Italian Sliders
We host game day parties pretty regularly, and these Italian Sliders are often recommended. They’re hot, meaty, and loaded with cheese. There’s big flavor in these, too, from olives, salami, and pepperoncinis. They’re easy to make and get devoured quickly! The next time you’re looking for the perfect party food, these Italian Sliders are perfect!
I think sliders are the perfect party food. They’re not too big, so they’re not too filling, but they’re more substantial than just a handful of chips. They’re hot and meaty, and as is the case with these Italian Sliders, they’re also loaded with flavor.
Italian Sliders
These sliders are open-faced sliders. That’s so that you can get the cheese hot and melty without a top bun to squish all the filling out. And because they’re open-faced, everyone can see all the goodness that’s in them!
Read more: Italian Sliders
This recipe makes 24 sliders, and you’ll need (2) 13×9 baking dishes to make them in. Or, make them in two batches – that’s okay, too! You can serve one batch while the second heats in the oven.
These always get gobbled up in my house – I bet your family and friends will love them, too!
Why I love this recipe
- They’re melty, gooey, flavorful, and so easy to make. You can prep them ahead of time and then just bake before serving.
- You can switch up the meats and cheeses – see my suggestions below.
- You can halve the recipe if you don’t need so many or double it to feed a crowd. It’s that easy!
Gather these ingredients
- Butter – Salted or unsalted butter is fine.
- Sundried tomatoes – You’ll need a 7-ounce jar. I like Delallo’s julienne cut sundried tomatoes in oil.
- Salami – Sliced thin and then diced. See my tips below on how to do that.
- Ham – Thin-sliced sandwich ham. Black forest ham, cooked ham, etc.
- Provolone cheese – Sliced.
- Onion – 1 medium yellow onion, diced.
- Canned sliced black olives – Drained.
- Sliced pepperoncinis – Drained.
- Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls – 1 large package or 2 small ones.
- Dried oregano
- Cracked black pepper
How to make the best Italian Sliders
- Preheat your oven to 450-F and line (2) 9×13 baking dishes with foil or parchment paper.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and the oil from the sundried tomatoes in a skillet over low heat until the butter is melted.
- Keeping the rolls connected, slice the tops off the rolls and set them aside. Place the connected bottom half of the rolls into the baking dish, and put the top half of the rolls, cut side up, in the other baking dish.
- Brush the cut buns with the butter-oil mixture and then bake in the oven for 3-4 minutes or until just starting to get toasty. When toasted, remove the baking dishes from the oven and set them aside.
- Add the diced onion to the skillet with any remaining butter-oil mixture. Add the sundried tomatoes and sliced olives and saute over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add the diced salami and cook for another 5 minutes or so.
- Layer the sliced ham over the cut rolls, then top with the salami-onion mixture and slices of provolone cheese to cover the sliders.
- Sprinkle with a few grinds of cracked black pepper and the dried oregano.
- Put the sliders back into the oven for about 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tips & substitutions
- If you want to prep these sliders ahead of time, you can cut the buns and prepare the filling. Put the filling into the fridge and just reheat it before assembling the sliders and baking them.
- If you don’t have (2) 9×13 pans, you can use one large baking sheet.
- To easily dice the salami, pile the slices on top of each other then cut them into strips and then cut the strips into squares. Voila, diced salami!
- Switch up the meats and cheese! You can use any kind of Italian meat or cheese in these sliders.
- Add a touch of heat with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes before serving.
- Let the sliders cool for a few minutes before serving – they’re very hot when they come right out of the oven.
Serving suggestions
Italian Sliders go well with other tasty bites like Tuna Apple Salad bites, Wedge Salad Bites, or Grape Puff Pastry Bites. If you’re going to serve them as a part of a meal, I suggest pairing them with this Italian Bean Salad or this creamy Sausage & Tortellini Soup.
Storage
Once assembled and baked, these open-faced sliders are best eaten right away. If you do have leftovers, pop them into an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 2-3 days but note that the bottom buns will likely get soggy.
Check out these awesome slider recipes while you’re here
- Tuna Sliders
- French Dip Sliders
- Breakfast Sandwich Sliders
- Cake Pan Ham and Cheese Sandwiches
- Reuben Sliders
Get the Recipe:
Italian Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 7 oz jar of julienne cut sun dried tomatoes in oil, we use Delallo brand
- ¾ lb thin sliced salami, diced
- 1 lb ham, sliced on the thinner side
- ½ lb provolone cheese
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 7 oz can sliced black olives, drained
- ¾ cup sliced pepperoncinis, drained
- 1 pkg Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls, or 2 small (you need 12 full rolls, or 24 halves)
- Dried Oregano
- Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Prepare (2) 9×13 pans with foil (or one large baking sheet that holds 24 rolls (combo of bottom and tops)
- Melt the butter and the oil from the sun dried tomatoes in a skillet and cook on low until the butter is melted.
- Leaving the rolls attached, horizontally slice the tops off; set aside. Place the bottom attached rolls one 9×13 foil-lined baking pan. Place the top in another 9×13 foil-lined baking pan. On the top and bottom rolls, brush on the butter/oil mixture. Place both pans in the oven for about 3-4 minutes and toast the rolls. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- To the remaining butter and oil mixture in the skillet, turn the heat to medium high and add the diced onion, the remaining sun dried tomatoes, and the drained olives. Saute for 10 minutes.
- Next add the diced salami and continue to saute for 5-6 minutes.
- To both pans of the rolls, add sliced ham, the hot salami mixture, and a slice of the cheese.
- Sprinkle with a few grinds of black pepper and oregano.
- Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.
- Serve open-face style! Delish!
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
