Ham and Cheese Sliders

Once you make these Ham and Cheese sliders, they’ll be requested again and again.

People say Ham and Cheese Sliders are game-day fare. Yes they are. But what about late Easter afternoon, once church and brunch are behind us, when everyone starts to mill around the kitchen hopefully… and there’s leftover ham. 

Armed with only a package or two of sweet Hawaiian slider rolls, some cheese, a little butter and Worcestershire, a teensy clove of garlic, and some poppyseeds (or sesame seeds, or just skip the seeds altogether if they aren’t in the pantry), your leftover ham is going to go a long way making people happy. My daughter’s college friends will attest to this. Unrelated to Easter, they gather every Monday night for viewings of The Bachelor. My daughter brings snacks. Having tried out Ham and Cheese Sliders on her gang, she now fields requests for them weekly. She’s going to be very smiley when she sees these little sandwiches on Easter.

Obviously, with regard to The Bachelor or any other non-occasion, Ham and Cheese Sliders will be met with smiles whether they are made from Easter ham or not. Next weekend, though, the smiles will be extra-wide.

Ham and Cheese Sliders
12-ounce package sweet Hawaiian rolls
4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
1 teaspoon Worcestershire
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, grated
½ pound ham, thinly sliced
½ pound Swiss cheese, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Without breaking apart the individual rolls, slice them in half horizontally. Place the bottom halves of the rolls in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

In a small bowl, use a fork to whisk together the butter, Worcestershire, mustard, and garlic until smooth. Brush half of the butter-mustard mixture onto the cut-sides of the bottom half of the rolls. Layer half of the cheese over the rolls, then the ham, and finish with the remaining cheese. Place the top half of the rolls on top of the sandwiches. Brush the tops with the remaining butter-mustard mixture. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 4 to 6 minutes, until the tops of the rolls begin to brown. Serve the sandwiches warm.