Hawaiian Ham & Cheese Sliders tend to be pretty common party fare (at least in my experience) and there’s good reason for that; they are easy to throw together and so tasty! So I’m throwing my offering into the ring here. These aren’t exactly like the ones from the King’s Hawaiian Rolls website, but they’re similar.
I got the basic recipe from my friend Emily when all of our friends started getting married and we started doing grown-up things like throwing bridal showers. Since then, these sandwiches have become a staple at our house, perfect for quick dinners, parties, and potlucks. Give them a try and let me know what you think!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Hawaiian rolls – Like King’s Hawaiian from the bakery/bread department.
- Poppy seed dressing – I use this Poppy Seed Dressing recipe, but feel free to use a good quality store bought variety.
- Sliced cheese – Swiss or smoked provolone.
- Thin sliced honey or brown sugar ham – I just get a good quality pre-packaged ham, but you could also ask the deli to just shave some really thin for you.
- Butter
- Poppy seeds
- Dehydrated onion – These are the dried onion flakes, not onion powder.
- Creole or other mild coarse-ground mustard
How to Make Hawaiian Ham & Cheese Sliders
- You’ll start by slicing all of your rolls at once- don’t separate them!
- Spread half of the poppy seed dressing on the bottom half of the rolls and half on the top.
- Cut the cheese into quarters and place a quarter on each roll section (so 24 total).
- Place a piece and a half of half on the bottom half of the rolls.
- Place the top half of the rolls on top of the bottoms with the ham and place the entire thing onto a sheet plan lined with foil.
- Mix up some melted butter, course-grain mustard, dehydrated onion, and more poppy seeds and brush this mixture over the top of the rolls.
- Cover the whole thing with foil and pop it in the oven until the cheese is melted. Allow to stand for 2-3 minutes after removing from the oven, then pull apart and serve.
Storing and Other Tips
- These can stay out for up to 3 hours after baking, then need to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
- Freeze assembled, unbaked sliders, wrapped tightly in plastic, then foil, for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, remove plastic, cover tightly in foil, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350°F, or until heated through and cheese is melted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yep! Assemble the sandwiches and cover tightly, then refrigerate for up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, mix up the topping, brush it over the top, and bake as directed.
Sure! Assemble the sandwiches, brush the tops with the butter mixture, and wrap tightly in plastic then foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, remove plastic, cover tightly in foil, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350°F, or until heated through and cheese is melted.
Absolutely. Wrap in desired amounts following the freezing instructions on the recipe card. Fewer sandwiches will warm faster than a whole pan, so just check on them periodically and remove from the oven when the cheese has melted.
Hawaiian Ham & Cheese Sandwiches (aka Party Sandwiches)
Ingredients
- 1 dozen Hawaiian Rolls
- ½ cup Our Best Bites Poppy Seed Dressing see links above
- 6 slices Swiss or smoked provolone cheese
- 18 thin slices honey or brown sugar ham
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon poppy seeds
- 1 teaspoon dehydrated onion
- 1 teaspoon Creole or other mild coarse-ground mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9×13" pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.
- Slice the rolls in half (don’t separate them, just slice the whole dozen in half at once). Spread half of the dressing on the bottom and half on the top
- Cut the cheese into quarters and place it on top of all the rolls (you'll get better coverage if you cut it into pieces and then kind of fit them together.) Place 1 ½ slices of ham on each roll. Place the top half on the bottom half and place the entire thing into the pan.
- Melt the butter and whisk in the poppy seeds, dehydrated onion, and mustard. Spread it evenly over the rolls. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and allow to stand for 2-3 minutes before serving.
Notes
- These can stay out for up to 3 hours after baking, then need to be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
- Freeze assembled, unbaked sliders, wrapped tightly in plastic, then foil, for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, remove plastic, cover tightly in foil, and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350°F, or until heated through and cheese is melted.
Questions & Reviews
In the south these are called funeral sandwiches, but any way you call them they are delicious. I made these for my summer church camp—100 or so people—and they were a hit. Everyone was asking what the “sauce” was on the bread, but I wasn’t telling!
Dumb question, but how do you make these ahead? Do you pour the butter stuff over them and then refrigerate, or wait to do the butter thing before you bake?
btw I love your blog – I made the white bean and artichoke hummus last night, but I couldn’t get over the artichoke so I cheated and put some tahini in there. thanks!!
You could do it either way, but I’d do the butter right before baking. You could even mix it up and then remelt the butter.
Eeeek I’m Emily Willmore, I’m famous now! 😉 Hi Kate!
Hi! I’ve tried a variation of these and they were terrific. Your recipes always come out on top though so I am eager to try this one.
I am wondering if you know of any other party sandwiches like this that don’t have any pork products in it. I am having a brunch and the only meat my guests eat is chicken/turkey.
You could make a turkey Reuben with thousand island, Swiss, and sauerkraut, same topping on top–that’s probably what I would do! 🙂
I have a recipe similar to this and haven’t made it in forever! I do want to try your version, though! I like the addition of your poppy seed dressing!
I think this would be great for a day of watching football and hanging out 🙂
I make these delicious sandwiches, but each time I am ready to cut and serve them, I am reminded why I don’t make them more often. I follow your directions, but after the 15 – 20 minutes of cooking time, I can hardly cut them to separate the sandwiches and the bread ends up being squished and almost too brown on the bottom. There must be some other way because these are just too good!
Try using a heavier pan and really attaching that foil on tightly–that will help melt the cheese faster. 🙂
Just separate the rolls when you make them. It doesn’t take that much time. I have a different recipe that uses chive and onion cream cheese and is amazing!
You can also place directly on oven rack instead of on a pan. They’ll be a lot softer on the bottom.
It’s like you were watching my search habits and knew that I have to take these to a picnic TOMORROW. Thanks for being a great blogger/search stalker.
You’re so welcome!! I do what I can (even if it involves stalking.)
Love a version that doesn’t include mayo or miracle whip (two ingredients that much of my family professes a phobia to)!
We’ve made these sliders a lot over the years, and they’re always one of our favorite meals!
Paige
OHH! When I saw the title it didn’t occur to me that you meant bridal shower sandwiches, I was so confused! You eat these in the shower? Huh? What’s the story there! But now I get it and I have to agree: these should be a go-to recipe when feeding loads of people. Melted cheese is ALWAYS a crowd pleaser, and this looks yumm!