Italian Sliders
Italian Sliders are warm sandwiches made with Hawaiian roll sliders, filled with ham, salami, provolone cheese, banana peppers, lettuce, and Italian dressing. The rolls are brushed with an Italian seasoned butter. These are perfect for an easy lunch, dinner or game day appetizer!
Sliders have become one of my kids favorite dinners (we love Big Mac Sliders!) and while we typically stick with the ham and cheese combination, I've been playing around with other ingredients. Our newest favorite? Italian Sliders!
These Italian sandwich sliders are made with Hawaiian rolls and are filled with meat - ham, salami, and pepperoni - a layer of provolone cheese, a yummy shredded lettuce situation that is lightly dressed with red wine vinegar, olive oil, and Italian seasoning, and then topped with some banana peppers. I keep the banana peppers off the section for my kids but other than that, they absolutely love these!
There is seriously SO much flavor in these Italian sub sliders and they're crazy easy to make! Be sure to finish it off with something sweet like No Bake Peanut Butter Pie!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy - these require very little prep and are so easy that the kids can help make them!
- Prep Ahead - You can assemble these sliders ahead of time and then simply pop in the oven when it's time for dinner! I would make the shredded lettuce mixture while the sliders are baking, otherwise the lettuce may get soggy if prepped too far in advance.
- Family Friendly - these sliders are very kid friendly and easy to adapt to younger taste buds. You can leave the banana peppers off the kid section, like I do, or adapt the meats according to your family's preference. Another family friendly meal: Chicken Parmesan Meatball Subs!
Ingredients
- Slider Buns - a package of 12 Hawaiian rolls sliders are so perfect for these Italian sub sliders. They are so soft, slightly sweet, and the perfect slider size.
- Deli Meat - the meat in these sliders is ham, salami, and pepperoni. I like to use meat straight from the deli, as I can get exactly how much I want, and I love the larger slices of pepperoni.
- Butter
- Italian Seasoning and Garlic Powder - these two spices are mixed with butter for a delicious buttery topping.
- Lettuce - the best part about this recipe? The Italian-dressed lettuce that gets sandwiched inside!
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Olive Oil
- Provolone Cheese - provolone cheese is perfect on Italian sliders because it melts beautifully and adds a touch of flavor.
- Banana Peppers - these add a tangy vinegary flavor to the rolls and are a classic ingredient in Italian subs.
Variations
Use your favorite deli meats. I used deli ham, salami, and pepperoni, but you could switch it up depending on what you like. You could use turkey instead of ham, add some different types of salami, or throw some prosciutto on it, too.
Add roasted red peppers. This is a fun addition that I have seen other slider recipes add, but they are not my favorite. If you like red peppers, check out my Roasted Red Pepper Lentil Soup.
Add some Parmesan cheese to the top. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese (and maybe even some red pepper flakes!) on top of the melted butter on the buns.
Italian seasoning substitute. If you don't have Italian seasoning, just use equal amounts of dried oregano and dried basil.
Step by Step Instructions
Photo 1. In a small bowl, melt butter and then add some garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and salt, and set aside.
Photo 2. Grease a 9"baking dish and line with parchment paper. This helps prevent the slider buns from sticking to the baking dish. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the bottom halves of the sliders on the bottom of the greased baking dish
Photo 3. Brush the slider buns with some of the butter mixture.
Photo 4. Layer the ham on top of the slider buns.
Photo 5. Repeat layering with the salami and pepperoni.
Photo 6. Add a layer of provolone cheese.
Photo 7. Sprinkle the red onion on top of the sliced provolone.
Photo 8. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Place the top halves of the slider buns on a separate baking sheet and brush with the remaining butter. Bake in the oven for the last 5 minutes with the bottom of the sliders.
Photo 9. While the sliders are baking, mix together the shredded lettuce, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl.
Photo 10. Remove the sliders from the oven once they are baked.
Photo 11. Top with the lettuce mixture, banana peppers.
Photo 12. Place the warm slider tops on top of each slider. Serve immediately and enjoy!
These are best the day of, as they are difficult to reheat with the lettuce mixture.
Expert Tips
This Italian slider recipe is super easy to make, and can also be adjusted to your preferences. Here are my tips for making the best Italian Sliders.
- Grease the baking dish. Cooking spray and using parchment paper will make the sliders easier to get out of the dish after they have been baked.
- Store them in an airtight container. These really are best eaten immediately, but we did have some leftovers and they were still good. I just took the lettuce mixture off when I reheated them.
- Serve with marinara sauce. These are delicious on their own, with the warm and melty cheese, but also delicious dipped in marinara sauce.
- Use good buns. I love using Hawaiian sweet rolls for the slider buns. I think they also make Hawaiian slider buns, which come pre-cut to make it easier!
- Serving Ideas - I love to serve these with Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries or Parmesan Brussels Sprouts!
Other Sandwich Recipes to Consider
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.
Italian Sliders
Ingredients
- 12 slider buns
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 6-8 slices of ham
- 6-8 slices salami
- 4 ounces pepperoni
- 6-8 slices Provolone cheese
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- 2 cups shredded lettuce
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup banana pepper rings
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease the bottom of a 9" baking pan and set the bottom half of the sliders in the pan.
- In a bowl, combine the melted butter, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder.
- Lightly coat the sliders with some of the butter mixture.
- Layer the ham, salami, pepperoni, and provolone over the sliders. Sprinkle with red onion slices.
- Cover with foil (without the top of the sliders them). Bake for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the top of the slider buns on a baking sheet and brush with the remaining butter mixture.
- Bake the top of the slider buns in the oven for the last 5 minutes of the baking time with the bottom half of the sliders.
- In a bowl, mix together the lettuce, red wine vinegar, olive oil, and Italian seasoning.
- Once the sliders are baked, sprinkle the lettuce mixture and banana pepper rings on top of the cheese and then top with the warm top half of the sliders.
- Cut into sliders and enjoy!
Notes
- Grease the baking dish. Cooking spray will make the sliders easier to get out of the dish after they have been baked.
- Use your favorite deli meats. I used deli ham, salami, and pepperoni, but you could switch it up depending on what you like. You could use turkey instead of ham, add some different types of salami, or throw some prosciutto on it, too.
- Add roasted red peppers. This is a fun addition that I have seen other slider recipes add, but they are not my favorite.
- Store them in an airtight container. These really are best eaten immediately, but we did have some leftovers and they were still good. I just took the lettuce mixture off when I reheated them.
