Hot Oven Baked Sliders

You guys, I have the biggest crush on my oven. I mean, anything that can bring me hot, toasty, melty, gooey, delicious sammies deserves to be crushed on. Saying these hot oven baked sliders are good is like me telling you that the earth revolves around the sun. It's not an opinion, it is a fact. Period. So when I say these sliders are 100% worthy a requirement for your Super Bowl Sunday spread, I am merely stating a fact. You should also add  this homestyle game-day chili to your menu.

I mean, mountains of shaved and shredded meat, cheese, tangy sauce, on a sweet hawaiian roll, topped with a buttery poppyseed-y dressing. Then baked to perfection, until the cheese and the bread become one and the sauce melts into the meat. And the dressing. Oh the dressing. It will seep into the buns and the buns will glisten in all their glory. Now this is a meal fit for kings...or football fanatics.

That being said, I haven't had much time (or patience) to figure out my spread because, basically, the manna & spice younglings have been dropping like flies in the last week. Because flu season. So today, after banishing every single germ that could have entered my house (read: cleaning and disinfecting the house), I decided, I simply must pull myself out of my sickness-induced funk and tell you about these fan-thaaahhhhh-asssstic lovelies. And they come with a stamp of approval from The Mister.

You know, the more that I think about it, the more I realize that he is the Jeffery to my Ina. And once, I did send him a box full of baked goods, similar to Ina's shoebox full of brownies for Jeffery. Back to last night as I pull these sandwiches out of the oven and The Mister leans over my shoulder and goes, "Want me to test one out for you? You know, as the family taste tester." His sense of smell is amazing.

This was promptly followed by "Ohmygod, this is one of the best sandwiches I've ever had!"

Okay, okay, enough about us. Let's go back to these out-of-this-world sliders. You guys, you won't believe how easy they are to put together, how quickly, they come together, and how perfect they are for feeding a crowd. Did I mention that they're totally customizable? And um did I tell you how they're so, so easy, I think I'd even trust The Mister to put them together? Yes, they're THAT easy!

Hot oven baked sliders= love because they can be made so many different ways. This time, I made two versions. And really, I had a hard time deciding which one I liked more. But the beauty of making two different kinds is you have a little from column A and a little from column B. With one version, I used turkey and baby swiss and the other I did with buffalo chicken and pepperjack cheese. Now, let me tell you, I'm not the biggest fan of buffalo sauce. I know, it's like a cardinal sin to admit that but I just don't really care for it. Buffalo sauce in this recipe though, was just wow. No, no, no, I mean I was silently questioning all of my life choices, wondering what else I needed to re-explore because I  dismissed it previously. Yes, it was THAT NOM!

Let's talk dressing. It's a very simple, no-fail dressing I made with melted butter (I used Smart Balance), dijon mustard, brown sugar or honey (I used brown sugar for the turkey and baby swiss sliders and honey for the buffalo chicken sliders and they are almost identical in taste). And you just just pour it all over the assembled sliders, before popping them into the oven. Oh, and guys, when I say pour, I actually mean smother. Oh yes, S-M-O-T-H-E-R.

Admit it, these sliders look impressive. Honestly, putting poppy seeds on anything  makes it look impressive. It says "Hello, I know what I'm doing in the kitchen. I mean, who else do you know that uses poppyseeds? Ex-accccttttllllyyy" Actually, the poppyseeds add a crunchy texture to the sliders and stand up well to the string-ish nature of the cheese. But seriously guys, you can customize the contents of these sliders.

Just a few ideas:

• roast beef and cheddar
• leave out the cream cheese in the buffalo chicken sliders if you don't like cream cheese and swap out for more cheese
• add pickles
• pastrami and french dressing

and the list goes on and on. So you get it when I say, these sliders are like the most versatile things ever. And when you serve them this weekend, prepare to bask in the glory of being the best cook ever.

Some tips: 

• freezing the rolls beforehand helps to prevent tearing when slicing them in half. I froze mine for an hour and was able to slice right through them. The dressing on top will bring back any moisture that is lost when freezing them.
• use a sharp bread knife or a serrated knife to slice the bread-it will allow the weight of the knife to cut the bread rather than force you to exert pressure on the bread and bruising the bread.
• The dressing recipe, as written makes enough for 12 sliders. Simple double (or triple) the recipe if you're making making more than 12 sliders.

Hot Oven Baked Sliders

Print Recipe

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Yield: 12-24** 1x

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• TURKEY SLIDERS
• 12 sweet hawaiian rolls
• 12 slices shaved turkey breast
• 12 slice baby swiss cheese
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 6 tbsp mayonnaise
• ¼ tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• BUFFALO CHICKEN SLIDERS
• 12 sweet hawaiian rolls
• 1 ½-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• ½ cup hot sauce such as Frank's Red Hot (I used Frank's Red Hot Original)
• oil for grilling chicken
• ½ cup shredded pepperjack cheese or other cheese of choice
• 5 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• ½ cup jarred jalapenos
• FOR DRESSING (enough for 12 rolls)*
• 5 tbsp melted butter or butter spread
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds
• ½ tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp brown sugar or honey
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried onion flakes

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. MAKE THE DRESSING
3. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, mustard, worcestershire sauce, brown sugar (or honey), garlic powder, onion flakes, and poppy seeds. Whisk together until well blended.
4. TURKEY SLIDERS
5. Using a very sharp knife, cut the rolls in half, without separating them into individual rolls. Place bottom half of rolls in lightly greased 9X13 dish. Layer turkey slices onto rolls. Layer cheese slices on top of cheese. Set aside.
6. In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, paprika, worcestershire sauce, and dijon mustard. Stir until combined well. Spread the sauce on the inside of the top half of the rolls. Place onto the rest of the sandwich.
7. Pour dressing over the top of the assembled sandwiches. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot.
8. BUFFALO CHICKEN SLIDERS
9. Rub chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Heat enough oil to cook chicken in a saucepan, over medium heat. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear and chicken is completely cooked. Take off heat and move onto a plate or bowl. Using two forks, shred chicken and set aside.
10. Heat butter on medium heat and add hot sauce in. Stir to combine and cook until butter has melted into the sauce. Add shredded chicken back into pan and cook until sauce has thickened.
11. Using a sharp knife, slice rolls in half, without breaking them off individually. Place bottom half on a greased 9X13 dish. Layer shredded chicken mixture on top of rolls. Scatter jalapenos evenly. Sprinkle with shredded cheese.
12. Spread cream cheese gently on inside of the top half of the rolls and place cream cheese side down on top of the chicken.
13. Pour dressing over the sliders and cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake for 5 more minutes.
14. Serve hot.

Notes

*the recipe, as written, makes enough for 12 sliders. If you are making a double batch, double the recipe
**the recipe is for two types of sliders. 1 serving is 1 slider.