Ham and Cheese Sliders

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 11/8/22
Tested by
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Tested by Colleen Graham
Writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Yield: 24 sandwiches

These popular little ham sandwiches are delicious and a guaranteed party hit. Ham rolls are essential party fare in Mississippi and across the Southern states, and once you taste them, you'll see why. These little slider-style sandwiches are perfect for a game day snack, a kids' party, or a casual sandwich lunch or supper for a crowd. They can easily be assembled in advance, stashed in the refrigerator, and then popped into the oven just before serving. Then, in a mere 15 minutes, you will have delicious, pull-apart mini-sandwiches oozing with melty cheese.

Use Hawaiian rolls or other small pull-apart (unseparated) rolls or slider buns to make party ham rolls. Depending on the brand of packaged rolls, the number and size of the rolls may vary.

There are several possible substitutions and variations to this recipe. For instance, yellow mustard is commonly used, though you can also use Dijon-style or honey mustard. Thinly sliced American Swiss cheese is the classic cheese choice, but feel free to use cheddar cheese. It's such an easy and fun recipe, that you can give it a new twist each time you make it.

Party Ham Rolls

The Spruce / Wanda Abraham

"Warm and delicious, ham rolls are fantastic for entertaining. It’s great that they can be prepped in advance and just tossed in the oven right before they’re needed. I didn’t have enough for the garnish, so make sure to have plenty of poppy seeds on hand. When cutting, take care to avoid squishing the rolls." —Colleen Graham

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Ingredients

  • 6 ounces (3/4 cup) unsalted butter

  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard

  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds, more for garnish

  • 2 tablespoons minced yellow onion, optional

  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  • 24 pull-apart dinner rolls

  • 12 to 16 ounces deli ham, very thinly sliced or shaved

  • 12 slices American Swiss cheese

  • Cooking spray

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Party Ham Rolls Recipe ingredients

    The Spruce / Wanda Abraham

  2. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Set aside 1/4 cup of the melted butter for brushing the rolls.

    melted butter in a pan

    The Spruce / Wanda Abraham

  3. Add the mustard, poppy seeds, onion, if using, and Worcestershire sauce to the remaining 1/2 cup melted butter in the saucepan. If using onions, cook over low heat until the onions are translucent and tender, 3 to 5 minutes.

    mustard, poppy seeds, onion, and Worcestershire sauce in a pan

    The Spruce / Wanda Abraham

  4. Without separating the pull-apart rolls, halve the block of rolls horizontally. Spread both cut-sides evenly with the butter mixture.

    mustard mixture brushed on rolls

    The Spruce / Wanda Abraham

  5. Arrange the ham evenly over the bottom half of the rolls and then evenly lay the cheese over the ham. Cover the sandwiches with the top half of the rolls.

    rolls with mustard sauce, ham and cheese

    The Spruce / Wanda Abraham

  6. Brush the top of the bread rolls with the reserved melted butter and sprinkle with additional poppy seeds.

    ham rolls

    The Spruce / Wanda Abraham

  7. Lightly spray a piece of foil, large enough to wrap the rolls, with cooking spray. Tightly wrap the rolls in the foil and refrigerate until 30 minutes before serving time.

    ham rolls wrapped with aluminum foil

    The Spruce / Wanda Abraham

  8. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 F. Place the foil-wrapped rolls on a baking sheet.

    aluminum foil wrapped ham rolls in a baking pan

    The Spruce / Wanda Abraham

  9. Transfer to the oven and bake until the rolls are thoroughly heated and the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes. Slice the sandwiches apart and serve.

    Party Ham Rolls

    The Spruce / Wanda Abraham

Tip

  • If you can't find King's Hawaiian Rolls or similar small pull-apart dinner rolls, use slider buns and divide the ingredients evenly among the buns.
  • Note that this recipe calls for 24 rolls, which would be two (12-roll) packages of King's Hawaiian Rolls. Other packaged rolls may vary in quantity and size and may affect the number of servings.
  • If you want to make just 12 ham rolls, reduce all of the other ingredients by half.

Recipe Variations

  • Switch from sliced cheese to 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese.
  • Replace the Swiss cheese with cheddar, Muenster, havarti, or mozzarella cheese.
  • Instead of minced onion, blend 1 1/2 teaspoons of onion powder into the mustard mixture.
  • Replace the yellow mustard with a gourmet mustard blend.
  • Substitute thinly sliced turkey or smoked turkey for the deli ham.

How to Store

Transfer any leftover ham rolls to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. They'll keep well for two to three days. Eat them cold for lunch, or warm them up for a minute or so in the microwave.

 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
504 Calories
31g Fat
34g Carbs
23g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 504
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 40%
Saturated Fat 16g 81%
Cholesterol 88mg 29%
Sodium 1044mg 45%
Total Carbohydrate 34g 12%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 23g
Vitamin C 0mg 1%
Calcium 453mg 35%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 354mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)