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Italian Sliders

Italian Sliders are irresistible bite-sized sandwiches combining layers of ham, salami, capocollo, provolone cheese, and banana peppers on toasty slider buns slathered in garlic herb butter.

This hot Italian slider recipe makes the best party food and game day food. In my experience, many love it and won’t be able to stop at just one!

A stack of Italian sliders with melted cheese and meat layers

For my fellow sliders fans, also check out some of my other favorites such as Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders and Hawaiian Roll Breakfast Sliders.

Hot Italian Sub Sliders

Italian Sliders are basically warm Italian subs in slider/sandwich form. It’s the easiest way this popular Italian inspired sandwich when you are serving a crowd.

These Italian Sliders contain all the classic ingredients you will find on an Italian sub, such as hamsalamicapocolloprovolone cheese, and banana pepperscombined together and baked until the cheese is gooey.

We also added an extra layer of yummy flavor by generously brushing the top of the rolls with garlic butter and sprinkling with Italian seasonings. This will also make the bread moist and buttery and irresistible (I cannot resist anything garlic butter).

These oven baked Italian sliders are warmcheesysavoryslightly tangy from the banana peppers. In one word, simply irresistible!

Along with Pigs in a Blanket, Marshmallow Fruit Dip and Hot Honey Wings, it’s one of my favorite appetizers or snack recipes to make for football game daystailgatingget-togethers and parties of all kinds.

Italian sliders are also very versatile. Feel free to substitute with different types of deli meats and cheeses that you may have on hand, and adjust the amount according to your preferences. This is the perfect concept recipe where you can explore and have fun with!

Tips for success: I highly recommend getting fresh deli meats sliced directly from the counter at your grocery store or opt for high quality ones because good deli meats make all the difference in the flavor of these hot Italian sliders.

The sliced meats at the deli counter are pricier but much more flavorful and fresher. This will set your Italian sliders apart!

Italian sliders on a baking pan with a few banana peppers on the side

Ingredients

Here are the ingredients you will need to make these hot Italian sliders:

  • Slider rolls – any slider rolls or dinner rolls works. If you like sweeter bread, Hawaiian rolls are great too.
  • Ham – any type of ham works…use good quality for best flavor!
  • Salami – an Italian cured sausage, usually harder in texture than sausages.
  • Capocollo – a traditional cured Italian specialty meat made from the pork shoulder. It is usually sliced thinly and has a rich, bold flavor.
  • Provolone cheese – you can use any cheeses, but a mild cheese such as provolone pairs really well with the cured meats and sausages in our hot Italian sliders.
  • Banana peppers – these are spicy and sweet and they really bring incredible flavors to our hot Italian sliders. You can find them in a jar in the pickle aisle at the grocery store. If you don’t like banana peppers, roasted bell peppers or olives are good substitutes.
  • Butter – use salted butter for best flavor. This is used to brush onto the top of the sliders.
  • Garlic – use fresh minced garlic for the best flavor. This is added to the melted butter to be brushed onto the sliders. In a pinch, garlic powder can be used.
  • Italian seasoning – this is a combination of Italian seasonings such as basil and oregano. You can also substitute with dried oregano.

How to make hot Italian sliders

Here’s how you make these Italian sliders. The best part – it’s made in under 30 minutes!

Kitchen Tools

These hot Italian sub sliders can be baked on any baking pan or dish, as long as all 12 of the rolls fit into it.

I am using a quarter sheet baking pan and it fits the sliders perfectly, but depending on the size of the rolls you used, you may need a bigger baking pan.

Assemble

First, you are going to remove the tops of the slider rolls or dinner rolls.

Some people don’t even cut the 12 rolls into individual rolls, but just treat all 12 rolls as one and slice them into two large top and bottom parts. Doing that will make it super simple to assemble and easier to move them around. Your call!

Next, layer ham, salami, and capocollo on the roll sliders/dinner rolls followed by a layer of provolone cheese.

Technically, you can use whatever your favorite cheese or deli meats for these Italian sliders, but I highly recommend trying this combo out first because it is SO GOOD!

layering ham, salami, capocollo and cheese on sliders

Next, sliced banana peppers into rings (remove seeds) and spread it all over the tops of the provolone cheese.

Make sure to drain and pat dry if banana peppers was in liquid.

Bring the tops of the rolls back onto each roll.

scattering sliced banana peppers onto cheese and placing the tops of the rolls onto sliders

We will then melt some unsalted butteradd minced garlic into it, and brush the tops of the rolls with it.

Because everything is better with garlic butter.

Check out that glossy buttery goodness…nom nom nom!

Brushing the tops of the Italian sliders with garlic butter

We are not done with the tops yet! Next, sprinkle those tops with Italian seasoning.

Unbaked Italian sliders with garlic butter tops and Italian seasoning

Bake

Next let’s send these hot Italian sliders into the oven to bake until it’s gooey, cheesy, savory, crusty…basically until it become bites of gloriousness.

At 325 ℉, these Italian sliders should bake for around 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese are melted and meats are warm.

When they are ready, remove Italian sliders from the oven.

Italian sliders on a baking sheet

Serve!

Cut hot Italian sliders into individual sliders, and serve them warm.

And just like that you have yummy, flavorful Italian sub sliders for a party, potluck, football game day, or whatever the occasion. Seriously, there is really no bad time for these sliders.

I love how these Italian sliders are so simple to make yet taste amazingly good.

They please the crowd and they please me too!

Time to up your party food game! 🙂

Tips and Tricks

A few notes that you may find helpful when making these Italian Sliders:

  • Deli meats make all the difference! They are not all made the same, and getting a high quality deli meat or getting it from your deli counter at the store will make your Italian slider so much more delicious. Trust me on this and it will be worth the money spent!
  • Different dinner rolls/slider rolls can be used. If you like a sweeter roll, Hawaiian rolls work great!
  • One of the main reasons why these Italian sliders are so tasty is because of the flavor combo between the garlic butter, Italian seasoning and cheese/meats. That’s a money combo right there that produces so much yummy flavors. Don’t omit any of these to get the best tasting Italian sliders!
  • Add condiments! If you like some extra flavor, feel free to add mayo, mustard or vinegar to the insides of the slider after it is baked. I typically don’t love baking with them inside because 1) it gets soggy, and 2) not everybody will want all of those condiments so it’s easier to let people add what they want.

Make Ahead and Reheating

Make Ahead: Hot Italian sliders can be assembled ahead of time (up to 24 hours in advance) and store covered in refrigerator until ready to bake.

Reheating: It is best to eat Hot Italian sliders fresh from the oven but if you have to reheat them, cover in aluminum foil and reheat in the oven at 325℉ for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Picking up a slider loaded with layers of ham, capocolla, salami and cheese.

Frequently Asked Questions

What other type of cheese works best for Italian sliders?

I find that soft cheeses such as mozzarella, American, or mild cheddar cheese, works really well.

Can I include other toppings like vegetables such as lettuce and tomatoes or condiments in the Italian sliders?

Yes! I personally like to add them after sliders are baked because I don’t like my lettuce and tomatoes warm, and condiments will make the bread soggy if it sits in there for too long. Condiments such as mayonnaise, mustard and vinegar are great adds.

How do I prevent the bread from drying out during baking?

Brushing the tops of the bread with melted garlic butter really helps and if needed, you can also cover it with aluminum foil. In my experience using different breads, some do dry out faster than others in the oven.

The tops of my sliders are browning but the meats are heated through. What should I do?

Cover with aluminum foil and bring it back to the oven to heat until the cheese is fully melted and meats are warm.

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More Fun Appetizers

A stack of hot Italian sliders with layers of ham, salami, capocollo and cheese

Hot Italian Sliders

Scrumptious bite-size Italian inspired slider sandwiches baked in the oven loaded with ham, capocollo, salami, banana peppers and melted cheese, smothered with garlic herb butter. Makes the perfect appetizer and finger food for parties and game day.
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Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12 sliders
Calories: 232kcal
Author: MinShien

Ingredients

  • 12 slider buns or dinner rolls
  • 8 oz ham thinly sliced
  • 3-4 oz salami thinly sliced
  • 2 oz capocollo thinly sliced
  • 4 oz provolone cheese 6-8 slices
  • 8 oz sweet banana peppers sliced
  • 2 tbsp salted butter
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 ℉.
  • Remove the tops of the sliders/dinner rolls and set aside.
  • Place the bottom half of the sliders/dinner rolls on a sheet pan.
  • Lay a thin layer of ham over the bottom half of the sliders making sure to fully cover the bread. Layer 1-2 more layers of ham.
  • Continue to layer with layers of salami, capocollo, and provolone cheese.
  • Sprinkle banana peppers on tops of the cheese.
  • Place the top of the sliders/dinner rolls back on top.
  • Melt butter and mix in minced garlic.
  • Generously brush the tops of the sliders with melted garlic butter mixer.
  • Sprinkle Italian seasoning over the sliders.
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the meat is warm.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Meat amounts are approximate. Feel free to use as much as you please.

Nutrition

Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 570mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 211IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 107mg | Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Take a pic and tag me at @joyous.apron, or hashtag #joyousapron on Instagram!

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