Bolognese Sandwich Pull-Apart Sliders

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These easy beef Bolognese Sandwich Pull-Apart Sliders are filled with an incredible Bolognese sauce and cheese, then baked to golden perfection. Perfect party finger food and one of the easiest crowd feeding recipes!

Flavorsome and the perfect party food, these Bolognese Sandwich Pull-Apart Sliders combine two of my favorite things: Italian cuisine and food everyone can share!

I always want my recipes to be meals you can throw in the middle of the table and say, “Dig in, guys!”. These mini sliders are definitely that.

The name really gives it all away with these little bolognese sandwiches. Beef sliders – AKA super-cute, mini burgers. Pull apart loaf – so everyone can rip off one little roll (or more). All with an easy beef bolognese sauce and cheese filling. What’s not to love?

What is bolognese sauce?

Bolognese sauce is a meat-based Italian sauce. It is a hearty and tasty ragù many times used in the filling of lasagne alla bolognese (or Lasagna Bolognese – a traditional Italian beef lasagna recipe).

Most often you serve it with broad, flat pasta shapes, such as pappardelle, tagliatelle or fettuccine. It is a stand out in Italian Cooking due to its flavorful herb tomato sauce!

In the case of this pull-apart bolognese sandwich recipe, these little sliders are filled with beef bolognese sauce and cheese.

Ingredients for Bolognese Sandwich Beef Sliders

Bread Dough Recipe

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• ⅓ cup water
• ½ cup milk
• 3 tsp. sugar
• 2 ¼ tsp. instant yeast
• 3 ¼ cups bread flour
• 1 tsp. salt

Note: If you want, you can use pull-apart Hawaiian roll sliders instead of making your own dough.

Beef Bolognese Sauce Recipe

• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 1 small onion grated
• ½ pound ground beef*
• 1 ½ Tbsp. red wine
• 7 oz. diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
• 1 ½ Tbsp. milk
• 1 ½ Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. dried oregano*
• 1 tsp. dried thyme*
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Pepper to taste

Note: For the ground beef, we recommend you use Certified Angus Beef® brand for the best results.

Note: You can swap the oregano and thyme for 1 ½ tsp. of Italian seasoning.

Sliders Cheese Filling

• 24 small slices Gouda cheese

Note: you can substitute Gouda cheese with any good melting cheese. Other options are Gruyere, Havarti or Fontina, for example.

Garlic Butter Sauce Topping

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped

Making Dough for Beef Bolognese Sliders

The homemade bread itself is my favorite, easy bread recipe that I’ve adapted for everything from Chocolate Bread to Hot Cross Buns, and now these Bolognese Sandwich Beef Sliders.

It’s incredibly easy to make! Yes, you need to knead, but no worries, you can knead this dough by hand. It’s much easier if you have a stand mixer, but you can make homemade bread either way!

If you knead the dough by hand, it will take 7-10 minutes to get it to the right texture, but I find there is something so therapeutic about kneading dough and about making bread in general.

You give the dough a little time to rise (or proof, as they say in the baking world), then you stuff the little balls of dough with Beef Bolognese sauce filling and let them sit for another 5 minutes.

Then, you bake them to perfection. The outside is crispy and the inside is extremely soft and flavorful.

Of course, if you would prefer, you can use Hawaiian rolls instead of homemade bread!

How to Make Homemade Bread

1. In a small saucepan over the lowest heat, melt 2 Tbsp. butter.
2. Once it almost entirely melts, add ⅓ cup water, ½ cup milk, and 3 tsp. sugar.
3. Stir until combined and sugar melts (only about a minute – you just want the mixture to be lukewarm, not hot).
4. Turn the heat off and sprinkle 2 ⅓ tsp. instant yeast over the top, then whisk together well.
5. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes until foamy.
6. While the wet mixture is sitting, sift 3 ¼ cups bread flour and stir through 1 tsp. salt.
7. Add the milk mixture. Mix together, and then knead until smooth and elastic. You can do this by hand for about 10 minutes or in a stand mixer with a dough hook for 5-7 minutes.
8. When the dough is smooth and elastic, place it in an oiled bowl, brush a little oil over the top and cover with plastic wrap. Sit in a warm spot to rise for about an hour or until doubled in size.

How to Make Bolognese Sauce

1. Place a small saucepan over medium heat, add a little oil, then add 1 small grated onion and 1 clove crushed garlic and stir until just starting to turn translucent.
2. Add ½ lb. ground beef and saute while breaking up with a wooden spoon.
3. Add 1 ½ Tbsp. red wine and bring it to a simmer before adding the following ingredients:
   1. 7 oz. diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
   2. 1 ½ Tbsp. milk
   3. 1 ½ Tbsp. tomato paste
   4. 1 tsp. dried oregano See note 2
   5. 1 tsp. dried thyme See note 2
   6. 1 tsp. salt
   7. 1 tsp. sugar
   8. Pepper to taste
4. Mix well and simmer for another 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Cool in the fridge until ready to use.

How to Make Sliders – Bolognese Sandwich Recipe

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Brush a round baking dish with oil.
2. Give the bread dough a very light knead. Cut the dough into 2 halves, and continue to halve until you have 24 small pieces of dough.
3. Coat a surface with flour, then use a flat bottom dish (also coated with flour) to flatten each piece of dough.
4. Use your thumbs and forefingers to gently pull on the edges all the way around until the circle is about 3 inches wide. 
5. Spoon about 1 ½ tsp. of beef bolognese sauce into the center of a dough disk.
6. Top with a square of cheese.
7. Fold in two sides of the dough to meet in the middle. Fold the first open end into the middle in 3 folds, then repeat on the other open end. Where all the dough folds meet in the middle, press them together with your fingers.
8. Flip the ball over and place it in your prepared dish. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Let them sit for 10 minutes.
9. Bake for around 25 minutes until golden on top.

How to Make Garlic Butter for Bolognese Sandwich Sliders

Time for the grand finale: the garlic butter sauce! This is a simple mixture of olive oil, butter, garlic, salt, and parsley that you saute for a few minutes then brush over your bread as soon as it comes out of the oven.

Follow our step-by-step guide on how to make the perfect Garlic Butter Sauce. 

Talk about flavor bursts. These beef sliders with homemade bolognese sauce pack intense flavor into little 3-bite bread rolls.

How to Make Sliders – Our Best Tips for Bolognese Sandwich Sliders

• Proof your dough: The dough is ready to sit and proof once it gets to a smooth, elastic ball. Always brush a bowl with oil, roll the ball of dough around in it so all sides are coated, then cover it to protect it from drying out.
• Let it rise: Allow it to rise until it has doubled in size. The amount of time will vary depending on your weather and altitude.
  • For cold weather: In very cold weather you can set it under the lamp from your range hood or even heat the oven up to 150°F, then turn it off. Set the bowl of dough on the open oven door (not in the oven).
  • For hot weather: If it is very hot where you are, the dough will rise more quickly, but to ensure it doesn’t rise too quickly, place it in a cooler spot (for example, in the pantry).
• Seal the bottoms: Make sure to seal the bottom of the sliders really well to stop any of that magical beef Bolognese sauce and cheese from escaping.
• Give them a little bit of room: The sliders should be touching in the dish but not hard pressed up against each other for pull-apart perfection.
• Fresh out of the oven: Brush the garlic butter sauce on while it is warm as soon as they come out of the oven.
• Let them cool first: Let them cool for 5 minutes before serving as the filling will be very hot.

We had these for lunch 2 days in a row and ate them all! Beef bolognese sandwich sliders are extremely crave-worthy, and your family will finish them off in no time.

Enjoy more easy sliders recipes!

• Turkey Sliders Recipe
• Philly Cheesesteak Sliders
• Cheeseburger Sliders with Bacon
• BBQ Chicken Pull Apart Sliders
• Hawaiian Pizza Pull Apart Sliders
• Hawaiian Roll Slider Recipes (Tailgating Recipes)

Plus, our Garlic Butter Ham and Cheese Sliders!

Ground Beef Recipes

• Homemade Bolognese Sauce with Pappardelle Pasta
• Papas Rellenas Recipe (Stuffed Potato Balls)
• Best Ground Beef Stroganoff Recipe – ready in 30 minutes!
• Slow Cooker Beef Ragu

Bolognese Sandwich Pull-Apart Sliders

Marie Roffey

Bolognese Sandwich Pull-Apart Sliders – soft mini bread rolls filled with a delicious bolognese filling and cheese. The perfect party finger food!

4.5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 40 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Servings 8

Calories 372 kcal

Equipment

• Stand mixer (optional, but makes it easier to knead the dough)

Ingredients

  

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Bread Dough

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• ⅓ cup water
• ½ cup milk
• 3 tsp. sugar
• 2 ¼ tsp. instant yeast
• 3 ¼ cups bread flour
• 1 tsp. salt

For the Bolognese Sauce

• 1 clove garlic crushed
• 1 small onion grated
• ½ pound ground beef See note 1
• 1 ½ Tbsp. red wine
• 7 oz. diced tomatoes or crushed tomatoes
• 1 ½ Tbsp. milk
• 1 ½ Tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 tsp. dried oregano See note 2
• 1 tsp. dried thyme See note 2
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Pepper to taste

Other

• 24 small slices Gouda cheese

For the topping

• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley. finely chopped

Instructions

 

• In a small saucepan over the lowest heat, melt the butter. Once it has almost all melted, add the water, milk and sugar. Stir until combined and sugar has melted (only about a minute – you just want the mixture to be luke warm, not hot). Turn the heat off and sprinkle yeast over the top, then whisk together well. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes until foamy.
• While that is sitting, sift the flour and stir through the salt. Add the milk mixture. Mix together and then knead until smooth and elastic. You can do this by hand for about 10 minutes or in a stand mixer with a dough hook for 5-7 minutes. When the dough is smooth and elastic, place it in an oiled bowl, brush a little oil over the top and cover with plastic wrap. Sit in a warm spot to rise for about an hour or until doubled in size.

To make the beef bolognese sauce

• Place a small saucepan over medium heat, add a little oil, then add the onion and garlic and stir until just starting to turn translucent. Add the meat and saute while breaking up with a wooden spoon. Add the red wine and bring it to a simmer before adding the rest of the sauce ingredients (down to the pepper) and mixing well. Simmer for another 5 minutes and remove from the heat. Cool in the fridge until ready.

To assemble the bolognese sandwich sliders

• Preheat your oven to 200C / 400F / 180C fan forced. Brush a round baking dish with oil.
• Give the risen bread dough a very light knead. Cut the dough into 2 halves, over and over until you have 24 small pieces of dough.
• On a floured surface, use a flat bottom dish (also floured) to flatten each piece of dough then, use your thumbs and forefingers to gently pull on the edges (note 4) all the way round until the circle is about 3 inches wide. 
• Spoon about 1 ½ teaspoons of bolognese into the center of a dough disk. Top with a square of cheese. Fold in two sides of the dough to meet in the middle. Fold the first open end into the middle in 3 folds the repeat on the other open end. Where all the dough foods meet in the middle press them together with your fingers. Flip the ball over and place it in your prepared dish. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Let them sit for 10 minutes before baking for around 25 minutes until golden on top.

For the garlic butter sauce

• Melt the butter in the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and salt and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the parsley, stir around then turn off the heat. Brush the topping ng mixture over the freshly baked sliders and serve.

Notes

1. The best beef: We recommend you use Certified Angus Beef® brand for best results.
2. Swap out the herbs: You can swap the oregano and thyme for 1 ½ teaspoons of Italian seasoning.
3. Use a melting cheese: You can substitute Gouda cheese with any good melting cheese with good flavor. Other options would be Gruyere, Havarti or Fontina
4. Folding the dough: The reason for pulling in the edges of the circles of dough is so that when you fold them up, the bottom of the bread roll is not super thick while the top is thin
5. For best results: you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop!)
6. You can use Hawaiian rolls: Use Hawaiian rolls instead of homemade bread if you would prefer not to make the dough.

Nutrition

Calories: 372kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 13gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 845mgPotassium: 248mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 250IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 1.6mg

Keyword beef bolognese recipe, beef bolognese sauce, beef sliders, bolognese sandwich, Pull Apart Sliders

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