Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders

A sweet glaze with brown sugar, melted butter, poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard make these baked Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders stand out.

Delicious honey ham with melted cheese sitting on a sweet Hawaiian roll with a layer of ranch dressing makes the best sliders!

This recipe also inspired Ham & Cheese Roll-Ups and Turkey, Cheddar and Bacon Sliders.

Easy Ham & Cheese Sliders Recipe

Ham and cheese on Hawaiian rolls with a sweet glaze makes an amazing meal. These little baked sandwiches are a treat served warm and make a popular party appetizer or an easy family meal! 

Our family likes this easy ham and cheese sliders recipe with brown sugar so much they are a regular on our menu, especially when friends come to visit.  We’re known for this recipe as well as our Chicken, Bacon & Ranch Sliders and Pulled Pork Sliders.

Ham and Swiss is one of my favorite meat and cheese combinations. Adding a few other easy ingredients makes this slider recipe extra special! Baked for about 20 minutes, the hot sliders make you want to eat more than one.

This is a great way to use leftover ham. A couple more of our favorite uses for extra ham are this Ham, Egg & Cheese Casserole and Ham & Potato Soup.

Why This Recipe Works:

• These sliders are perfect as appetizers, great for tailgates and other parties, as well as making an easy family meals in under 30 minutes!
• Our family loves sliders because they are easier for kids to eat and even our picky eater enjoys these little sandwiches with the sweet and shinny butter and brown sugar glaze!
• Hawaiian Ham and Cheese Sliders can be made a day ahead of time as part of a meal prep routine.
• Sliders can be wrapped in foil and kept warm in a slow cooker for a few hours making them more convenient.

Ingredients Needed For Hawaiian Ham Sliders:

• Ham – We prefer thinly sliced ham deli meat as it is easiest to slice or pull apart. Thicker pieces of leftover ham works fine when cut into smaller pieces.
• Swiss Cheese – Any cheese that pairs well with ham works fine. Swiss or sharp cheddar are our favorite.
• Hawaiian Slider Rolls – We designed this recipe for an 18 ounce package with 12 sliders rolls. The brand doesn’t matter as long as the rolls are fresh.
• Ranch Dressing – Adds a layer of creamy and herby flavors that nicely accents the meat and cheese combination.
• Butter – The vehicle to spread the other glorious glaze ingredients all over those rolls.
• Brown Sugar – Makes the glaze so sweet and memorable.
• Worcestershire Sauce – A hint of a tang to enhance the glaze.
• Dijon Mustard – Sharp and tangy with a bit of earthy spice, a little goes a long way in the glaze.
• Poppy Seeds – Add a visual look that makes you crave sliders and a slightly unique flavor to compliment the ham so nicely.

How to Make Ham & Swiss Sliders with Brown Sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9×13 baking pan with foil.
2. Slice Hawaiian slider rolls in half.  Place bottom half in pan and spread a thin layer of ranch dressing on the bottom roll.
3. Add a thin, even layer of ham, then add a layer of Swiss cheese.  Repeat with a second layer of ham and cheese.  Place the top half on the sliders.
4. Make brown sugar topping or glaze by melting butter and then stirring in remaining ingredients together.  Use a pastry brush or spoon glaze over the top of the rolls.
5. Bake uncovered for 12 – 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the tops of the rolls are lightly browned.

What Type of Cheese to Use:

Cheese with a strong flavor pairs well with the salty and smoky taste of ham on Hawaiian rolls.

Ham has a bold flavor making a bold cheese like Swiss or sharp cheddar pair well to become the most popular combinations.

Ham sliders on Hawaiian rolls are great with any cheese that tastes great with ham including cheddar, Swiss, American (yellow or white), Munster is less popular in the US, but pairs well with most meats.

Step By Step Instructions

Cut slider rolls in half. I find this easiest to do by taking the rolls out of the package, unfolding the sides and using a long bread knife.

Set on a layer of foil with a light coat of non-stick cooking spray and spread a thin layer of ranch dressing on the bottom roll.  If you really like ranch then add a thin layer on the top of the rolls too.

Set the bottom half of the rolls in the foil in the 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Add a thin layer of ham on top of the ranch dressing.

Next add a layer of Swiss cheese.

Add another layer of ham.  I like to begin the meat layers by arranging the meat as pictured to ensure the corner rolls have nice layers of ham.

Starting at the edges with ham, then fill in the center.

Alternating the ham and cheese makes these little sandwiches even more delicious!

Add the final layer of cheese.  We love the ham and Swiss combination!

Use a small mixing bowl to melt the butter.

Measure out and mix up all of the glaze ingredients.

Brush on top of the rolls.  This glaze has a lot of brown sugar which makes it really sweet.  Feel free to cut the glaze in half if sweet isn’t your favorite flavor sensation or if you use a smaller 12 ounce package of rolls.

Bake at 375°F for about 15 minutes.  I usually check around the 12-minute mark to make sure the rolls aren’t browning too quickly.

Keeping the sliders uncovered while baking will prevent them from getting soggy. Having a cover on the bread will trap in condensation and keep the top from getting a nice, golden brown finish.

Serve warm and enjoy!

How to Keep Sliders Warm?

Immediately after baking sliders cut into piece with one or two sandwiches. Wrap in pieces of foil and stack up to three sliders high in a crock pot.

Place on keep warm for up to two hours.

To help keep the warmth from the oven I like to have the pieces of foil already cut and ready to wrap.

Using individually wrapped sliders in a warming drawer on the low setting works well too. Or you can wrap the entire pan in foil for a warming drawer.

Take care not to stack the sliders too high or the rolls could get smashed.

Can You Make Hawaiian Sliders the Night Before?

Yes! You make make the Hawaiian roll sliders as directed the night before. This includes pouring the glaze over the top of the rolls. Wait to bake until ready to serve.

Store wrapped or in an airtight container in the refrigerator until 30 minutes prior to baking. Allow the dish to warm up a bit as putting a cold dish in a hot oven could cause the glass to crack if there is a big temperature swing.

Even recipes like this one with a generous glaze will be fine when assembled up to 24 hours ahead of baking.

I did not expect the quality to be the same on pre-assembled sliders as freshly prepared sliders, but after testing I learned the taste is indistinguishable!

Different Types Of Hawaiian Rolls

The most popular brand of Hawaiian Rolls is the Kings Hawaiian brand. The rolls are sweeter to begin with than regular bread which makes them more enjoyable to eat.

Kings Hawaiian Roll Sliders come in 12 ounce packages with 12 slider rolls. So each roll is 1 ounce.

Competitors like Aunt Millies also make sliders that have 12 slider rolls in an 18 ounce package. So each roll is 1.5 ounces.

This recipe can be made with either type of roll, but we built the ingredients to work best with the bigger 18 ounce package of slider rolls.

How To Make Pull A Part Sliders

Separate the slider rolls and fold the ham and cheese to fit on each individual roll before baking.

Push the rolls close together to glaze and bake, but then pull them apart once out of the oven when you’re ready to eat.

This takes a little more time than layering, but avoids having to cut the rolls to separate.

Recipe Tips & Tricks:

• I find that sitting the ham and cheese out on the counter for about 20 minutes to knock the chill off before assembling the sliders helps the cheese melt better in the center during baking.
• Wrap one or two sliders in foil packets and set in a crock pot to keep warm for up to two hours.
• We prefer a larger package of 18 ounce Hawaiian slider rolls, to the more popular King’s Hawaiian brand that only has 12 ounces of bread inside.
• The sliders taste just as good assembled ahead of time and refrigerated up to a day before baking as they do when prepared immediately after assembling.
• Use a sharp knife to cut the sliders apart being careful not to cut foil. Another option is moving the sandwiches to a cutting board first and serving off the board. 

More Easy Slider Recipes:

• Roast Beef Sliders on Hawaiian Rolls
• Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joe Sliders
• Pizza Sliders
• Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders
• Best Ever Ground Beef Sliders

What to Serve with Sliders:

• Potato chips with this amazing Chip Dip
• Buffalo Chicken Dip with celery and tortilla chips
• Fruit Tray or a Veggie Tray

We hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do!

This recipe was shared by Courtney Nelson when I met her working on a partnership with the Nebraska Pork Producers Association.

Recipe originally shared on 1/21/19 with pictures updated on 1/27/21 and 5/1/23.