Ham and Cheese Sliders

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our privacy policy.

These hot ham and cheese sandwiches come together in a snap and are easy to prepare for the big game! Serve them alongside your favorite game day snacks for a buffet everyone will love.

Close up of a ham and cheese slider on a piece of parchment paper with multiple sliders in the background.

I’ll be honest with you guys. Football isn’t really my specialty.

You’ll occasionally find me at basketball games, but when it comes to football, I only start paying attention as we get closer to the end of the season and all the festivities for the playoffs and the big end-of-season game.

As you can probably imagine, it’s not because I care who is actually playing the game. I’m just here for the snacks, okay?

I even have a t-shirt to that effect, just to wear to these parties!

Why are game day snacks so damn good? I could happily never eat a fancy dinner again, as long as you tell me I can snack on game day levels.

Rotel salsa, chips and sliders like these… I would be good to go.

Side view of hot ham and cheese sliders on a piece of parchment paper.

Warm Ham and Cheese Sliders: The easiest game day dinner or snack

As someone who is really into snacking, I obviously take my game day menu very seriously.

In addition to appetizers like French onion dip and pizza dip, I like to have a couple of sandwich options along with jo jo potato wedges and macaroni salad or ranch pasta salad with bacon.

Crockpot pulled pork is always a hit, but my family is really obsessed with the sliders. These warm ham and cheese sliders were some of the first sliders I ever made and my family inhaled them. As much as we love them for game day, they’re also perfect for a simple weeknight dinner or an evening snack with family movies or games.

If your kids are old enough for sleepovers, I think these would be super fun for sleepover snacks too!

As great as the combination of ham, cheese, and Hawaiian rolls is, it’s the buttery herb dressing that really takes these sliders over the top.

Closeup of two hot ham and cheese sliders and a side salad on a white plate.

How to make these ham and cheese sliders

Ready to see how easy these delicious sliders are to make?

Ingredients you will need

For the sliders themselves, you will need:

1 pack (12 pieces) of Hawaiian sweet rolls
Half a kilo of honey-cooked ham cut into thin slices
Half a pound of thinly sliced Swiss cheese

We love making this recipe with Swiss cheese, but you can switch it up if Swiss isn’t your favorite. Cheddar or Gouda would be delicious!

You can’t skip the tasty herb butter on top of the sliders. That’s where the magic really lies!

Ingredients for hot ham and cheese crostini arranged on a marble countertop.

For the butter you will need:

4 tablespoons melted salted butter
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon dried parsley
⅛ teaspoon onion powder
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

The mustard and honey add a little tang and sweetness that pairs so well with the ham. Trust me, it’s that good!

Preparing this recipe

To make these warm ham and cheese sliders, start by mixing together the melted butter, honey, mustard, parsley, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set this mixture aside.

To make the sandwiches, use a large serrated knife to cut the entire sandwich package in half, similar to how you would slice a bagel. This will separate all the top parts from all the bottom parts.

Place bottom half of rolls on greased baking sheet. If you’re making a double batch, I recommend using a rimmed baking sheet instead of a baking dish.

A layer of ham and Swiss cheese placed over the bottom half of the slider is rolled into a ceramic baking dish.

Layer half the ham, top with all the cheese, and then top with the rest of the ham. Finish by adding the top half of the rolls.

Brush the butter mixture evenly over the tops of the buns. From here, you can cover and chill the sliders for up to 4 hours or bake them right away.

Herbed butter that is brushed over the slices of ham and cheese before cooking.

Cook the ham and cheese sliders at 180°C covered with cling film for 12 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, until golden brown and the cheese has melted.

Recipe variations

My family loves these hot ham and cheese sliders exactly as written, but we also love changing them up every now and then!

If you’re not a big fan of ham, you can substitute prepped turkey for it turkey sliders. I prefer to use honey roasted turkey.

Swiss isn’t your only option for cheese either! Any good melting cheese will work here, such as cheddar, provolone, gouda, monterey jack, or pepper jack.

In my opinion, using Hawaiian rolls is the key to this recipe. The sweet flavor of the rolls is so good with the flavorful ham and cheese. But if you can’t find Hawaiian rolls or don’t like them, you can use slider rolls.

Hot ham and cheese sliders freshly baked in a ceramic baking dish.

Frequently asked questions

Can you make these ham and cheese sliders ahead of time?

If you want to prepare your snacks before your guests arrive, you could easily make these sliders ahead of time!

Simply assemble the sliders in the pan, cover the pan with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

When you’re ready to eat, simply cook the prepared sliders as directed in the recipe.

Are these sliders good cold? Can you heat them up?

Look, I’m not about to snack on leftover ham and cheese straight from the fridge. In fact I think they are delicious cold.

But if you prefer them hot, simply wrap a slider or two in foil and place the package in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or in the air fryer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until heated through.

Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a small bowl, mix together the melted butter, mustard, honey, dried parsley, onion powder, and garlic powder.
Do not separate the rolls; simply use a large serrated knife to cut the buns in half as you would a bagel, separating the top from the bottom. Place the bottom layer into the prepared baking dish, cut side up.
Place half of the ham on the sandwiches. Then, place a layer of Swiss cheese on top of the ham and top with the remaining ham slices. Place the top layer on the buns.
Brush the butter mixture evenly over the buns, then cover with foil. At this point you can cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours, or cook immediately.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F.
Bake the covered sandwiches in the preheated oven for 12 minutes. Remove the foil from the pan, return the dishes to the oven and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes.

Serve: 1cursor, Calories: 161kcal, Carbohydrates: 2G, Protein: 9G, Fat: 13G, Saturated fat: 7G, Polyunsaturated fats: 1G, Monounsaturated fats: 4G, Trans fats: 0.2G, Cholesterol: 39mg, Sodium: 304mg, Potassium: 76mg, Fiber: 0.1G, Sugar: 1G, Vitamin A: 278UI, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Soccer: 174mg, Iron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is calculated automatically, so should only be used as an approximation.