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★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
Savory butter Hawaiian rolls are layered with smoky black forest ham and creamy Havarti cheese then topped with a seasoned butter glaze and baked to a golden brown. YUM.
Havarti cheese for the win!
This combination of Havarti cheese and black forest ham is unique and so delicious. Havarti cheese is similar to Swiss but doesn't have that bitter after taste making these melty, mild and well-loved.
These ham and cheese sliders are always a crowd-pleasing recipe, great football party food, great for family gatherings, potlucks, holidays or just because!
Buttery Glaze
The butter topping crisps the tops and adds flavor. Poppy seeds add a subtle crunch and nutty flavor.
Make-ahead Friendly
You can make these ahead and bake right before you're ready to eat so they are great for taking on vacations, to a friend's houses or for serving house guests.
With their buttery Hawaiian roll buns, onion-poppy seed sauce, melty Havarti cheese and peppery ham, these sliders hit all the right notes. Yet are so simple to prepare. Make ahead up to 3 days in advance, refrigerate, then just bake before serving.
Feeds a Big Family or a Small Group
This simple and quick recipe is ideal for feeding a family or small crowd as it makes a dozen sliders.
Serve these ham and Havarti cheese sliders at your next gathering along with other popular appetizers like my Mexican street corn dip, spinach dip pinwheels and hot Maryland crab dip.
Good Weekend Food
These ham and cheese sliders will also absolutely satisfy your weekend munchies. Enjoy these sliders as a hearty breakfast-lunch combination so you can consolidate meals and get more done with your day off, while staying fueled.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
You need just 3 main ingredients to make these baked sliders, plus a 5-ingredient homemade seasoned buttery sauce that tops these roll so that they bake to a delicious crisp.
Here's everything you'll need:
- Savory Hawaiian rolls. I prefer Savory Butter Hawaiian rolls these over the sweet rolls because ham is already sweet, you don't really need more sweetness.
- Black forest ham. I like the extra flavor that comes along with the dark, smoked edges of Black Forest ham. You will also get more flavor if you choose a premium ham from the deli.
- Havarti cheese. This soft white cheese is similar to Swiss but has less of a tart, sour flavor to it which I find more appealing vs. Swiss cheese. If you love Swiss cheese though, you can use that instead.
THE SAUCE to top the buns is made with: melted salted butter, poppy seeds, onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard. A tasty combination that adds a lot of flavor, a nice crisp and color to the Hawaiian rolls.
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
Cut, layer, brush, and bake—these easy ham and cheese sliders are perfect for sharing and ideal for brunch or party appetizers!
Here’s how to make these easy ham and cheese sliders—step by step!
- Cut the entire block of Hawaiian rolls in half.
- Layer ham slices, folded in half, on top of bottom half of rolls.
- Add Havarti cheese squares.
- Melt butter and add onion powder, poppy seeds, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce to form sauce.
- Add tops of rolls then brush with butter sauce.
- Cover with foil and bake!
For full recipe instructions, see below! Watch the video beneath the recipe (below) to see these steps in action!
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Follow these tips to make the best ham and cheese sliders ever. No joke!
Don't separate your rolls. Cut them in half as a big block. It's much easier and will save you time!
Fold ham slices in quarters to add texture to your bite.
Feel free to also add extra ham if you want a meatier slider. Or extra cheese for that matter.
Cover with foil. Then carefully uncover for just the last 3-5 minutes to lightly brown and crisp the tops of the rolls. Less time for less crispy and less brown, more time for more crispy and more brown. Shoot for a golden brown color.
Hawaiian rolls come in savory butter and original sweet flavors—both work for these sliders! I prefer the savory butter since the sweet rolls plus ham can be a bit too sweet for me. But it’s all about your taste. Try both and see what you and your family like best. Taste-testing is part of the fun!
A popular pairing with ham is Swiss cheese but I personally love mild Havarti cheese. It's creamy but less bitter than Swiss. It's also more kid-friendly. When making ham and cheese sliders, Havarti is my go-to cheese.
Yes. You can prep sliders ahead of time then bake them right before you're ready to eat. Just cover the assembled sliders with foil and keep refrigerated until you're ready to bake them. It's best to make and store the butter topping separately and brush it on right before baking but it is not essential since the butter will crisp the rolls when baked.
Yes. You can make these ahead and cover with foil but don't bake. Put them in the freezer for up to 4 months. When you're ready to bake, ideally let them thaw and then bake. If baking from frozen, you may need to add 5 or more minutes of bake time.
Bake the sliders uncovered at first to let steam escape, then cover with foil halfway through to keep the tops. If you are preparing these ahead of time, it's best to store the butter topping separately and brush it on right before baking.
You can store these in the fridge for up to 3 days after baking. Cover tightly and reheat for 30 seconds in the microwave or using the toaster oven for crisper buns. Open bun into two halves and toast for 3-5 minutes at 300˚.
★ More Ham Recipes ★
Browse all my sandwich and wrap recipes for more tasty recipe ideas.
More Ham and Cheese Recipes
Love this combo? I can't blame you. They just go together!
• Low-fat Ham and Cheese Quiche
• Leftover Ham and Potato Soup
• Cajun Ham and Cheese Biscuits
• Oven-baked Ham and Cheese Croissant Melts
★ What People Are Saying ★
These sliders are always a hit! Here's what people have said about this recipe:
“These are my absolute fav!”
“I could literally eat a dozen”
“Delicious!”
“This couldn’t be easier or more delicious!!”
“Best use of leftover ham!”
This easy recipe for baked ham and cheese Hawaiian roll sliders was featured on South Your Mouth!
Ham and Havarti Cheese Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 package Savory Butter Hawaiian Rolls 12 count
- 12 slices black forest ham
- 6 slices Havarti cheese
Mustard-Butter Glaze
- 4 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce optional
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder optional
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
Easy-Order Groceries
- Add All Ingredients to Your Walmart Cart Adds everything with one click! You can edit items before you check out.
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Instructions
- Prepare rolls and baking dish. Slice the entire block of rolls in half without separating the rolls. Remove top half of Hawaiian rolls and set aside. Place bottom half of rolls in a 9x12 baking pan, lightly greased with butter.
- Add ham and cheese. Layer each roll with a slice of ham and a half slice of cheese.
- Prepare and add buttery topping. In a microwavable bowl, cover and heat butter for about 30 second or until melted. Stir in Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and poppy seeds.Add the top layer of rolls and brush with butter-poppy seed mixture.
- Bake. Loosely cover with foil and bake at 350˚ for about 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and tops of buns are golden brown.
Jeanine says
When I clicked on your Ham and Cheese Pretzel Hawaiian Roll Sliders the recipe for poppyseeds and blackforest ham came up. Is it the same temperature and time in the oven? This is 6 slices of cheese the other recipe cuts off and shows 4 1/2 slices. Can you post the full recipe of the Pretzel Hawaiian Bread?
Angela G. says
Hi Jeanine, here’s the link to the pretzel roll recipe: https://www.mightymrs.com/ham-cheese-pretzel-hawaiian-sliders/
Faith says
How do you reheat leftovers??
Angela G. says
Wrap leftover slider(s) in foil and bake in a toaster oven at 350° for 5-7 minutes or until heated through.
Tarah says
Did you switch up the recipe?…noticed the poppy seeds weren’t on the ingredient list, so I’m paranoid I’m looking at the wrong recipe since I know I used poppy seeds the last time I made this. Sorry I’m pregnant and a need my slider fix😅
Angela G. says
Tarah, you are correct! My website glitched and it was pulling in a similar slider recipe I have that uses Hawaiian pretzel rolls (no poppy seeds). So, thank you for saying something. I was able to fix it and restored the original recipe that does indeed include poppy seeds. Enjoy those sliders and feed that growing baby! Congrats! 🙂
Tara says
I made these with Lewis Keto Hawaiian Rolls!
Angela G. says
What a great idea for keto. How were they?
Colleen says
Made this for the first time and our family LOVED them! I've already added this recipe to my Favorite Recipes book as it will most definitely be a regular for us.
I didn't have poppy seeds so substituted Everything bagel seasonings. Still think I'll try it with the poppy seeds to see which way we like better.
Rachel says
Do you use foil, Pam, or nothing for underneath of the sliders?
Angela G. says
Hi Rachel, no need to line or grease the pan. Thanks for asking. Enjoy!
K says
If I make them a few hours before then refrigerate them how long in the 350 oven?
Angela G. says
If you’re putting them straight into the oven from the fridge you probably just need to add 2-3 minutes to the cook time.
Sherry Lynn Buikema says
What cheese can you use as a substitute never seen or heard of that cheese
Angela G. says
Hi Sherry, You can find Havarti cheese, already sliced in most grocery stores. It's not a super popular cheese so there's usually just one brand that carries it. If you can't find it though, then you can use Swiss cheese instead. Or white American. Thanks for asking. Enjoy!
Candice says
Third time making these. So easy and the entire family loves them. Thank you for sharing!
Angela G. says
Hi Candice, so glad you guys are enjoying them!
Michaela Saxbury says
What can you use instead of onion powder?
Angela G. says
You could use garlic powder or any other onion you might have if you just don’t have the powder version. For example, you could used dried minced onion or finally diced fresh onion and grind either one down to a paste or fine power of using a mortar and pestle. You can also just leave out the onion all together if you’re not a fan of onion.
KarenB says
Is there a sub for Dijon mustard? While I love it, when I made sliders last time, my husband hated them because of the Dijon
Angela G. says
You can just leave the Dijon mustard out altogether! Or, if you want a more mild mustard flavor, you could try a few dashes of mustard powder.
Nancy McCurdy says
Can you make ahead and freeeze!
Angela G. says
Hi Nancy, yes you can prep these and freeze these sliders. Some tips: don't melt the butter all the way when you make the sauce for the tops of the rolls. It will freeze better if you use room temperature butter. When you're ready to heat and eat these, you can let them thaw then bake as directed. OR bake directly from frozen, just make sure to cover with foil and add approximately 5-10 minutes to the bake time as needed to get the cheese melted and buns golden brown in color.
Angelle says
I followed this recipe exactly (except for the poppy seeds). I also doubled it. Turned out perfect!
Ila says
Is there a substitute for Worcestershire sauce?
Angela G. says
If you're not a fan of Worcestershire sauce, you can just leave it out or try using soy sauce instead.
Heather says
@Ila, I use Herbes de Provence vinegar from my local olive oil and Vinegar store. It gives it a great flavor.
Ashlee says
Is it supposed to be 1/2 pound of ham or a whole pound? The 1/1 is confusing me. Makes me think it might be a typo.
Angela G. says
Ashlee, I can't believe no one's ever noticed that before. Thank you! It should be 1/2 lb. Fixed. Appreciate you pointing that out.
Destiny says
It was easy to follow, loved how mine turned out. I didn’t put add a couple ingredients to it but added a couple more of my own! They we’re yummy!!
Angela G. says
Yours turned out awesome, Destiny! Great job! Glad you enjoyed this slider recipe and thanks for sharing a pic. 🙂