Ham and Cheese Sliders with poppy seeds are soft and buttery with layers of ham and melty cheese sandwiched between Hawaiian sweet rolls. These turn out delicious every time and will disappear right before your eyes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion, and poppy seeds; set aside.
Cut the rolls in half crosswise through the center. Place the bottoms of the rolls in the prepared baking dish. Place half of the ham slices in an even layer over the rolls, overlapping as needed. Place the cheese slices in an even layer on the ham, and top with the remaining ham slices. Place the tops of the rolls on the ham.
Pour the mustard mixture over the sandwiches and brush to evenly coat the rolls. Cover with aluminum foil and
Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Uncover and continue baking until golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Cut between each roll to make individual sliders and serve warm.
Notes
Try other meat and cheese combinations. If you don’t have ham and Swiss cheese, this recipe works with any cold-cut deli meat and many different cheeses. Try turkey with pepper jack cheese or smoked honey chicken with sharp cheddar cheese. You can also do one layer of ham and one layer of turkey.
Leave the rolls connected. Assembly is a breeze if you slice the entire slab of rolls in half while leaving the rolls connected. This also helps the bread to stay soft and not become too dry while baking.
Make this recipe with Thanksgiving leftovers. You can make this recipe with leftover dinner rolls and sliced honey ham, roast turkey, or even roast beef. Add even more flavor by spreading leftover cranberry sauce onto the cut sides of the bread.
Let the butter mixture sit on the rolls for a few minutes before baking. After spreading the butter mixture on the rolls, allow it to sit for a few minutes before baking for the softest sandwiches. The melted butter mixture helps keep them moist while baking and gives the rolls bake up golden brown.
Optional variation: use different mustard. If you like a little heat, use hot mustard instead of the Dijon, or add sliced jalapeno peppers between the cheese and ham when assembling. Sweet honey mustard is also a great option. You can also serve these with hot sauce, red pepper jelly, or hot honey for some extra spice.
Optional variation: omit the poppy seeds. You can omit or substitute the poppy seeds in this easy recipe if you don’t have them or prefer not to use them. If you still want some color and texture on top of the rolls, you can use white or black sesame seeds or red pepper flakes in place of the poppy seeds or sprinkle some fresh chopped parsley on top of the cooked sliders.