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.
If frozen, thawed and baked later. Will the sliders be soggy in any way? I am bringing these on vacation and feeding 20+ but I hate when bread is soggy
I’ve never had a problem with them getting soggy. A few tips to make sure this doesn’t happen: let the sauce simmer a touch longer than directed so it thickens up. Use a denser bun that won’t soak up moisture as much. For example, a Hawaiian Roll will soak up that sauce like that’s it’s job. Some like that. Some don’t. If you don’t, a denser whole wheat bun will maintain its form a bit better. Hope that helps! They are a crowd pleaser for sure!
Wondering if I can make this with cheddar cheese? Or American cheese?
I think cheddar would be fine.
I made these as part of appetizers for my son’s wedding rehearsal! Delicious!! Huge mistake I made I only doubled the recipe should have made A LOT more!!!
Can I Make these with fresh shredded chicken breast follow same recipe otherwise????
That’s so fun that these showed up your son’s wedding rehearsal, Holly! I love your idea of trying shredded chicken. I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Thanks for the review.
Where I’m from in Virginia, we call them “funeral sandwiches”. The reason is they’re quick to make, feed a lot of people and can kept warm in a low oven.
I’ve never heard that term before but it makes sense. These are really good for a crowd for sure.
What an easy and affordable way to turn a normal sandwich into something that is meal-worthy! Great recipe with lovely flavors and textures.
Happy to hear this was a win for you. Thanks for the review, Tiffany!
An easy make ahead recipe. Use potato rolls and it’s like having a spiral ham and scalloped potatoes in one bite
Ooo, good idea! Thanks for the tip and the review, Dianne.
Question – I’m wanting to make these for my husband to take to work. Freezer type meal prep. He only has access to a microwave. Should I go ahead and bake, or freeze and let him zap at work?
Great question. Yes, that is the best way to do it. Bake before and then just have him rewarm them. Enjoy!
Good, but next time I’ll add more mustard and less brown sugar.
Thanks for the feedback! This recipe works great to tweak to your preferences.
Taste beautiful and very filling, kids love the sweet bread taste from the drizzling sauce
Glad to hear it, Kayla. Thanks!
I made these for Christmas Eve. I had a bunch of people over and there was tons of food and these were eaten so fast. They were a big hit.
Yes, this is a good recipe for hosting or holiday meals. Thanks for sharing that feedback and for the review!
I’d give it a 10 star if I could. Delicious!! I made them last night, following the recipe exactly for our card group. A BIG hit! Will definitely be making again.
Wonderful! Thanks so much, Flara!
I’m going to make these tomorrow night, Tuesday, June 21st, for our card group. One person hates mustard. Is it very noticeable, or can I leave the mustard out without it changing the overall taste ?
First off, these really have no mustardy flavor. But, if you want to, I think that will be fine to leave it out, since it’s not that much mustard. Or you could cut the amount back to just 1 teaspoon to still add that little bit of flavor in the background.
I made these and they were easy and so good! Would definitely make again.
Thanks for taking the time to share feedback, Melissa. Means so much to us!
Highly suggest adding the glaze boiling time in the recipe!! It’s an important note from the blog!
Thanks for the tip, Cris. Good reminder.
Due to a pork allergy, I make these with turkey. They are fantastic! The freeze and reheat well. It is great to double or triple batch them to have plenty for later.
It’s great to know these work with turkey, too. We get that question sometimes. Thanks for the tip and the review, Jocelyne!
Delicious and easy to make! I have made this recipe a few times now and even my 4 year old ate it!
Love hearing that, Karen. Thanks for sharing and leaving a review!