These Game Day Sliders with turkey or ham are eaten warm on Hawaiian sweet rolls with melted pepper jack cheese and a buttery topping sprinkled with sesame and poppy seeds.
Super Bowl Food
The Super Bowl doesn’t always live up to the pre-game hype. For the fans of the losing team, the anticipated commercials might be the game highlight. For music fans, the halftime show is just too short. Well, I think the food is the star of the show! If the game, the commercials, or the halftime show does not meet expectations, there is always the food.
Ham or Turkey on Your Game Day Sliders
I usually make ham and turkey sliders when I make this recipe, but it is easy to make all ham or all turkey. Just double the recipe for the meat you want to use. This kind of slider is always delicious, but this recipe adds a few details that make it different from other recipes. First, start with Hawaiian sweet bread.
Break Apart the Rolls
I flip the rolls upside down to get them out of the box. Then, cut them horizontally to make a bottom and top. After cutting them, flip over the rolls and break them apart. Many slider recipes omit this step. But you will appreciate the rolls being separated from each other after they are heated and ready to eat.
Add the Sauce to Game Day Sliders
Place two sheets (or a wide sheet) of aluminum foil on a baking sheet. The foil should be large enough to wrap up the sliders for baking. Place the roll bottoms (inside up) in the middle of the foil.
Next, mix the sauce. This sauce has hot chili pepper and a sweet sauce. Mixed with mayonnaise, it adds a perfect touch. Spread the sauce all over the bottom half of the rolls.
Use Quality Cold Cuts
Then, add folded thin-sliced ham or turkey to each roll. The better the quality of the cold cuts, the better the sliders will taste. I love to use Boar’s Head turkey and ham. Cut the cheese slices into quarters and place a quarter piece on each roll. These rolls have Swiss cheese on half and pepper jack on the other half. Both types of cheese are delicious on these sliders. Cheddar and American cheese are also delicious! I usually use at least two cheeses, whether I make a large or small amount of these sliders. Guests get excited when you go to the trouble to give them choices.
Brush the Top Rolls with Butter
Place the top of the rolls on the finished sliders. Then, make and brush on the butter mixture. Brush the top and the outer sides, and drizzle any leftover butter mixture over all the rolls.
Add Seeds to the Top of the Rolls
Sprinkle sesame seeds over all the rolls, and then sprinkle poppy seeds. They look yummy but still need heating.
Wrap up the Aluminum Foil
Fold the aluminum foil over the rolls and seal the sides to keep the bread from drying out in the oven.
Heat the Game Day Sliders
Bake for 10 minutes. Then remove the aluminum foil from the top of the rolls and bake for 2 or 3 minutes longer to brown the tops.
Enjoy the Game Day Sliders
Buttery and delicious, these sliders are so soft that they melt in your mouth. The Hawaiian rolls add just the right sweetness, and the spicy sauce adds extra flavor without overwhelming the other ingredients.
Other Game Day Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Fritos Salad
- BBQ Meatballs
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Footballs
- Spicy Tex-Mex Dip
- Pizza Dip
- Prosciutto Chicken Tenders
- Pimento Cheese and Bacon Crostini
- Bang Bang Chicken Rolls
- Football Deviled Eggs
- Smash Burger Sliders
- Bacon Cheese Cups
- Red Pepper Jelly Biscuits
Game Day Sliders
Equipment
- aluminum foil
Ingredients
Sauce
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons sweet chili sauce (like Mae Ploy)
Sliders
- 1 12-count package Hawaiian sweet rolls
- ¼ pound thinly sliced Boar’s Head Maple Glazed Honey Turkey (or other premium turkey)
- ¼ pound thinly sliced Boar’s Head SmokeMaster Beechwood Smoked Black Forest Ham (or other premium ham)
- 2 slices pepper jack cheese, cut into quarters (cheddar or American cheese substitute well for milder taste)
- 2 slices Swiss cheese, cut into quarters
Butter Topping
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Instructions
Sauce
- Combine the mayonnaise, Sriracha, and sweet chili sauce and stir. Set aside.
Sliders
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut the Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally to make a top and a bottom. Pull each roll apart from the others to make serving easier after cooking.
- Place 2 long sheets of aluminum foil on a baking sheet. (Enough foil to completely wrap the sliders for baking.) Place the roll bottoms (inside facing up) in the middle of the foil. Spread the sauce evenly on each roll. Add a folded slice of turkey to 6 rolls and a folded slice of ham to the other 6 rolls. Place a quarter slice of pepper jack cheese on 6 rolls. Place a quarter slice of Swiss cheese on the other 6 rolls. It does not matter which cheese goes with which meat. Add the top roll to each slider.
Butter Topping
- Melt the butter and add the onion powder, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire. Whisk together. Use a brush to cover the entire top and sides of the sliders with the butter mixture. Drizzle any leftover butter on the sliders. Sprinkle the sliders with the poppy seeds and then the sesame seeds.
- Cover the sliders with the aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes. Pull back the foil to expose the sliders. Bake uncovered for 2 more minutes. Serve warm.