You can’t imagine how good a ham sandwich can be until you’ve tried Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders! Rolls stuffed with ham and cheese smothered in an onion poppyseed butter sauce baked until the cheese is melty, this American game-day favourite is excellent big-batch party food that is leftover Christmas ham-worthy! (Find more suggestions here).
Leftover Christmas ham recipe idea!
Wouldn’t it be great to re-purpose leftover Christmas ham to make something to ring in the new year?? The answer is here – Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders!!
If you’re wrinkling your nose wondering why is she so excited about a ham sandwich??! – here’s why: because this is not your usual boring ham sandwich. This is a ham sandwich dialled up to 10 by baking it smothered in a savoury seasoned onion butter until the cheese is oozy, the bread is crusty and it’s soaked up the butter sauce.
It’s not something I made up, though I’d love to take credit for it! It’s a popular American party-food favourite. Excellent big-batch food that’s a crowd pleaser, easy and economical to make that can be eaten with your hands. Ticks a lot of boxes!
Recipes for ham and cheese sliders are pretty standard, involving – well, ham, and cheese (I know, you’re shocked), buns and a butter mixture seasoned with garlic, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and onion (sometimes fresh, sometimes dehydrated).
So there’s nothing groundbreaking with the ingredients I’ve used but I do have some specific steps I take during the making process that aren’t standard. 🙂 With good reason though, relating to cheese melting and butter soakage. These are important issues!!
What you need for Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders
I’m sharing this recipe with leftover Christmas Glazed Ham in mind. Though truthfully, I’ve always just made this with boring old deli-ham.
Filling and Onion Poppyseed Sauce
For the filling:
Ham – As noted above, this recipe was shared with the intention of using leftover Christmas Ham! But you can use any ham you want. I like using shaved ham so you can pile layers and layers on.
Swiss cheese – This is the classic cheese though you can use any melting cheese you want, such as cheddar, tasty, gruyere, Monterey Jack, Colby (though I personally wouldn’t use mozzarella because it’s not flavoured enough). While I used pre-cut slices for convenience, you can cut or shred your own.
American mustard – for spreading on the buns. This is the bright yellow stuff that comes in squeezy bottles that’s tangy and not spicy. You can substitute with any other smooth mustard though if you use a mustard like Dijon, you won’t have the same signature yellowy tang, plus it’s more expensive. ⚠️ Just don’t use hot English mustard. Too spicy!!
For the Onion Poppyseed sauce:
Unsalted butter – melted
Poppyseeds – Traditionally used, adds nuttiness and visual effect, plus you get to make fun of everybody who gets the seeds stuck in their teeth. But don’t make a special trip just to find them. Worth making without!
Finely chopped onion – Just standard brown onions, or substitute with white onion for eschallots (US: shallots, the baby onions).
Salt, pepper and garlic powder – Flavourings / seasoning.
More American mustard! For the signature tang and colour.
The bread
As for the bread, you just need a slab of soft white rolls that are stuck together that measure around 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ so it fits snugly in a standard size pan. The rolls pictured below are from Bakers Delight (an Australian bakery chain), 12 rolls is the perfect size. If you’re in the states, 1lb of Hawaiian rolls (12 large or 24 small) are literally the perfect size.
Soft is best because the onion butter soaks in better than using crusty, chewy artisan bread (like sourdough) and the whole sandwich just kind of melds together nicely. White is traditional through if you’re feeling the need to be a bit virtuous, wholemeal bread is fine too.
How to make Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders
There’s one thing I do differently from the usual, and that is to give the cheese melting a head start by baking it without the lid first. Once you put the lid on, this massively slows down the cheese melting process – from cold, it takes an hour, by which time the bread on the edge of the pan is far too crusty and dry. In fact, if you look closely at most Ham and Cheese Slider recipes online, the cheese is not melted except on the outer edges. That doesn’t work for me!! 🙅🏻♀️
Split the slab of bread in half, keeping the rolls stuck together so you can bake in one piece.
Spread the base and lid with mustard.
Top with ham;
Then cover with cheese.
Bake without the lid for 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted;
Butter sauce – Meanwhile, mix together the Savoury Butter ingredients.
Remove the sliders from the oven. Melty cheese, hurrah!
Top with the mustard-smeared lid.
Smother with the Onion Poppyseed Sauce;
Bake covered with foil for 20 minutes;
Pierce for soakage – Remove foil then stab the crevices where butter is pool to encourage it to soak into the bread;
Bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until the top is crusty. Then cut and serve!
Serve hot
I’ve seen some recipes call for the sliders to be left to cool before serving, during which time all that effort to melt the cheese is undone.
If that’s your preference, go right ahead! But for me, eating it while the cheese is oozy and the butter is shiny and the ham is warm and the bread is soft and cosy…. That is an eating experience that is pure joy. Watch the video. You’ll see how happy to makes me. And then, it’s your turn!! 😇 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders
Ingredients
Sliders:
- 12 standard or 24 small soft white roll slab (23 x 33cm / 9 x 13" slab) – Note 1
- 1/3 cup American mustard (ie bright yellow stuff) – Note 2
- 350g/ 12 oz ham , shaved or thinly sliced (up to 500g/1lb, Note 3)
- 250g/ 8 oz Swiss cheese or other melting cheese slices (10 – 12 slices)
Onion poppyseed butter:
- 100 g (7 tbsp) unsalted butter , melted
- 1/4 onion , finely chopped
- 2 tbsp American mustard (Note 2)
- 1 tbsp poppyseeds (Note 4)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp garlic powder (sub fresh garlic, finely minced)
- 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced). Line the base of a 23 x 33cm / 13 x 9" pan with paper (Note 5)
- Savoury Butter – Mix ingredients together.
- Assemble base – Cut the slab of rolls in half horizontally. Spread base and lid with the 1/3 cup mustard. Place bread in pan, top with ham then cheese. NO LID YET!
- Bake topless – Bake 10 minutes until the cheese is melted. (Note 6)
- Smother – Remove bread from oven. Top with bread lid, pour/spoon over butter, leaving no patch naked.
- Bake covered – Cover with foil, bake 20 minutes.
- Pierce for soakage – Remove foil. Pierce the intersections where the corners of the rolls meet to encourage pooled butter to soak into the bread.
- Bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until top is crusty.
- Cut while hot then serve!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More slider-type things that make excellent party food
Life of Dozer
Shot of the year? Mum swimming towards champagne and Dozer swimming towards mum!
Can you prep this ahead of time?
AMAZZING! So tasty:)
Used leftover shredded ham!
I’m a bit confused, during making the sauce it looks like you add something like flour? Doesn’t look like garlic powder and I’m not sure what else it could be? I’m thinking of doing a cooking stream of this, I just don’t know what that white powder is though?
What specific steps does the author take during the making process of the sliders, and how do these steps address important issues related to cheese melting and butter soakage? Regards, Telkom University/a>
So, so delicious
Husband and I loved this recipe! We didn’t have the poppyseeds but it was still delicious. We also added sliced dill pickles to make it sort of like a cubano, which turned out really yummy! Will definitely make these again!
The gooey cheese, savory ham, and buttery buns create a perfect harmony that’s impossible to resist. Nagi’s recipe is a game-changer for any gathering or simply a cozy night in. Prepare to be amazed – these sliders are the epitome of comfort food done right.
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Hi Nagi & Dozer. Today we made your ham & cheese sliders for lunch. We all enjoyed them. The melted cheese was soooo delicious.
So good!! My son and I loved them. I had never made sliders before but now I am sure these will be on a regular rotation 🙂
Nagi you never fail me! I have a few TRUSTED food bloggers that are my go to and Nagi is one of them. This recipe was so easy and so delicious! I made my own dinner rolls to go with this. My family loved this recipe. Thank you Nagi for another delicious recipe to make again and again!
I’M SO GLAD YOU ENJOYED THEM!! Hurrah! N x
Hey Nagi and Dozer
Definitely the shot of the year 😀 This recipe looks amazing! Can’t wait to try. Quick question – is the kitchen aid give away over? Thanks so much for your hard work!
Hi Freya! It sure is, it ended before Christmas. The winners are listed on the Instagram post and have been contacted, we’re arranging the deliveries now! N x
I made these tonight and used horseradish on the bottom and mustard on the tops; I didn’t have poppyseeds, so I used dill on top before the second bake. Big hit! Thanks for another great recipe!
Ooh yum, didn’t think of horseradish! I’ll try that next time 🙂 Thanks for the idea Kels! N x
Fab Recipe!
Absolutely takes toasted sandwiches/rolls to another level.
Amazing!
I made these for a brunch this morning. WOW, WOW, WOW!! Even my picky eater loved them. Had a couple of people who immensely dislike or are allergic to mustard so on those I just spread a little mayonnaise and makes the top with an X with my knife. Will definitely be doing these again! Thank you Nagi. Happy New Year 🥳 to the Recipe Tin Team!!
I’m so glad you liked it Kathy!!! Aren’t they wickedly moreish?? It’s hard to believe a basic ham and cheese sandwich can be so good, right??! 🙂 N x
I’ve made sliders, following other recipes, many times. I’ve always run into the problem of the cheese not melting and the bread getting dried out. Nagi’s recipe has solved that problem. I also like the idea of piercing through the bread to let the pooled butter soak in; Another great idea. I’m going to buy the ingredients today and have these for New Year’s Day.
Yes! I had that problem too the first time I made these, which is why I always do the topless cheese-melting step first 🙂 N xx
I made a tray of half ham & cheese and half left over thinly sliced prime rib and provolone. Both were ah-mazing. Thank you!!!
So basically, you fancied up my basic recipe? 😂😂😂
She’s done it again! These are soooooo delicious – it’s that melty buttery sauce that really takes it up a level. I used only half the mustard and mixed with mayo as I was serving to “mustard hating” kids but they wolfed them down. Thanks again Nagi. xxx
YES!!! I’m so glad this was a hit! N x
Amazing- used my Xmas ham and cheese leftovers on croissants instead of rolls. A huge hit tonight. Thanks Nagi.
Croissants?? WAY TO STEP IT UP Gillian!! Amazing 🙂 N x
Holy f-bomb, these were soooo good. The recipe looks kinda boring, but I had a leftover ham and the rest of the ingredients on hand so I thought “ehh, why not”. Well colour me surprised and I apologise for my thoughts of blandness, these were wonderful. My family of 5 (including incredibly picky 6 year old) scoffed them.
He he he I love it!!! I promise I will never post anything boring 😂
Nagi, You never cease to amaze me! I cannot believe I’m seeing these sandwiches on your site! This recipe was a huge part of my Southern childhood in Winston-Salem, North Carolina USA. It was always served at any respectable gathering – Symphony Guild, Garden Club, Bridge parties, ladies lunch, etc – that my mom was involved in. My best friend, Amy, & I loved helping making these with our moms. We would have to make a batch just for ourselves & then commence to devour them hot out of the oven, using the bread to sop up more of the buttery goodness out of the pan. I’m now salivating & need to run to make these! Truly, these were already on my list to make this weekend for New Years. Love the tip to melt the cheese before topping! Brilliant!!! 💕
They’re so good Wenbren!! I had them at a friends’ in the States many many years ago, and I never forgot them 🙂 N x
Great