Oven Baked Ham and Cheese Sliders Recipe

Sliders are an all time favorite of mine. Even as a Californian, I am one of those people who would take White Castle slider over an In-N-Out Burger any day of the week (my fiancé and I debate over this constantly). For me, it’s all about the steamed onion in a slider. Yes, that is right, a real slider is cooked on a bed of steamed onions absorbing all that flavor. 

So how can I take that slider concept and swap out my hamburger for some high class ham? I’m going to experiment with that today in my oven baked ham and cheese slider recipe.  

What is a Ham and Cheese Slider?

Sliders today are sold as small sandwiches and hamburgers. To me, a real slider may be small in size but it must be steamed with onion to be a slider. It doesn’t matter the protein, what matters to me is the preparation. 

So, a ham and cheese slider will include ham, cheese, and grilled onions on top of a delicious bread roll.

My Approach to Ham and Cheese Sliders

I am going to steam as much of my ham and cheese sliders on onion as I can. To do that I’m going to lay a bed of onions, start sweating them, and then “tent in” my bread, meat, and cheese.

If you’re skeptical about the onion on the slider, stick with me here! The onion adds so much additional flavor and depth to the slider, and it’s worth trying at least once.

What Makes a Good Ham and Cheese Slider?

There are 2 main things that make good cheese and ham sliders: 

1. Cooking it on the steamed onions: You have to have the steamed onions to be a slider
2. Loads of flavor: Small size portions should always be balanced with big time flavor  

How to Get Great Flavors in the Sliders

I need big flavor, and that means no lunch meat here. I am recommending the use of aged cured hams. These hams are big on flavor and pack a huge punch per pound of meat. 

I’m talking prosciutto di parma, prosciutto di san daniele, jamon iberico, jamon serrano, speck, or good ol’ American country ham. Most of those you will be able to find in your deli but you will need to ask for them to cut it (try to avoid the pre-packed stuff if you can). 

While almost all of these hams you can ask for by name there is one that is unfortunately falling to the wayside and that is American country hams.

Country hams are basically American prosciutto. Contrast this with the ham you think of in a sandwich or at the dinner table which used to be known as a “city” ham (now just the default ham). If you are lucky enough to have access to American Country Ham, I highly recommend it!

Developing Flavors

The flavor in my oven-baked ham and cheese sliders is primarily coming from two places:

• The steamed onions: As they sweat off moisture, it will get picked up in the bread like a sponge. 
• The ham: While cured hams are low in moisture, they are huge on flavor. The flavor of those hams is all heavily soluble in fat. So when the meat gets warm and touches that cheese I get so much flavor.

What Pairs with Ham and Cheese Sliders?

Ham and cheese sliders are a great party appetizer and are meant to be shared. That said, these pair great with saucy sides like meatballs, crudites, maybe a nacho or cheese dip. 

Drinks-wise, I’d recommend a lighter beer like wheat or pilsner. While these do pack quite a bit of flavor (especially if you sprung for the special ham), they are not burgers and you don’t want to overpower them with a dark beer. 

Tools Required

To make these ham and cheese sliders all you will need is a baking dish, cutting board, a knife, and a measuring spoon.