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★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
Easy Ham and Cheese Sliders Everyone Loves
Savory Hawaiian rolls are layered with smoky Black Forest ham and creamy Havarti cheese, topped with a seasoned butter glaze, then baked until golden and melty. These ham and cheese sliders are an easy party appetizer that’s always a crowd favorite.
Mild, Creamy Havarti Cheese
Havarti cheese is what makes these baked ham sliders a little different. It’s mild, creamy and melts beautifully without the sharper flavor of Swiss cheese. Paired with smoky ham, it makes these Hawaiian roll sliders especially melty and flavorful.
Buttery Glaze Baked Until Golden
A savory butter glaze with onion and poppy seeds adds flavor and gives the Hawaiian rolls deliciously golden, buttery tops. The poppy seeds add a subtle crunch, while the glaze soaks into the rolls as the ham and cheese sliders bake.
Easy Party Food You Can Make Ahead
Bake a dozen sliders at once for easy football party food, holidays, potlucks, family gatherings or brunch. Meal prep these Hawaiian roll sliders up to 3 days ahead, refrigerate, then bake just before serving—an easy way to feed a family or small crowd.
What to Serve with Ham and Cheese Sliders
Create a full appetizer spread by pairing these ham and cheese sliders with more easy party appetizers. Try my Mexican street corn dip, spinach dip pinwheels or hot Maryland crab dip for game days, holidays and parties.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
You need just 3 main ingredients to make these ham and cheese sliders, plus a simple 5-ingredient seasoned butter glaze that adds flavor and gives the Hawaiian rolls golden, crisp tops as they bake.
For the sliders:
- Savory Hawaiian rolls. Buttery rather than sweet, which balances the slightly sweet, smoky ham.
- Black Forest ham. Slightly sweet, smoky and best thinly sliced.
- Havarti cheese. Mild, creamy and melts beautifully.
For the buttery glaze:
- Salted butter — richness and crisp, golden tops.
- Poppy seeds — subtle crunch.
- Onion powder — savory flavor.
- Worcestershire sauce — depth and umami.
- Dijon mustard — a touch of tang.
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
These baked ham and cheese sliders are easy to assemble: cut, layer, brush and bake. Here’s how to make them on Hawaiian rolls, step by step.
- Cut the entire block of Hawaiian rolls in half.
- Layer folded slices of ham over the bottom half of the rolls.
- Add slices of Havarti cheese over the ham.
- Make the glaze by combining melted butter, onion powder, poppy seeds, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add tops of rolls then brush with butter sauce.
- Cover with foil and bake!
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Follow these simple tips for the best baked ham and cheese sliders.
Tips for the Best Ham and Cheese Sliders
- 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, then uncover. Bake sliders covered with foil, then uncover for the last 3–5 minutes to lightly crisp and brown the tops.
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. Assemble the ham and cheese sliders with the glaze, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to serve, bake as directed.
Yes. Ham and cheese sliders can be frozen before baking. Assemble the ham and cheese sliders, add the butter glaze, then cover tightly and freeze. When you’re ready to bake, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed.
Bake the sliders loosely covered with foil to allow excess moisture to escape, then remove the foil for the last 3–5 minutes to brown and lightly crisp the tops.
Store leftover ham and cheese sliders tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For crispier rolls, open the sliders and reheat in a toaster oven at 300°F for 3–5 minutes. For a quick reheat and softer sliders, zap them in microwave for about 30 seconds.
★ More Ham Recipes ★
Browse more easy sandwich and wrap recipes for simple lunches, dinners and party food ideas.
More Ham and Cheese Recipes
If you love the classic ham and cheese combination, try these easy recipes next:
★ What People Are Saying ★
Readers love these ham and cheese sliders. Here is what they are saying:
“These are my absolute fav!” • “I could literally eat a dozen.” • “Delicious!” • “This could not 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 Cheese Sliders with Havarti
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
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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˚F for about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 3–5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the tops are golden brown.
Video
Notes
- If the top browns before the cheese is fully melted, re-cover loosely with foil and continue baking.
- Sliders are ready when the cheese is fully melted and the center is hot.
Lisa Lyon says
Can these be made and frozen and then thawed and warmed to serve?
Angela G. says
Yes! The sliders can be assembled and frozen then thawed and cooked. You can freeze with or without the buttery glaze — both ways will work. If you apply the butter glaze before freezing, I would not melt the butter all the way, just soften it so it's a little thicker and stays on top of the buns better.
McKenzie Erickson says
Made these after work one evening and they were devoured! They heat up well and I loved the.
Debbie says
Thanks for the recipe! These are great, but carb count isn’t correct. The rolls themselves have way more than 1gram.
Angela G. says
Hi Debbie, You are right. The nutrition facts were pulling just 1 roll, not the full pack of 12. I've updated to correct that! Thanks for the feedback.
Aurora says
These are delicious. I have made them several times now and they are always a hit. I follow the recipe exactly
Todd says
Can you switch the cheese and add palmetto cheese spread
Angela G. says
Hi Todd, I haven't tried this as far as flavor so that is up to you! Palmetto cheese spread may melt more quickly since it's not a hard as others cheeses like Havarti but if you're OK with the cheese being a bit more sauce-like, I would give it a try and see what you think!
Lindsay Roberts says
Hi! I’m wondering if this would work in a disposable baking pan to take to someone who just had a baby. That way they don’t have to worry about dishes. Would you suggest any extra prepping with the pan beforehand?
Angela G. says
Yes, you can absolutely use a foil pan. I have done this many times. I would lightly grease with butter or spray the inside of the pan with non-stick to help prevent buns and melted cheese from sticking.
Lindsay Roberts says
Ok perfect, thank you!! Can’t wait to try it! 🙂
KMO says
I made this recipe for a quick lunch. I only made a few changes: I had already bought sweet Hawaiian rolls so I used those; I used thinly sliced Swiss cheese; and I brushed a prepared garlic/onion butter on top. They were quite tasty and we enjoyed them.
Elizabeth says
Have you ever added scrambled eggs to to make it more of a breakfast sandwich?
Angela G. says
I haven't but you definitely could. I bet it would be tasty! When I make ham and cheese breakfast sandwiches, I usually make them on croissants. So yummy. Here's my recipe for Ham and Cheese Croissant Melts.
Viktoriya Burlachenko says
I ate this at my friend's house with egg and sausage it was amazing.
Stephanie says
This is a Christmas Eve tradition for my husband's family. My mother-in-law has been making them for years. We prepare them the night before and bake them for our family lunch.
Amy says
If I’m trying to prepare these the night before, would you recommend adding the butter mixture on top the night before or save it to add just before popping into the oven? Thank you!!
Angela G. says
Hi Amy, you can add the butter before hand. It may sink into the rolls just a bit but they will crisp when baked. If you add it before you put in the oven, you may have a bit better results.
Sara says
I put the mixture on the day before and then pop 'em in the oven for lunch/dinner the next day. They always turn out perfect!
Marie says
Delicious! Easy, fast minimal effort for a big result. These were a big hit at a recent holiday party. Thanks!
Sherry says
The very best ham in the world is from Honey Baked Ham Co.
Deb says
Can you make these the day before and refrigerate?
Angela G. says
Yes, you can prepare them in advance including the sauce topping and just cover with foil. Refrigerate and bake when you're ready.
Carolyn says
@Angela G., Do I need to bring them to room temp before baking, or maybe bake for how much longer?
Angela G. says
Yes, or you can add 2-3 minutes to the bake time as needed. You'll know they're done when the cheese is fully melted.
cindi says
You can buy Pillsbury Hawaiian croissants but they are so small, I wanted to try this on a large Hawaiian croissant roll. Any ideas
Angela G. says
I use Kings Hawaiian Rolls. They are pre-cooked, usually located in the bakery section of the grocery store. Do you have those available to you?
Sarah says
Yum, I can’t wait to make this!! But it doesn’t say how long to bake them for?? Also, the ingredients list calls for onion powder but the directions say garlic powder. Just want to clarify which one is correct? Thanks!
Angela G. says
Should be onion powder! Bake time is listed in the instructions along with a few tips. Be sure to check that out. Thanks for asking!