For an ideal game day munchie, try these Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders. They are so easy to make, are ready to serve in under and hour and are really addictive! Smoky ham and Swiss cheese are layered with mustard on Hawaiian sweet rolls and then topped with a poppyseed butter that is so delicious!
Whether it’s football, the World Series, or basketball, these little sliders are a winner!
Begin by combining all of the poppyseed ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
Slice the rolls in half horizontally. Spread the the cut sides with mustard. Place the bottom half of the rolls in a pan and top with ham and then cheese. Bake (without the top piece of bread) for 10 minutes or until the cheese begins to melt.
Remove from the oven and place the top piece of bread over the melted cheese. Spoon the butter over, covering the bread completely. Cover with foil and bake another 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and continue to bake another 10 minutes.
Cut the sandwiches while they are hot and serve!
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Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders
Makes: 12 sliders
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
Sliders:
- 12 standard or 24 small soft white roll slab (See Chef’s Notes)
- 1/3 cup American mustard (ie bright yellow stuff)
- 12 ounces ham, shaved or thinly sliced
- 8 oz Swiss cheese or other melting cheese slices (10 – 12 slices)
Poppyseed Butter:
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 & 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 1 & 1/2 tsp onion powder
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the base of a 9×13″ pan with paper.
Mix all of the poppyseed butter ingredients together.
Cut the slab of rolls in half horizontally. Spread base and lid with the 1/3 cup mustard. Place bread in pan, top with ham then cheese. NO LID YET! Bake 10 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Remove bread from oven. Top with bread lid, pour/spoon over butter, leaving no patch naked. Cover with foil, bake 20 minutes.
Remove foil. Pierce the intersections where the corners of the rolls meet to encourage pooled butter to soak into the bread. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes or until top is crusty. Cut while hot then serve!
Chef’s Notes:
Soft rolls best so everything kind of melds together. Aim for a slab that will fit snugly in a 9 x 13″ pan. Hawaiian rolls are the perfect size, 12 large or 24 small.
American mustard is the classic here though you can use any mild mustard. Not hot English mustard (too spicy!) and not wholegrain (too bumpy).
Prebake the sliders topless! This is an important step to ensure cheese melts. If you try with bread lid on at the start, it takes almost an hour before cheese melts.
Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days (subject to remaining shelf life of ham used). Revive by reheating in the oven.
If you’re looking for a wonderful picnic item, look no further because Italian Picnic Sandwiches are a winner every time!
This time of year, picnics while hiking and looking at the leaves changing colors are definitely a thing! And what makes an ideal picnic meal is something that is sturdy enough to carry with you that won’t get soggy or weepy. These little sandwiches are great for just those reasons as well as they are delish! They are versatile (use different meats, lettuces, breads) and so easy to make, so let’s get to it!
We begin by roasting the red peppers. While it might be tempting to purchase roasted red peppers, the flavor of homemade is so much better. As well, the roasted ones sit in oil which will soak into the bread and create a messy sandwich! So take the few minutes and roast your own!
Cut the peppers so they lie flat. Place them on a sheet pan under the broil and broil until they are well charred. Remove from the oven and place the peppers in a ziplock bag in the fridge for 30-40 minutes. Remove the peppers from the bag and peel off the skin. Slice the peppers into strips and place in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and set aside.
Cut the ciabatta bread in half and butter each piece. The butter will create a shield so that moisture doesn’t soak into the bread from the peppers and cheese.
Place a generous layer of cold meats over the butter on one half. Top with the red pepper slices.
Meanwhile, separate the mozzarella slices on a paper towel in a single layer. Top with paper towel and press to dry the cheese out a bit.
Top the peppers with the mozzarella slices and drizzle some balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper over top.
Top with arugula and the place the top piece of ciabatta over the arugula.
Wrap the sandwich tightly in plastic wrap and set in the fridge with a heavy weight on top. This will compact the sandwich and make it easy to transport.
When you’re ready to serve it, trim off the edges so that you have nice sides. Slice into smaller pieces to create individual sandwiches.
If you like, wrap each sandwich in parchment and string.
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Italian Picnic Sandwiches
Makes: 6 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes plus 6 hours fridge time
Ingredients
- 1 ciabatta bread, approximately 12″ long
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 medium red peppers
- 3 cups arugula, rinsed and patted dry
- 2 cups fresh mozzarella, sliced
- 10 ounces assorted Italian deli meats, (I used Soppressata Salami, Capocollo and Napoli Salami)
- balsamic vinegar
- olive 0il
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
To roast the red peppers, set your oven to the broil setting. Slice the sides off the red peppers and place skin side up on a foil-lined baking sheet that’s been sprayed with oil (I like to trim the ends so they lie as flat as possible, as they will brown better than pieces that are sloped). Place under the broiler until very well charred (black on top, about 10 minutes (watch closely after 5 minutes…you’ll want them to be mostly blackened on top.) Remove from the oven and immediately place the peppers in a plastic ziploc bag. Pop in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes. Remove peppers from bag and peel off the blackened skin with a knife. Discard the skin and slice the peppers in to strips. Place in a bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
To prepare the sandwiches, cut your ciabatta in half so that you have a top and bottom and butter each piece. Place a generous layer of cold meats (4-5 over-lapping layers). Top with cooled roasted red pepper strips. Take your mozzarella slices and place on a piece of paper towel. Top with another piece of paper towel and pat to dry a bit. Top the red peppers with a layer of the mozzarella slices. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar over the mozzarella slices and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with a generous layer of arugula. Top with top slice of ciabatta.
Wrap each sandwich tightly with plastic wrap and place on a platter or baking sheet. When all the sandwiches are prepared, place the platter in the refrigerator. Place a heavy skillet on top of sandwiches to apply weight (if you don’t have a heavy skillet, top with another baking sheet and place some large cans on top for the weight). Refrigerate at least 6 hours or ideally, overnight.
When ready to serve, remove from plastic wrap. If desired, you can trim the sides and ends of the sandwiches to make neat sides and to enjoy the wonderful colors of these sandwiches.
Chef’s Notes:
Pressed sandwiches are endlessly customizable. You can swap out spinach for the arugula, or sun-dried tomato for the roasted red pepper. And so on. The possibilities are endless.
You can use any size ciabatta, from small buns to larger loaves. I like to start with a ciabatta baguette that I cut in half to make two 12-inch-ish loaves.
I like to trim the edges off the sandwiches to make them neat squares and to enjoy seeing all the layers. But don’t throw away the trimmings! Chop them up and combine with some leafy greens and a drizzle of balsamic or Italian dressing for an absolutely fabulous salad.
When it comes to adding a weight to press the sandwiches in the fridge, I use my cast-iron grill pan and the cast-iron press that came with it, topped with some cans to even out the weight. Refrigerate with the weight at least 6 hours or ideally, overnight.
To keep the sandwich freshest, keep in the fridge, tightly wrapped in the plastic wrap and un-trimmed. When ready to serve or transport, simply trim the side and end crusts and if you like, wrap in a strip of parchment paper secured with some twine. You can then re-wrap in plastic wrap, if needed to keep them from drying out while they wait to be eaten.
While it’s tempting to reach for a jar of roasted red peppers, I find that those packed in oil bring a little too much moisture to the pressed sandwich, making for the possibility of soggy bread. It only takes a few minutes to make your own, so I highly recommend that.
Recipe from Seasons & Suppers
Chickpea “Tuna” Salad is the ideal alternative when you are craving a tuna salad sandwich but don’t want tuna (think vegan, vegetarian, or just a fish-hater). It’s got all of the yumminess of tuna salad but made with mashed chickpeas. You’ve got mayo, Dijon mustard, onions, tomatoes, pickles, and dill. Pop it on some nice toasted bread and you will swear you are eating tuna!
This is one of the easiest recipes to make! Simply mash the chickpeas in a bowl and add the rest of the ingredients.
Seriously…that’s it!
Distribute it between slices of toasted bread or top it on a bed of salad greens. You’ll be very happy you did!
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Chickpea “Tuna” Salad
Makes: 2 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 3 green onions, finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/4 cup tomatoes, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup cornichons or pickles, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped, plus more for serving
- Kosher salt, to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 2 pieces toast (or gluten-free alternative)
Instructions
In a large bowl, add chickpeas and mash them down using a fork or potato masher. Then add in mayonnaise, mustard, shallot, green onion, garlic, tomatoes, pickles, fresh dill, salt and pepper. Mix until combined.
Divide the mixture among two pieces of toast. Enjoy!
Grilled cheese is a favorite of most adults and children so let’s elevate it and make this Blueberry White Cheddar Grilled Cheese.
With ripe seasonal blueberries and a combination of white cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, you get a delicious, melty grilled cheese variation!
The blueberry jam is very simple to make…combine blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and lemon thyme in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Then, lower the heat to low and simmer another 10 minutes. Let the jam cool for another 10 minutes.
By the way, if you can’t find lemon thyme, regular thyme is a good substitution!
Spread the blueberry jam on 4 slices of bread. Sprinkle the white cheddar and mozzarella cheeses evenly on top of the jam. Add the remaining four slices of bread to the top.
In a large skillet, melt butter and add two of the sandwiches. Cover the skillet and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the underside of the sandwiches are golden. Flip them over and continue to cook for another few minutes until the bread is golden and the cheese is melted.
Transfer the sandwiches to a cutting board and repeat the process for the remaining two sandwiches.
Cut the sandwiches in half, top with flaky sea salt and lemon thyme leaves and serve!
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Blueberry White Cheddar Grilled Cheese
Makes: 4 sandwiches
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 26 minutes
Total Time: 46 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 pint fresh blueberries
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 small bunch lemon thyme sprigs, tied in kitchen twine (or regular thyme)
- 8 slices sourdough bread, 1/4-inch thick
- 4 oounces white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces block mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 4 tbsp butter
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
Combine the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon thyme in a 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 10 minutes, or until thickened, stirring often. Remove the lemon thyme. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Lay 4 slices of bread out. Spread the jam onto the bread. Distribute the white cheddar and mozzarella cheeses over top. Close the sandwiches with the remaining 4 slices of bread.
Heat a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter. Let it melt. Place two of the sandwiches into the skillet. Cover the skillet with a lid. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden. Flip the sandwiches and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes until the bread is golden and the cheese has melted (lower the heat as needed during the cooking process so the bread doesn’t burn).
Transfer the sandwiches to a cutting board. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
Cut the sandwiches in half. Top with flaky sea salt and extra lemon thyme leaves.
Recipe by The Original Dish
Spinach Hummus Wraps are the answer for lunchbox blues, hunger pangs on the airplane, picnic fare or simply for a light meal. They are healthy, easy, colorful and, of course, delicious!
These wraps are reminiscent of a wrap I picked up at Trader Joe’s. It was so good and satisfying! I knew that you all would love this!
The base of this lovely wrap is a tortilla, but feel free to substitute pita or flatbread.
Then slather on some spinach hummus. The spinach hummus recipe is right here and follows along the traditional method of making hummus: chickpeas, garlic, tahini, lemon juice…you get the idea! The hummus is delicious on it’s own but as a spread on a tortilla wrap, it’s divine! Very flavorful!
Layer some fresh spinach, cukes, sliced sweet bell peppers and you’ve got yourself a party in your mouth!
You can also add some protein for more substance. Grilled chicken or tofu works great in these wraps.
Wrap these up in parchment, slice in half or keep whole and they will travel with you anywhere! Picnic, barbecue, kiddo’s lunchbox, golf course…you name it, lunch is served!
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Spinach Hummus Wraps
Makes: 4 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 large tortillas
- 1 cup Spinach Hummus
- Several handfuls of spinach leaves, about 8 per wrap
- 1 cucumber, cut into long thin slices, 2 per wrap
- 2-3 mixed (mild) peppers, sliced, about 6 slices per wrap
- Fresh parsley sprigs, optional
- Tofu or other choice of protein, optional
- Sprinkle of hemp seeds, optional
Instructions
Spread about 1/4 cup of hummus on each wrap, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Add the spinach leaves followed by the cucumber and pepper slices. Top with the fresh parsley, protein of choice and hemp seeds, if using. Roll up the wraps and then wrap in foil. Refrigerate until until ready to use.
Recipe from Love & Lemons
Caprese Burgers are a delicious and vibrant twist on classic burgers. This recipe is perfect for a summer barbecue or a quick dinner during the week. The combination of juicy beef, flavorful pesto, fresh tomato, and tangy mozzarella is sure to satisfy all your taste buds.
Burgers are the quintessential summer barbecue fare. When you mix the ground beef (I’m using ground chuck and ground sirloin for extra pizzazz) with homemade pesto sauce, you elevate the humble burger.
Top the burger with fresh mozzarella slices, pesto and ripe tomatoes and sandwich it within a toasted brioche bun. This all adds up to amazing!
The recipe for pesto is very easy, especially if you use a food processor. Combine the basil, almonds and garlic and pulse until it’s finely chopped. Add the olive oil, process, and add the Pecorino Romano cheese. Pulse it all together, season with salt & pepper, and you are done.
Add 1/4 cup of pesto to a large bowl along with the ground beef and a bit of salt. Gently knead to blend and form into 6 patties. You can see the pesto blended throughout each patty!
Grill the burgers over fairly high heat for 3 minutes, then flip the burgers, top them with mozzarella slices and close the grill top. Cook for another 3 minutes or medium-rare or a little longer if you like them less rare.
Grill the buns until they are toasted and slather some pesto on the bottom bun. Top with the burgers, tomatoes and remaining pesto. Add the top bun and get ready to eat!
For a quicker pesto sauce, feel free to use store-bought.
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Caprese Burgers
Makes: 6 burgers
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Grill Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups basil leaves
- 1/4 cup salted roasted almonds
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 pound ground beef chuck
- 1 pound ground beef sirloin
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 6 slices
- 6 brioche hamburger buns, split
- 2 tomatoes, sliced
Instructions
In a food processor, combine the basil with the almonds and garlic and pulse until the almonds are finely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of olive oil and process to a paste. Add the grated Pecorino and pulse to combine. Season the pesto with salt and pepper. You should have about 1 cup.
Transfer 1/4 cup of the pesto to a bowl. Add the ground chuck and ground sirloin and a pinch of salt and gently knead to blend. Form the mixture into six 4-inch patties, about 3/4-inch thick. Brush the burger patties lightly with olive oil.
Light a grill and oil the grates. Grill the burgers over moderately high heat for 3 minutes. Flip the burgers, top them with the mozzarella slices and close the grill. Cook for 3 minutes longer for medium-rare burgers. Grill the buns until lightly toasted, then spread some of the pesto on the bottoms. Top with the burgers, the tomatoes and the remaining pesto. Close the burgers and serve right away.
Make Ahead:
The pesto can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.
Recipe by Food & Wine
For #SBLVII (aka Superbowl 57), Meatball Sliders should be part of the menu! Easy, fast and so delicious, these hearty sliders are perfect for the big Game!
You can make these as easy as you like. If you choose to use store-bought meatballs and marinara sauce, you will have these bad boys on the table in about 30 minutes. That’s my kind of snack!
Hawaiian sweet rolls are a wonderful pick for the buns. Yes, they are sweet and soft which brings a mouthwatering flavor to the party, but they also come in one large piece so they are easy to slice through.
Slice them horizontally like you would a bagel. Then, keep them all together or gently pull each one apart so that when you serve them, a knife isn’t necessary. Keeping them whole makes them a little easier to add all of the ingredients. So, it’s a toss up as to what’s the best approach. I did both (split the bottoms and left the top whole) which defeated both purposes! Huh?? I just forgot to break apart the tops. No big deal!
Make a delicious garlic butter by melting butter with minced garlic, Italian seasoning and salt & pepper. Brush the garlic butter over the cut side of the bottom half of the buns.
Spread some marinara sauce over the top of the garlic butter. I used a store-bought brand that I love (Victoria White Linen Marinara Sauce from Costco).
Top the marinara with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses and the meatballs. I halved the meatballs, but you can also leave them whole and place one per bun. I used Trader Joe’s frozen meatballs rather than making my own, and I must say, they are delicious!
Top the meatballs with the remaining cheeses. On the cut side of the top half of the buns, spread more marinara sauce and then place the top half over the bottom half.
Brush the remaining garlic butter over the top of the buns and bake the sliders for about 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is nicely melted.
Serve the sliders with extra marinara sauce on the side, if you like. Go, teams!!
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Meatball Sliders
Makes: 24 sliders
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 24 homemade or store-bought meatballs
- 2 cups homemade or store-bought marinara sauce, plus more for dipping
- 2 (12-count) packages Hawaiian sweet rolls
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup fresh or grated parmesan cheese
For the Garlic Butter:
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1-2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- pinch salt & pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Lightly spray the inside of a 9 x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Without separating the rolls into individual rolls, cut the rolls in half horizontally as you would a bagel and place the bottoms in the baking dish, setting the tops aside for later.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper and heat until fragrant.
Brush a light layer of the garlic butter on the bottoms of the rolls, followed by about 2/3-1 cup of marinara sauce, depending on how saucey you want your sliders. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella and parmesan evenly over the sauce.
Next, add the meatballs. You can either place a whole meatball on each slider bun or you can cut the meatballs in half and distribute them evenly across the rolls. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.
On the cut side of the roll tops, spread another 2/3-1 cup of the marinara. Place the tops on the sliders. Brush the top of the sliders with the remaining garlic butter.
Bake until heated through and the cheese is nice and melty, about 15-20 minutes .
Serve with the remaining marinara as dipping sauce if desired.
Recipe by My Baking Addiction
If you’re craving a sandwich, try Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwich. This is one of these delicious dishes that uses up everything in your fridge: leftover chicken, celery, grapes, apples, nuts and herbs. Feel free to riff on it as you like, adding or removing based on what’s in your fridge, but be sure you’ve got some crunch and some color.
It’s also very quick. Using rotisserie chicken means that in 20 minutes, you’ve got a delicious sandwich ready to chow on.
I always have leftover chicken, especially when I buy a rotisserie chicken. Before tossing it, consider mixing it up with a wonderful creamy dressing of mayo, Dijon, and apple cider vinegar. Splash that dressing with hot sauce, soy sauce and maple syrup to take it up a notch.
Begin by whisking up the dressing. Set it aside while you chop up the celery, scallions, apples, nuts and grapes.
Mix the chopped ingredients with the shredded rotisserie chicken and add the dressing. Toss it all together and adjust the salt and pepper as you desire.
You can leave it as is and serve it as a chicken salad over a bed of lettuce. Very healthy and simple.
Or, you can toast up some multi-grain bread, add some Bibb lettuce to each piece of bread and top it with the rotisserie chicken salad.
Either way, this will be a hit!
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Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Makes: 4 sandwiches
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp hot sauce
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Salad:
- 2 cups rotisserie or left-over chicken, shredded
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, diced, plus ¼ cup roughly chopped celery leaves
- 1/2 apple (Granny Smith, Gala or Pink Lady), halved, cored and diced
- 1/2 cup cashews or peanuts, salted and roasted chopped, optional
- 1/3 cup red or black seedless grapes, quartered
- 1 tablespoon fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, chives, or mint
- 8 Bibb lettuce leaves
- 8 slices multigrain bread or crusty sourdough, toasted
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper, freshly cracked
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, hot sauce, soy sauce, maple syrup, and salt and pepper to taste.
Add the chicken, scallions, celery, celery leaves, apple, roasted nuts if using, grapes and herbs to the dressing and stir to combine. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
Make sandwiches with the toasted bread and Bibb lettuce.
Fig and Bacon Grilled Cheese is an adult version of your classic grilled cheese. I say adult, because I was asked by a reader and friend, Karen, to come up with some more grown-up grilled cheese recipes. This fit the bill…
It’s a delicious grilled sandwich filled with smoky bacon, sweet fig jam and Comté cheese. Throw in some sliced scallions for good measure, and you have a delicious very-grown up grilled cheese!
Begin these tasty sandwiches by cooking the bacon on a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Cook the bacon until it’s crispy and then set it aside.
Spread the fig jam on buttered bread, layer it with scallions (if using), bacon and Comté cheese. I like using Comté as it’s a bit earthier than other cheeses and melts beautifully.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and place the buttered bread with all of the toppings in the pan. Top it with another buttered slice of bread, with the buttered side up. Cook the sammie for a few minutes until the cheese starts to melt and then flip it. Cook a few more minutes until it’s golden brown and serve it up!
Easy peasy!
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Lastly, if you make Fig and Bacon Grilled Cheese, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is one of my favorite things to do!
Fig and Bacon Grilled Cheese
Makes: 2 sandwiches
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 pieces bacon, cooked (preferably thick cut)
- 2 pieces sourdough or peasant bread
- 1 tbsp (heaped) fig jam
- 1 tbsp scallions, thinly sliced, optional
- 2 1/2 ounces Comté, grated
- 1 tsp unsalted butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375˚F. On a wire rack over a baking sheet, bake the bacon for 15 to 25 minutes, depending on thickness. Set aside. Note: If you don’t have a wire rack, you can cover the baking sheet with parchment paper or foil instead.
Place a small skillet over medium heat. While waiting for the skillet to heat up, lightly butter both slices of sourdough and put them back to back, butter sides touching, before placing them on a cutting board. Spread the top slice of sourdough with fig jam, sprinkle with scallions, cover with bacon, and top with Comté.
Place the top slice, with all the ingredients on it, on the skillet, buttered side down. Top it with the second slice, buttered side up. Cook for 3 to 6 minutes, until cheese starts to melt. Flip and let cook 1 to 2 more minutes on the other side, until golden brown. Enjoy immediately!
Recipe from Food52
If you’re wondering what to serve at your next football party, you MUST try Game Day Pizza Sliders! Not only are they so easy to throw together, but they are so tasty! And by tasty I mean they will disappear in minutes!
These little sliders are a wonderful combination of a pepperoni pizza on bread that’s been brushed with garlic butter…pizza meets garlic bread…what could be bad about that?!
The garlic butter gets enriched with roasted garlic. Place the garlic on a piece of foil and let it slow-roast. Once it’s nice and caramelized, squeeze the cooled garlic cloves into a bowl with butter, parmesan cheese, sage, basil and other delicious herbs. This will eventually get brushed over the sliders.
While the garlic is roasting, prep the sliders by slicing the rolls horizontally in half. The best dinner rolls to get are the ones that are attached in a 12-pack. I happen to love Hawaiian rolls. They are sweet and give this snack a delightful flavor. I happen to know that not everyone loves sweet rolls (I’m talking to you, Terry R.), so feel free to substitute a regular roll in place of the sweet ones.
Either way, after they are sliced, top the bottom half with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese and pepperoni. Finish with Parmesan cheese. Place the top half of the rolls over these layers.
Brush the garlic butter over the top of the rolls and bake these bad boys. I like to cover them with foil for about 10 minutes and then remove foil and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so.
If you’ve got any leftover butter, brush it on once the sliders come out of the oven. These are now ready for feasting!!!
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Game Day Pizza Sliders
Makes: 12 sliders
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour & 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 head garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
1 (12-count) package dinner rolls, halved lengthwise
1 – 1 & 1/2 cups marinara sauce
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup shredded provolone cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced pepperoni
3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature or melted
1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1 pinch chili flakes
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400° F. Slice off the top portion of the garlic head to expose some of the cloves. Place the garlic on a piece of foil. Drizzle with olive oil, wrap it up, and bake for 40-55 minutes, until deeply golden and very soft.
Meanwhile, place the bottom half of the dinner rolls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Top with marinara sauce, mozzarella, provolone, and then pepperoni. Sprinkle with half the parmesan. Place the top half of the roll over the cheese.
Let the garlic cool, then squeeze the cloves out into a bowl. Add the butter, remaining parmesan, sage, basil, oregano, parsley, and chili flakes. Mash the cloves into the butter with a fork. Spread the butter over the top of the rolls. Cover the rolls and bake 10 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking another 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Brush with any remaining garlic butter, serve immediately.
Recipe by Half Baked Harvest