Melty, Caramelized Ham and Cheese Sliders

I have to say this is one of the strangest and yummiest recipes I have made.  I have had this recipe in my “to make” file for quite a while, but had never gotten around to trying it.  It was mainly because I wasn’t sure how it was going to taste, so just kept putting it off, but finally decided to go for it.  I am sorry I waited so long.  It was absolutely one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever eaten.

I’m not sure who the original creator is as there are versions of it all over the internet.  But it must have been somebody very creative.  Who would ever have thought of pouring butter, brown sugar, and onion over the top of a sandwich and baking it? Then on top of all that, they thought, why not add a little horseradish to that combination?  And, oh yeah, maybe some poppy seeds would be a great addition to the whole concoction.  I would never have thought of it, but thankfully someone did, because it is just heavenly.  Don’t let the interesting combination of ingredients scare you away.  Also don’t worry if you don’t like mustard.  You don’t really taste it with all the other flavors going on.  The yummy sauce soaks into the bottom of the rolls and caramelizes slightly in the oven.  In the meantime, the cheese melts and you end up with a melty, gooey, cheesy, buttery, sandwich with a kick ,depending on how much horseradish sauce you use.  (By the way, if you have a cold, definitely slather the horseradish on thick, and your sinuses will be cleared in a jiffy).

I have made this twice now, and the second time I tried using turkey in place of the ham, smoked gouda in place of the Swiss cheese, and mayo in place of the horseradish.  All of them were delicious, thanks to the sauce, that strange wonderful buttery sauce.  I guess this sandwich pretty much proves butter does make everything better.  This sandwich would be perfect for a Super Bowl party, breakfast (maybe with mayo instead of horseradish, unless you want to kick-start your day), and any lunch or dinner.  These are all-purpose sandwiches.  Wherever and whenever, just make them – soon.  And next time you feel like experimenting and throwing a whole bunch of odd ingredients together, go ahead and try it.  This recipe proves you can’t always predict what is going to taste good.  Just make sure one of the ingredients is butter, and it will probably turn out just fine!

Caramelized Ham and Cheese Sliders

• Servings: 12
• Time: 1 hour
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

• 1 pkg. (12 oz.) Hawaiian sweet rolls (important to use these as they are a little sweeter than most rolls)
• horseradish sauce found near the mayonnaise section of the grocery store (not plain horseradish)
• 12 slices thinly sliced deli ham
• 6 slices Swiss cheese, halved
• 1/2 c butter, cubed
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard
• 2 tsp. poppy seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1. Cut through rolls horizontally all at once without separating them.
2. Spread roll bottoms with horseradish sauce (about 1/8 inch thick if you just want the taste and don’t need to clear your sinuses, 1/4 inch thick for a strong kick)
3. On top of the horseradish, layer ham and cheese slices. Replace tops of rolls.
4. Arrange in a single layer in a greased 9-in.-square baking pan.
5. In a small skillet, melt butter over low heat.
6. Add onion; cook and stir over medium-low heat 1 or 2 minutes or until tender.
7. Stir in brown sugar, mustard, poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic powder.  Pour over rolls.
8. At this point you can refrigerate the rolls, covered, several hours or overnight, but you don’t have to.
9. When ready to bake the sandwiches, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, covered, 25 minutes.  Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes longer or until golden brown.  Watch carefully so they don’t get overly brown.  Serve immediately.
10. Store leftovers in refrigerator, and reheat in microwave 30 seconds each, just before serving.

Recipe from Cook AZ I Do, originally made by Iris Weihemuller