Super Bowl Sunday is the second-biggest day of eating next to Thanksgiving.
The Super Bowl not only has New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles fans gearing up to root for their team, but to eat.
Super Bowl Sunday is the second-biggest day of eating next to Thanksgiving. A good amount of that comes in the form of snacks and handheld foods like sandwiches. There’s no other time of the year when chicken wing and guacamole consumption get tallied up.
This recipe is ideal for feeding a crowd. These Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders take little effort and are impressive. I fumbled — sorry, I couldn’t resist — across the recipe a few years ago in an article from Cook’s Country magazine. These sliders are across-the-board winners in terms of prep time, make-ahead and flavor.
Personally, they are my go-to sandwich, especially for game-day or last-minute gatherings because everyone loves them and they are so versatile.
I’ve made them using the small and square King’s Hawaiian Rolls, round slider buns and larger sandwich buns. You will need to adjust the amount of sliced deli meat depending on the size bun you use. Most any sliced deli lunch meat works (just don’t slice it too thick), though turkey and ham are the best.
For the cheese, any variety will do, but thin sliced is best. There are several name-brand and store-brand options labeled thin-sliced cheese. I layered half the sliders with provolone and the other half with Swiss cheese. I also used a mix of plain, thinly sliced packaged deli ham and one labeled honey ham.
One idea is that you assemble the sliders side-by-side and bake them in the same dish. A buttery sauce speckled with poppy seeds and softened onion is brushed on the tops and sides of the sliders. Any leftover sauce is poured all over and drips down into the baking dish.
As the sliders bake, covered at first, the sauce soaks into the bun and steams them so they become nice and soft. After about 20 minutes of baking, the foil is removed and the sliders bake another 7-9 minutes. What happens during the second baking is the edges of the sliders get a little crispy while the bun stays soft. You can serve these warm, straight out of the oven or at room temperature.
Because I made 24 slider-sized sandwiches (the buns were about 2 to 2½ inches in diameter), a sided baking sheet, like a jelly-roll pan, worked best. They fit nicely and it was easy to serve or transport them on that baking sheet. You can cut the recipe in half if you like. If you do, use a smaller, 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Finally, a word about the sauce. You can make more if you like. It’s a simple mixture of melted butter, onion, poppy seed, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder. All the amounts in the recipe can be adjusted to your own taste. My personal favorite is using Dijon mustard for tanginess.
BAKED HAM AND CHEESE SLIDERS
24 slider buns
6 to 8 tablespoons Dijon, coarse grain brown or yellow mustard
24 slices favorite ham or turkey (use more if the slices are very thin)
24 thin slices provolone or Swiss cheese
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1½ teaspoons garlic powder
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange slider bun bottoms on a sided baking sheet or arrange in a baking dish (you may need 2). Brush some mustard on the bottom bun. Fold ham slices in thirds, and place 1 slice (or 2 if they are very thin) on each roll bottom. Fold the cheese the same way and then place over ham. Season with pepper. Brush the inside of the bun cap with more mustard if you’d like. Place bun cap on ham.
In a small bowl, combine the butter, onion, and poppy seeds. Microwave until butter is melted and onion is softened, about 1 minute. Whisk in Worcestershire, garlic powder, and remaining 2 tablespoons mustard into butter mixture until combined. Generously brush tops and sides of the sandwiches with all of butter mixture. Spoon any remaining solids over sandwiches.
Cover dish with aluminum foil and let sit for 10 minutes to allow sandwiches to absorb sauce. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until cheese is melted around edges and tops are slightly firm, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve.