How to make the best Ham and Cheese Sliders, the ultimate hot ham and cheese sandwich perfect for any party! You’ll love these mini hot ham and cheese sliders, for game day, the Super Bowl, and an easy dinner even your kids will love!
I’m updating one of my favorite recipes I first shared nearly 10 years ago. They’re a go-to for a cold evening in. We can’t get enough of these easy Ham and Cheese Sliders.
We enjoyed them once again over the weekend when we were snowed in. They’re an incredibly delicious way to warm up and kid friendly, too! This melt in your mouth Hot Ham and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food!
Through the years I’ve perfected these ham and cheese sandwiches to ensure the gooiest, most buttery sandwich you’ve ever had! And hey, they come in the perfect portion controlled size to eliminate any guilt.
I’m sharing all of my tips and tricks in addition to the ultimate Ham and Cheese Sliders recipe with you today!
What is a Slider?
A slider is simply a small sandwich. It makes them easy to serve and easy to eat! They’re perfect for parties! You may also enjoy these steak sliders and Juicy Sliders.
Where to Serve Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
These sandwiches make entertaining a crowd easy! Serve them at:
- Super Bowl Party
- Game Day Parties and Tailgates
- Snow Day Get Together
- NYE
- Christmas
- Easter
- Dinner
The secret is in the sauce – and what lies beneath.
A blend of butter, Worcestershire sauce, minced onion, and poppy seeds make the most amazing sauce that bakes into the Ham and Cheese Sliders. The base of the buns are coated in olive oil mayonnaise, which seeps into the buns and adds to the gooeyness of the cheese. Don’t worry, even the pickiest eaters and mayo haters (um, me!) won’t be wiser.
If you really want to, you can make ham and cheese sliders without poppy seed, but I recommend you try it. They’re seriously so good!
Of course you can’t make a ham and cheese sandwich without ham! I like to use tavern ham, but you can use any un-flavored ham or savory ham like black forest as well. In my opinion, the thinner, the better.
For the best results, get swiss cheese from the deli counter. It’s freshly sliced which means it melts even better than packaged swiss.
Finally, cocktail buns! The best slider bun is cocktail sized egg buns found in your grocer’s bakery. Again, fresh is always best and produces the most melt-in-your-mouth ham and cheese sliders! Dinner rolls or Hawaiian rolls will also do in a pinch.
This Hot Ham and Cheese sandwich is so easy to make even little kids can help! While they’re quick and easy, I never say no to helping hands. You can whip them up in 10 minutes or less (hands on time). Then these little Ham and Cheese Sliders bake about 14 minutes.
What’s In Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Cocktail Buns – Small dollar rolls, cocktail buns or egg buns work well. You can also use Hawaiian rolls.
- Mayonnaise – I like to use olive oil mayonnaise for the best flavor. You can use whatever mayonnaise you have on hand (or make Homemade Mayonnaise), however miracle whip is not a suitable substitute.
- Ham – Ham sliced thin is the centerpiece of these amazing sliders. I ask our deli to slice to a 1. Pro tip: this is an excellent way to use leftover honey glazed ham after the holidays!
- Swiss Cheese – Swiss is so gooey and delicious when melted to perfection.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, melted.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Adds a hint of flavor and seeps into the buns to create an incredible sauce, full of flavor.
- Minced Onion – Dried minced onion works impeccably well, but you can also use fresh white or yellow onion.
- Poppy Seeds – The add a little texture, flavor and color. You can eliminate if you prefer.
Variations
- Turkey Sliders – Simply replace ham with turkey!
- Roast Beef Sliders – Substitute using roast beef and provolone or cheddar cheese. Add horseradish in lieu of mayonnaise.
- Make it Saucy – Add 1 tablespoon honey and 2 tablespoons dijon mustard.
- Sweeten Them Up – Add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the sauce and use Hawaiian rolls.
- Make them Garlicky – Add two tablespoons of minced garlic or 2 teaspoons garlic powder to the sauce.
How to Make Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Prep – Preheat oven.
- Make Sandwiches – Slice buns in half. I liked to keep them connected and slice them 6 at a time! Line a baking dish or baking sheet with the bottom of the buns, slathering each one with mayo. Top with ham and cheese. Spread mayonnaise on bottom of the top of each bun and place on top of sandwiches.
- Make Sauce – In a pourable bowl, combine melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, minced onion, and poppy seeds. Whisk thoroughly. Pour over sandwiches, reserving about ¼ cup.
- Bake – Cover with foil or lid and bake.
- Toast – Remove the foil and bake an additional 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Top – Pour remaining mixture over tops of the rolls. Serve hot.
The result? Individual gooey, buttery sandwiches that melt in your mouth with a little crunch from the butter soaking into the cocktail bun in the bottom of your baking dish.
Tips for Making the Best Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
- Remember fresh is always best. Use fresh buns from the bakery, if possible.
- Have ham and swiss sliced thin (I like to have ham sliced to a 1 and cheese to a 2) from the deli counter.
- Slice buns while still connected to make it quick and easy.
- Cover with foil – this will keep the moisture in and melt the cheese!
How to Store
- Refrigerate – Up to 3 days stored in an airtight container.
- Freeze – Bring to room temperature and store in an airtight container up to 3 months.
How to Reheat Sliders
- Microwave – Reheat one minute uncovered in the microwave, turn and reheat one additional minute. Add melted butter to refresh sauce, if needed.
- Oven – Preheat oven to 350°F and bake covered 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted. Refresh sauce with melted butter if needed.
Swiss melts incredibly well for sliders and balance the saltiness of ham, but provolone, mozzarella, Monterey jack and cheddar also work well.
One of the best things about sliders is that you can serve them in the casserole dish you make and bake them in! You can also transfer to a platter if you prefer.
To prevent them from getting soggy, simply toast them 2 minutes uncovered (per instructions)/
You can make these sliders up to 48 hours in advance and cover refrigerated until ready to bake and cover with sauce.
Keep sandwiches covered in a warm oven – 200°F or less and remove just before serving. You can also individually wrap them and store in a slow cooker until serving.
Serving Suggestions
- Truffle Fries
- Green Beans with Bacon
- Garlic Smashed Potatoes
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Sweet Potato Fries
- Creamy Potato Salad
- Truffle Mac and Cheese
Originally published March 2012
More Sandwiches You’ll Love
- Picnic Sandwiches
- Marinated Steak Sliders
- Gerber Sandwich
- Juicy Sliders
- Grilled Cheese on the Grill
- Best Bread for Grilled Cheese
- Grilled Ham and Cheese
- Oven Grilled Cheese
- Mayo Grilled Cheese
Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders
Ingredients
Sandwiches
- 12 cocktail egg buns
- 2 tablespoons olive oil mayonnaise
- ½ pound ham sliced thin
- ⅓ pound swiss cheese sliced thin
Sauce
- ½ cup butter melted
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon minced onion or chopped
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Slice buns in half and line a 9×11 baking dish with the bottom half of the buns.
- Spread mayonnaise bottom buns.
- Top with ham and cheese (don't worry about overlap of cheese.) Put bun tops on.
- In a small bowl, combine butter, worcestershire sauce, minced onion, and poppy seeds. Cover sandwiches with sauce, reserving ¼ cup.
- Cover with aluminum foil or lid and bake 12 minutes. Remove foil or lid, return to over for an additional 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Pour remaining sauce over sandwiches and serve warm.
Tips
Substitutions
- Cocktail Buns – Small dollar rolls, cocktail buns, egg buns, Hawaiian rolls.
- Mayonnaise – Use whatever mayonnaise you have on hand, however miracle whip is not a suitable substitute.
- Ham – Can substitute with sliced chicken, turkey or roast beef.
- Swiss Cheese – Can substitute with cheddar, Monterey jack, provolone or mozzarella.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted.
- Minced Onion – Substitute fresh white or yellow onion.
Tips
- Slice buns while still connected to make it quick and easy.
How to Store
- Refrigerate – Up to 3 days stored in an airtight container.
- Freeze – Bring to room temperature and store up to 3 months in an airtight container.
Reheat
- Microwave – Reheat one minute uncovered in the microwave, turn and reheat one additional minute. Add melted butter to refresh sauce, if needed.
- Oven – Preheat oven to 350°F and bake covered 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted. Refresh sauce with melted butter if needed.
Video
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Oh yes, these are a great dinner idea or work great for a party!
These are our favorite sliders!
How many per person? You didn’t say how many buns,cheese, or ham!
Please forgive me, Dorothy – I added it in. I updated my recipe cards to make them a little more user friendly last week, but there were a few glitches. I hope you enjoy these as much as our family does!
I make these using Parker House Rolls. Yes, they are yummy!
Those sliders has the capacity to make everyone drool. So yummy!