Ham and Cheese Sliders (Easy Hawaiian Roll Recipe)

Name: Ham and Cheese Sliders
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup melted Butter; 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard; 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce; 1 tsp Brown Sugar; 1 tbsp Poppy Seeds; 2 tsp Dried Minced Onion; 12 King's Hawaiian Dinner Rolls; 9 oz thin sliced Deli Ham; 8 oz thin sliced Swiss Cheese

Ham and Cheese Sliders are one of the easiest crowd-pleasing recipes you can make for parties, game day, holidays, or busy weeknight dinners. These Hawaiian roll sliders are layered with ham, melty Swiss cheese, and a buttery topping that bakes golden brown in just 20 minutes.

Close up image of ham and cheese sliders stacked.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe!

Carrie, the owner, with long dark hair, wearing earrings and a purple top, smiles at the camera in front of a textured, beige background.

I started making these sliders when I needed an easy recipe that worked for both busy weeknights and family parties. Now they are one of our go-to meals because they are fast, affordable, and easy to customize with whatever cheese or deli ham we already have in the fridge.

Ready in about 30 minutes with 10 minutes of hands-on prep.
Perfect for holidays and game day and a great way to use up leftover holiday ham.
Make them the night before. Assemble, refrigerate, and add the butter topping right before baking.
Budget-friendly ingredients. About $1.18 a slider, so a whole pan of 12 costs round $14
Kid-friendly. Soft, sweet rolls and mild ham and Swiss are an easy win with picky eaters.

These delicious sliders are easy to serve and can be made in a variety of ways. Make dinnertime a breeze with these Hawaiian Roll Sliders!

Ingredients

Melted Butter – Salted or unsalted both work. We salted for a little extra flavor in the topping.
Dijon Mustard – Gives the topping its tangy kick. Yellow mustard works too or horseradish sauce for more bite.
Worcestershire Sauce – Adds a savory, slightly tangy depth to the butter topping.
Brown Sugar – Combines with the Worcestershire sauce so well and adds a nice sweetness.
Poppy Seed – Just the perfect touch to these sliders
Dried Minced Onion, or onion powder – We love adding onion to just about anything.
King’s Hawaiian sweet Rolls – One 12-count package. Keep the rolls connected so you can slice the whole slab at once. Try Homemade Kings Hawaiian Rolls recipe.
Ham – Thin-sliced deli ham (honey or smoked) is easiest, but leftover holiday ham works great too.
Swiss Cheese – Swiss Cheese makes these sliders extra cheesy. But provolone or cheddar are good options too.

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.

How to Make Ham and Cheese Sliders

Step 1. First preheat oven to 350. Then grease a 9×13-inch baking dish by spraying it with a non stick cooking spray.

Combining the sauce ingredients in a bowl with a whisk with the prepared sliders in a baking dish.

Step 2. Combine butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, poppy seeds, and dried onions in a small bowl.

Step 3. Keep the rolls connected and use a serrated knife to slice the whole slab in half horizontally, so you have one big top piece and one big bottom piece.

Step 4. Place the bottom slab in the prepared baking dish.

Step 5. Layer the thinly sliced ham onto the bottom buns. Top the bottom part of the rolls with the sliced ham.

Placing slice swiss cheese on the deli ham.

Step 6. Top the ham with the sliced Swiss Cheese.

Topping the poppyseed mixture on top of the rolls while in the baking dish.

Step 7. Place the top half of the rolls onto the sandwiches. Brush or pour the butter mixture evenly over the rolls. I like to brush the butter sauce on to make sure it is evenly distributed.

Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders in the baking dish.

Step 8. Bake 15 – 20 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned and cheese has melted.

Step 9. Use a sharp knife to cut along the lines between the rolls and serve warm.

They really are not hard to create and I promise that everyone will devour them in amount the same amount of time that they took to make.

Sliders with slice deli ham and melted cheese in between the rolls.

Pro Tips

Slice Rolls – You can slice the rolls with a knife or tear them apart with your hands. We recommend slicing with a knife for an even cut.
Melted Butter – For the melted butter on top of the rolls, you can use salted or unsalted. We like the salted to give it a hint of salty flavor.
Foil – Bake uncovered so the bottoms don’t steam and get soggy. If the tops are browning before the cheese melts, lay foil loosely over the pan just for the last few minutes.
Keeping Warm – After these are done cooking, I cover them with foil over the baking dish to keep these sliders warm and perfect during any party or during the entire game.
Make Ahead – Assemble the sliders in the baking dish without the butter topping, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. When you’re ready, mix the topping, brush it on, and bake. Add about 5 minutes since they’re starting cold.

Variations & Substitutions

Poppyseed – You can leave out the poppyseeds if you want. Mix together the slider topping together leaving out the poppyseeds and you will still have an amazing recipe. You can also mix in Everything but the Bagel Seasoning.
Change out the Ham – As you you probably know, I am not a HUGE ham fan. My entire family loves ham, but my lunch meat of choice is turkey. I’ve made this exact recipe with turkey and I love it even more. Roast beef would also be a great substitute.
Change the mustard – Not a Dijon fan? Regular yellow mustard works great. One of our readers makes them that way and loves it.
Switch the cheese – We use Swiss, but provolone, mozzarella, cheddar, or pepper jack are all delicious.
Change the topping – I love the mustard glaze, but you can leave out the mustard and stir in garlic for another delicious flavor idea.
Make breakfast sliders – Another reader suggested adding scrambled eggs and crispy bacon for a breakfast version.

Using Leftover Holiday Ham

After Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter, these sliders are our favorite way to use up leftover ham. Since the ham is the most expensive part of the recipe, use leftovers makes an already budget-friendly pan of sliders even cheaper.

Slice it then. Thin slices layer evenly and keep the sliders easy to bite. Chilled ham is much easier to slice then than warm ham.
How much you need: About 9 ounces of ham for one pan of 12 sliders. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, that’s roughly two loose handfuls of thin slices.
Glazed or spiral ham: It’s sweeter than deli ham, so you can skip the brown sugar in the topping if you like.
Save the bone: Use it to make a pot of soup later in the week.

Have more ham than you can use this week? See our guide on Can You Freeze Ham?

What to Serve with Ham Sliders

When I make them for family night, I usually serve a side of roasted broccoli, chips and dip, and Fruit Salad Recipe. These sliders are really filling so they complete any meal.

For game a day party, a nice vegetable tray and fruit tray is the perfect side for your next get together. See What to Serve with Sliders for more ideas.

Close up image of ham and cheese slider stacked on top of each other.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Refrigerate: Store leftover sliders in an airtight container or wrapped in foil for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat in the oven: Wrap in foil and warm at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until the cheese melts again. This keeps the roll soft.
Reheat in the microwave: Warm a slider for about 20 to 30 seconds. Quick, but the roll gets a little chewier.
Freezing: These are best fresh. If you want to freeze them, assemble without the butter topping, wrap the pan tightly, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then add the topping and bake.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my sliders soggy on the bottom?

Covering the pan traps steam, which softens the bottom buns. Bake uncovered, and only lay foil loosely on top at the end if the tops are browning too fast. Brushing the topping on right before baking (not the night before) also helps.

Can I make ham and cheese sliders the night before?

Yes! Assemble them without the butter topping, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Brush on the topping right before baking and add about 5 minutes to the bake time.

Can you freeze ham and cheese sliders?

They’re best fresh, but you can freeze them unbaked without the topping for up to 2 months. See the storage section above for details.

How many sliders per person?

For an appetizer, plan on 2 sliders per person. For a meal, plan on 3 to 4.

Are ham and cheese sliders good cold?

Yes. They’re great cold for lunchboxes or picnics, though the cheese won’t be melty. If you plan to serve them cold, bake them as directed, let them cool, then refrigerate and serve within a day for the softest rolls.

Why are they called Hawaiian sliders?

They’re made with King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls. The sweet, soft rolls are what make them different from regular ham and cheese sandwiches.