Make-ahead sliders
Bake the frozen tray fresh and the rolls come out soft with the cheese just melted.
You need a warm tray on the table fast and the day left no prep time.
You built these ahead and froze them unbaked, so the oven does the work while you set the table.
Ingredients
Start freezer ham and cheese sliders with the ingredients here and a clear about 15 minutes to assemble, then freeze slot.
- 12 slider rolls (a connected pack, sliced as one sheet)
- 1/2 pound thin-sliced deli ham
- 8 slices Swiss or cheddar cheese
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon poppy seeds (optional)
How to Make It
With freezer ham and cheese sliders, the best prep is the part that makes later serving feel obvious.
- Slice the whole sheet of rolls in half horizontally and set the top aside.
- Layer ham and cheese on the bottom, then replace the top.
- Stir the mustard into the melted butter and brush it over the tops.
- Wrap the assembled tray tightly; freeze unbaked.
Freeze It
Assemble the tray and freeze it unbaked in its foil pan. You bake it fresh so the rolls stay soft and the cheese melts.
- Freeze the assembled, unbaked sliders in a foil pan, wrapped tightly (best within 1 month)
- Keep them flat so the layers do not slide
- Label with the bake-from-frozen time
Thaw and Reheat on Practice Night
Bake from frozen, covered at first so the cheese melts before the tops over-brown.
- From frozen: bake covered with foil at 350F for 25 minutes
- Uncover and bake 10 more minutes until the tops are golden and the cheese is melted
- Cut apart and serve warm
- Serve with: a simple salad, potato chips, pickle spears, tomato soup
Parent Tip
These also reheat well the next day, so leftovers make an easy packed lunch.
Make It Fit Tonight
Small Tweaks That Help This Dinner Land
Swap ham for sliced turkey and cheddar
A turkey-and-cheese tray from the same buttered rolls.
Make them Italian with salami and provolone
Layered deli meats turn it into a hot sub slider.
Go meatless with cheese and a smear of pesto
A vegetarian melt that still bakes up gooey.
Skip the poppy seeds for picky eaters
Plain buttered tops suit kids who pick at seeds.
Add caramelized onions under the cheese
A sweet, savory layer for the adults' tray.
Plan The Next Step
Build a tray
Add a slider-tray session to the planner and freeze one ready to bake.