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For a fun weeknight dinner or party food that has so much flavor in one little bite, try my Easy Ham and Cheese Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls! These garlic butter ham and cheese sliders are ready in under 15 minutes using simple ingredients. They bake in the rolls packaging for easy cleanup and are perfect for using up leftovers!
Jump to:
- Garlic Butter Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Tools to Make Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Ingredients in Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Ham and Cheese Sliders Recipe
- Detailed Ham and Cheese Sliders Recipe Instructions
- Expert Tips
- What to Serve with Ham and Cheese Sliders
- FAQ
- Storage Instructions
- How to Freeze Garlic Butter Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Reviews
Garlic Butter Ham and Cheese Sliders
I'm a big fan of slider sandwich recipes, and out of my mini cheeseburgers, cheesesteaks, breakfast sliders and turkey and cheese sandwiches, these deliciously easy ham and cheese sliders on Hawaiian rolls are my favorite.
Not only will I show you the easiest way to make delicious garlic butter ham and cheese sliders, but I'll also share with you my expert tips from years of making them, plus storage instructions, serving suggestions, answers to FAQ, and ingredient substitution ideas. Enjoy!
Using the original box to bake these sliders is a really neat trick. Less dishes to wash and everything fits neatly. 🙂
Tools to Make Ham and Cheese Sliders
- A serrated knife to cut the slider rolls in half.
- A mixing bowl to mix the garlic butter sauce.
- A basting brush (optional). This makes it easier to brush the rolls with garlic butter.
- The cardboard box the rolls come packaged in. Don't throw it away - this is what you will bake the rolls in!
Ingredients in Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Rolls: I'm using a 12-pack of King's Hawaiian roll sliders. You can use any soft party rolls you prefer, but King's Hawaiian rolls are convenient because you can bake the sliders in the packaging for the rolls. And they taste great!
- Cheese: Use your preferred sliced cheese, such as Swiss, American, or Provolone.
- Ham: I'm using leftover sliced ham (these sliders are amazing with my honey ham), but you can also use deli ham.
- Garlic Butter: To make homemade garlic butter sauce, you need garlic, butter, and fresh parsley. See my recipe for garlic butter for full instructions and ingredient measurements.
- Honey: I like using a sweet local honey for this, but you can also use hot honey, which would be delicious.
- Salt and Pepper: Kosher salt or sea salt flakes, and freshly cracked black pepper, work best.
- Dijon Mustard: Optional, but Dijon adds great flavor to these ham and cheese sliders. Alternatives would be brown mustard or stone ground mustard.
Ham and Cheese Sliders Recipe
Equipment
- Air fryer OR oven
Ingredients
- 1 package Hawaiian rolls - (12 pack)
- 8-10 slices cheese - your preference (Swiss, white cheddar, white American, or provolone work well)
- 4-6 slices leftover ham - or about 12 slices of deli ham
- ½ cup garlic butter sauce
- ½ tablespoons honey
- salt and pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven or air fryer to 350°F.
- In a bowl, combine ½ cup garlic butter sauce with ½ tablespoons honey and mix well. Then, slice 1 package Hawaiian rolls (12 count) in half using a serrated knife. Don't throw out the cardboard container! You'll need it for baking.
- Spread the honey garlic butter mixture on the inside of the rolls. I use a basting brush to brush the mixture over the rolls evenly.
- Top the bottom half of the rolls with 8-10 slices cheese, and the other half with 4-6 slices leftover ham (or 12 slices deli ham).
- Place the top half of the rolls back over the bottom layer, then brush the rolls with more garlic butter mixture on top. Season the top of the rolls with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the rolls to the cardboard tray they came packaged in. Pack it tightly against the rolls, then cover with foil.
- Add rolls to your preheated oven (or air fryer) and bake for 10 minutes (8 minutes for air fryer), until the cheese is nicely melted.
Notes
- Use the cardboard tray the sliders are packaged in. My favorite part about making Hawaiian roll slider recipes is that you can use the cardboard tray they come in as a baking tray. This saves you from having to clean a baking dish!
- Slice before serving. Because this recipe uses large slices of leftover ham, I recommend slicing these little sandwiches before serving them rather than just pulling them apart.
- Use your favorite deli ham. Leftover ham is my favorite for this recipe, but you can also use deli ham. You will need around 12 slices to have enough ham for each roll. Fold them over when placing them on the rolls.
Video
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Isabel! I've been sharing my recipes online, in cookbooks, and in TV specials since 2012. The most important thing to me is Sunday supper with my family, and inspiring togetherness with my recipes!
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Detailed Ham and Cheese Sliders Recipe Instructions
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). While it preheats, combine garlic butter with honey in a bowl.
Step 2: Slice a 12-pack of Hawaiian rolls in half using a serrated knife. Be sure not to throw out the cardboard container - it's used as a baking tray for the sliders!
Step 3: Spread the honey garlic butter mixture on the inside of the rolls. I use a basting brush to brush the mixture over the rolls evenly.
Step 4: Top the bottom half of the rolls with 8-10 cheese slices, and the other half with 4-6 slices of leftover ham (or 12 slices deli ham). Some pieces will overlap, and that's okay.
Step 5: Place the top half of the rolls back over the bottom layer, then brush the rolls with more garlic butter mixture on top. Season the top of the rolls with salt and pepper to taste. 
Step 6: Add the rolls to the cardboard tray they came packaged in. Pack it tightly against the rolls, then cover with foil. This is the best thing about this recipe (apart from how great it tastes!) - you won't have any extra dishes to do.
Step 7: Add the assembled ham and cheese sliders to your preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is nicely melted. See FAQ if you'd like to air fry your ham and cheese sliders instead.
Expert Tips
- Slice before serving. Because our ham and cheese sliders use large slices of leftover ham, I recommend slicing them before serving rather than just pulling them apart.
- Use the cardboard tray the sliders are packaged in. My favorite part about making Hawaiian roll slider recipes is that you can use the cardboard tray they come in as a baking tray. This saves you from having to clean a baking dish!
- Experiment with other sauces, like my mayo mustard sauce or cowboy butter. You could even add a little everything bagel seasoning.
What to Serve with Ham and Cheese Sliders
FAQ
Ham and cheese baked sliders are so easy to make ahead of time. Simply prepare the sliders as directed, store them in the refrigerator in the original baking package wrapped in foil, then bake for minutes when ready to serve.
These sliders are of a decent size but account for each person to eat 2-3 sliders depending on their appetite. For a large group, you may want to double the batch.
Yes, absolutely. Just be sure to check the packaging to see if you're able to bake the rolls in the packaging they come in or not. Not all rolls will come in a cardboard tray you can bake. If they don't, you'll want to use a baking tray or dish to bake the rolls.
I make air fryer ham and cheese sliders all the time - it's easy! All you have to do is preheat your air fryer to 350°F (180°C), assemble the recipe as instructed, then air fry for 8 minutes.
Storage Instructions
- Put the sliders in a sealed container or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap.
- Keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If you want to store them longer, freeze them.
- If frozen, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
- Warm them up in the oven or microwave when ready to eat.
How to Freeze Garlic Butter Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Wrap: You can wrap the sliders individually or together in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. This is the best way to keep the sliders fresh in the freezer.
- Label: Write the date so you know when they were frozen.
- Freeze: Place the container or bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
These ham and cheese sliders without poppy seeds are a favorite to pack for school lunches. See more of my School Lunch Ideas. They're especially perfect for picky eaters!
Jenna @ SipBiteGo.com says
These were perfect for Sunday Night dinner last night. We had a couple left and I added egg this morning to them.
Em Beitel says
Thank you, Jenna! That sounds awesome - we love the idea of adding egg for breakfast leftovers. Yummm.
Anita says
Using the original box to bake these sliders is a really neat trick. Less dishes to wash and everything fits neatly. 🙂
Em Beitel says
Thank you so much, Anita!
Haley says
The step by step photos are SO helpful! These sliders turned out perfectly and taste delicious!
Em Beitel says
Thank you, Haley! We're so glad they helped and are very happy you enjoy the recipe!
Pam Greer says
That honey garlic butter brushed on the top really takes these to a whole new level!
Em Beitel says
Thank you so much, Pam! That garlic butter topping is so yummy!
Marlynn Schotland says
These sliders are packed with yummy flavors!! I never thought to use the cardboard box as a cooking tray until your recipe. What a fun tip!
Em Beitel says
Thank you so much, Marlynn! Using the tray makes them even easier to bake.
Carolyn Farmer says
Can you heat these in the microwave
Em Beitel says
Hi Carolyn! You can reheat them in the microwave, but I recommend first cooking them in the air fryer or oven for best results. Thank you for your question!
Lea H. says
My mom made some similar Hawaiian roll ham & swiss sliders years ago. Her sauce was melted butter, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, and dried minced onions. She sprinkled poppy seeds on top before baking. I was immediately addicted. My hubs loves itwhenImakethem. My air fryer is small so I only make 4 at a time. He eats them as fast as I can get them made.
I've never thought about using honey in the sauce. It sounds great and I can't wait to try it.
Em Beitel says
Worcestershire in the sauce sounds delicious! We hope you enjoy this version just as much. Thank you!