There is nothing better than the warm scent of fluffy rolls… except when you add some pepperoni, salami, and provolone! Italian Sliders are mini sandwiches made from soft dinner rolls and are the best way to provide a small, but filling, finger food at your next gathering or lunch spread.
Recipe Ingredient Notes
- Dinner rolls - grab fresh dinner rolls from your favorite bakery.
- Pizza sauce - If you don't have any on hand, thick marinara sauce works well.
- Deli meats and cheese - For Italian sub sliders, cured salami and pepperoni are our go-to choices. We use Provolone, mainly because Mozzarella is difficult to find in slices. Use whatever meats and cheeses you like.
Ways to Enjoy Every Bite
Whether you're making these for an Italian potluck or Super Bowl party- plan on two mini sandwiches per adult. Kids and anyone with a smaller appetite will likely eat just one. These are usually a big hit, so if your party will have more than 12 guests, definitely make extra!
You can customize these Italian sub sliders by adding mozzarella or parmesan cheese and if you are serving children they typically prefer these cheeses over provolone. These Italian sliders are easy to make with simple ingredients, so feel free to get creative with your fillings, think tomato, sliced banana peppers, olives. These sliders pair well with other finger food appetizers like buffalo chicken wontons and pimento cheese sausage balls.
How to Make Italian Sub Sliders
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously spray a low-sided baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cut dinner rolls in half horizontally and arrange the bottoms in a single layer in the baking dish.
Step 2: Bake the roll halves 3-5 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and let cool slightly for easier handling. Spread 1 tablespoon pizza sauce on each roll bottom.
Step 3: Layer with a provolone cheese rounds and Italian meats (about 3 slices each of pepperoni and salami per slider).
Step 4: Spread 1 tablespoon pizza sauce on the inside of each roll top, then place tops on the prepared bottoms. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with Italian seasoning and flaky salt if desired. Reduce oven to 350°F. Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese melts. Serve warm.
Can I use different types of bread for these Baked Sliders?
Yes! While dinner rolls work perfectly, you can also use Hawaiian rolls for a slightly sweet taste, slider buns, or even mini ciabatta rolls. Just adjust the baking time as needed based on the size and thickness of your bread.
Recipe Tips from Mrs. G
- Don't overload with sauce. Stick to about 1 tablespoon of sauce on both the top and bottom of each roll. Too much sauce will make the sliders messy and soggy. You can always serve extra pizza sauce on the side for dipping.
- Cut the cheese to fit the rolls. Using a round cookie cutter or glass to cut the provolone into 3-inch rounds ensures the cheese fits perfectly on each slider and melts evenly. You can also tear the cheese slices to fit if you don't want to waste any.
- Cover with foil to melt the cheese. Covering the sliders during baking traps the heat and ensures the cheese melts completely while keeping the roll tops from over-browning. Remove the foil for the last 2-3 minutes if you want extra-crispy tops.
Storing Leftovers
If you have any leftovers, wrap them in foil or an airtight container and refrigerate. Baked sliders will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. You can also freeze the baked sandwiches. Place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and they'll keep for up to 2 months. When you're ready to eat them, thaw them in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat them in the oven or microwave using the instructions below.
To reheat your baked sliders, you have two easy options. For the microwave method, wrap each slider in a damp paper towel to keep the buns soft, then heat on high for 30-60 seconds until warmed through and the cheese is melted. For the oven method, cover the sliders in aluminum foil and place them directly on the oven rack at 375°F for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
Italian Sliders
Equipment
- non-stick cooking spray
- 9x13 Baking dish
- small bowl
Ingredients
- 24 pcs dinner rolls
- 1 cup pizza sauce or thick marinara sauce
- 12 ounces provolone cheese slices cut into 3-inch rounds *See Notes
- 10 ounces pepperoni slices or turkey pepperoni
- 10 ounces Italian salami slices
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- flaky sea salt optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F.
- Generously spray a low-sided baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Cut rolls in half horizontally. Arrange the bottoms of the rolls back in a single layer in the baking dish.Bake the roll halves 3-5 minutes until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and let cool slightly for easier handling.
- Spread a tablespoon of pizza sauce over the inside bottom of each of the rolls.
- Cover sauce with a round slice of provolone cheese, then Italian meat(s). For each of the mini sandwiches, I used three slices of pepperoni, turkey pepperoni, and salami.
- Add a tablespoon of pizza sauce to the inside tops of the rolls, then place a top onto each of the prepared roll bottoms.
- Brush egg wash on the tops of the rolls. Sprinkle each top with dried Italian seasoning and flaky salt, if desired.
- Reduce oven heat to 350°F.
- Cover baking dish of Italian sliders with foil and bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese melts.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- To cut the cheese into circles, we use a 3-inch biscuit cutter or mason jar ring.
- Italian Meats - Feel free to use any combination of deli meat slices that you enjoy.
- To keep the sliders warm, place a rack in the bottom of a slow cooker or electric roaster. If you don't have a rack, crumple a sheet of aluminum foil into the bottom. Add ½" inch of hot water in the bottom of the pan. The purpose is to elevate the sliders above the water. The water keeps the sliders from drying out.
- Use a 3-inch biscuit cutter or mason jar ring to cut the Provolone cheese to size.
- Meat lovers: Add ham, mortadella, or prosciutto for more variety. Replace the sauce with Italian dressing or add Dijon mustard.
- Veggie lovers: Add sautéed spinach, banana peppers, olives, red peppers, basil, or mushrooms for an Italian veggie slider.
- Spicy version: Swap the marinara for spicy arrabbiata sauce or add crushed red pepper flakes and pickled red onions.
- If you have any leftovers, wrap them in foil or an airtight container and refrigerate. Italian sliders will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- You can also freeze the baked sandwiches. Place them in a freezer-safe bag or container and they'll keep for up to 2 months.
- When you're ready to eat them, thaw them in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat them in the oven or microwave. Reheating using the microwave keeps the buns nice and soft, wrap each slider in a damp paper towel before microwaving. Reheat on high for 30-60 seconds, or until they are warm through the center and the cheese is melted again. When reheating using the oven, cover the sliders in aluminum foil and bake directly on the oven rack at 375°F. for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.
- You can prepare the Italian sandwiches the day before. Follow all of the instructions up until you brush the egg wash on top of the rolls. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and store them in the fridge overnight. Then, continue with the recipe the next day.
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