These delicious, baked Hot Ham and Cheese Sandwiches are also known as Tailgate Sandwiches because they are the perfect game-day party fare. They are bursting with flavor and gooey cheese!
I have added a ton of recipes to my list of party food faves recently and these Tailgate Sandwiches always rank toward the top.
Food that can be found at parties is the best kind of food, am I right? Party food is the best! Hot dips, cold dips, gooey dips, finger foods, food on a stick, it is all so delicious.
These hot ham and cheese sandwiches are super easy to make and people absolutely love and DEVOUR them. Every time I make these I receive many requests for the recipe.
WATCH THIS QUICK VIDEO TO SEE HOW TO MAKE TAILGATE SANDWICHES!
HOW TO MAKE HOT HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICHES
I love that these sandwiches are super easy to make. Follow these super simple steps to make your very own batch of yummy sliders!
STEP 1
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and coat a large baking dish (9×13 or a similar size) with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with the roll bottoms. Top with the ham and the provolone cheese slices.
Spread a generous amount cream cheese spread onto the insides of the sweet roll tops and place them in a layer on top of the cheese.
STEP 2
In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onions and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and pour over your sandwiches. Sprinkle the poppy seeds over the top.
STEP 3
Cover the pan with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until warmed through and cheese is melted. Cut at the seams with a knife and serve warm! Make sure the sandwiches are covered before placing leftovers in the fridge.
RECIPE NOTES
- Replace the layers of ham with thin sliced turkey or roast beef instead for a different flavor.
- Replace yellow mustard with honey mustard or dijon mustard for an extra touch of flavor.
- Although I loooooove using provolone in this recipe because it’s so perfectly ooey-gooey, feel free to swap it out for cheddar, mozzarella or even swiss cheese.
- Feel free to swap out the butter in the topping with olive oil.
- Using Hawaiian rolls for these sandwiches produces such a delicious end product, but regular dinner rolls will work fine, too.
- These are super easy to make ahead of time. Assemble the sandwiches as directed. Mix up the topping but store it separately in the fridge. Brush it over the tops of the sandwiches just before baking.
- This is a good recipe to freeze. Place them in a resealable bag and wrap in foil. Freeze for up to 4 months!
WHAT TO SERVE WITH TAILGATE SANDWICHES
These sliders have a “party food” label for me personally and any other type of party food goes well with party food. Know what I mean?
If you are making these sandwiches for dinner instead, or maybe an afternoon lunch or brunch, then you might want some ideas about what side dish to serve alongside them. Here are some ideas for you!
- A leafy chopped salad would taste great with hot ham and cheese sandwiches!
- Slow Cooker Hot Creamy Corn goes with everything.
- These Slow Cooker Baked Beans are SO GOOD and they taste even more incredible when served on a plate with tailgate sandwiches.
- Sauteed Cabbage is a super simple and delish side that goes great with sandwiches.
- Especially if you are serving these in the spring or summer, Fruit Salad with a Twist is the perfect complement!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THESE DELICIOUS HOT HAM AND CHEESE SANDWICHES!
“I made these for our Christmas dinner and all of my extended family LOVED them! Cannot wait to do it this Sunday for the Super Bowl party.” ~Molly
“Just want to tell you what a fantastic recipe this is, I have made it several times and the whole family loves it! I was just looking it up for Super Bowl and wanted to say thanks!” ~Jen
Tailgate Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 24 small Hawaiian sweet buns cut in half crosswise
- 1 lb deli black forest ham sliced
- 20 slices provolone cheese
- 8 oz cream cheese spread
- 1/2 cup salted butter melted (1 stick)
- 1 tbsp mustard
- 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp dried onions minced
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tbsp poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with the bottom halves of the rolls. Top with the ham and the provolone cheese slices. Spread the cream cheese onto the bottoms of the sweet roll tops and place them in a layer on top of the cheese.
- In a medium bowl, combine the butter, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onions and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and pour evenly over tops of the sandwiches. Sprinkle the poppy seeds over the top.
- Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until warmed through. Cut at the seams with a knife and serve warm!
Notes
- Replace the layers of ham with thin sliced turkey or roast beef instead for a different flavor.
- Replace yellow mustard with honey mustard or dijon mustard for an extra touch of flavor.
- Although I loooooove using provolone in this recipe because it’s so perfectly ooey-gooey, feel free to swap it out for cheddar, mozzarella or even swiss cheese.
- Feel free to swap out the butter in the topping with olive oil.
- Using Hawaiian rolls for these sandwiches produces such a delicious end product, but regular dinner rolls will work fine, too.
- These are super easy to make ahead of time. Assemble the sandwiches as directed. Mix up the topping but store it separately in the fridge. Brush it over the tops of the sandwiches just before baking.
- This is a good recipe to freeze. Place them in a resealable bag and wrap in foil. Freeze for up to 4 months!
My friend made these the other day and they were delicious so I asked him for the recipe. I’m making them this Saturday for a trivia night. My only question is, did you use salted or unsalted butter?
Use unsalted butter because the cheese and ham have plenty of added salt!
We prefer a recipe from a former coworker – Vivian C. – that mixes the butter, onion, Worcestershire and mustard until smooth, chops the ham and Swiss cheese in a food processor, then mix together and spread on cut buns or croissants. We don’t add the poppy seeds. Then heat in the oven. Thanks for another variation!
There’s many ways to prepare a good meal. Thanks for joining the conversation!
I made these for our Christmas dinner and all of my extended family LOVED them! Cannot wait to do it
this Sunday for the Super Bowl party. If ham and cheese is to bland, I made a second pan of shaved london broil, swiss cheese and added horseradish sauce. Yummy!
I love how a recipe shared can inspire other ideas and flavors. Sounds like you did great! I’m sure they were a hit. Thanks for stopping by!
Just want to tell you what a fantastic recipe this is, I have made it several times and the whole family loves it! I was just looking it up for Super Bowl and wanted to say thanks!
Thank you. It’s a great recipe to share and be hearty enough to fill you up but also be able to snack on a few other appetizers at a party.
I’ve added a pickle slice & used cream cheese with chives for an extra dose of YUM!
We did not care for these. My guests thought the flavor was ok but felt the topping made them a bit messy to eat. I may try these again but I will put the topping in between the meet and cheese? I think these would also be good with some pepper jack cheese.
Putting the topping between the meat and cheese is a great idea! I may just try that next time! And you can never go wrong with pepper jack, in my opinion. Thanks for the comment!
Megan
These were so, so yummy! Thank you for the recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Rebecca!!
Megan
This is becoming my go to recipe for pot lucks and family gatherings. It has been a hit, I’ve probably made it four times now… getting ready for another batch this morning. I follow the recipe with only a few exceptions. I always forget to buy the minced onion, so I’ve skipped that for the topping, and I put the topping together without the poppy seeds and parmesan. I sprinkle that on top after brushing on the butter mixture. I have found that it goes on better for me that way. Delicious!