seconds. What am a doing wrong? Do you think they will get dried out if I leave them in there much longer?
Interesting feedback. What if you covered them with foil the first half and then removed the foil? That would help trap the heat more.
A similar recipe I have calls for pouring sauce over sandwiches and waiting 10 minutes before baking. Then cover sandwiches with foil and bake 20 minutes; remove foil and continue baking 10 more minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Sandwiches are warm, cheese is melted, buns are toasted.
Thanks for sharing that tip, Ronda.
Has anyone made these with something other than ham? Could I use turkey? I have a group that doesn’t eat pork.
These were a hit! I wasn’t sure if freezing with the glaze on would make them soggy but they came out of the freezer great too! In fact my 15-year-old son was pulling them out of the freezer container and microwaving a few at a time and still loved them. I usually use the Sam’s brand Hawaiian slider buns just because they are pre-sliced which saves a lot of time. However the last time I made them they were out of those so I used the Kings Hawaiian brand. They were still really good but apparently those rolls are sweeter than what I was using before so I think if I have to use those rolls again I will take that into consideration and maybe reduce some of the brown sugar in the glaze. The kids all still loved them even with them sweeter though. Thanks for the easy recipe!
Thanks so much for the feedback and review, Jenn. Appreciate the tip about those rolls, and I’m glad to hear it works straight out of the freezer. 😉
Our kids love these- we all do! One of our family favorites. We like to make these and pack them up for ball games.
Great idea to take them on the road, Olivia! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Can I prepare these, freeze them, and then pop them into the microwave when ready to eat?
Yes, I think that could work for this recipe, using the defrost setting.
I made these but didn’t have poppy seeds so I used Everything But the Bagel seasoning. It was a hit with my teens and hubby.
I was just thinking the same thing!
Making this sliders for the first time..My daughter make them..They are delicious & quick..Thank You
Wonderful to hear that! Thanks for sharing, Robin. Really appreciate the feedback.
Hi
If I am making 1 day ahead can I just keep refrigerated and the follow last step right before serving?
Yep, it will totally work. Polly told me that she does this all the time.
This is my go to when I need a freezer meal to give away so easy and delicious.
Such a wonderful idea, Abbie. Thanks for taking the time to leave a rating and suggesting this idea. 🙂
Super fun meal that the whole family likes!
This is amazing! So tasty and so different. I made this for dinner and then froze a pan for later.
Thanks for the review! We’re pumped that you liked it. 🙂
I had these at a party. They were very good. You could even “fancy” these up by putting a slice of apple or pear (or apple or pear chutney) on them before baking. I would recommend using a Granny Smith Apple as it is the least sweet apple.
Oooh fun idea! yeah, they are a great party food.
I found these very sweet! But I love the idea. I was going to make these for a staff lunch next week and need something I can make the day ahead. Do you think they would work without the sugar? Or with something else instead of the sugar?
A few ideas: You can use smoked ham (rather than a honey ham that might be a bit sweet.) You could also use a denser, wheat roll. And yes, you can pull back the brown sugar a bit or just use less sauce on it all! Thanks for asking!
I made these with left over pulled pork and provolone cheese, but the same sauce over the top. My husband and teenage boys said to make them again soon. So happy I stumbled upon your website.
That’s so great. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, Heather!
can these be heated in the microwave after freezing instead of the oven? it would be wonderful to be able to take them out and let them thaw while i’m at work and then have for lunch
I think that might work. They will be a bit soggier than if toasted in the oven, though.