With layers of thinly sliced roast beef, melty cheese and caramelized onions, sandwiched between Hawaiian bread rolls. These Roast Beef Sliders will become your favorite appetizer, tailgating snack or easy dinner!
Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C) and lightly spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray oil.
Heat skillet over medium heat, adding butter and oil. Saute sliced onions in butter and oil until soft, brown and slightly caramelized, reduce heat to low if necessary. Stirring occasionally, about 15-30 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the sliders. Slice the “loaf” of Hawaiian rolls in half lengthwise, with the bottoms slightly thicker than the tops, do not separate individual rolls. If desired, spread with a little prepared horseradish; I skip this step, allowing my eaters to add if they choose.
Layer roast beef to slider bottoms, then layer cheese over the top of the roast beef, finishing with caramelized/sautéed onions. Cover with tops of bread rolls.
In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add brown mustard, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, garlic and onion powder, and dried thyme, stirring until the sauce is warmed and the sugars have dissolved. Just a minute or two.
Evenly pour over the tops of the Hawaiian rolls, if necessary brushing to cover all sides of the sandwiches. Cover with sprayed aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 7-10 minutes until tops are lightly browned. Serve immediately or see notes for making ahead.
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Notes
This recipe is easily halved or doubled! Substitutions:
In place of Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, use slider rolls, small pretzel rolls, Brioche rolls or other soft, small slider bun.
Replace spicy brown mustard with Dijon, regular mustard, or even honey mustard!
You can also use whole wheat, Brioche rolls or pretzel rolls for this roast beef sliders recipe, make sure they are nice and soft, a hard roll won't work well in this recipe.
Substitute beet horseradish for regular horseradish, it adds a lovely pop of red (I leave mine on the side so everyone can make theirs as spicy as they like!)
Gluten-Free Roast Beef Sliders | Swap out the Hawaiian bread rolls for gluten-free slider rolls.
Poppy Seeds | Sprinkle poppy seeds or sesame seeds on top before baking if desired.
Keep sliders from getting soggy | Slice the rolls evenly so the bottom half isn’t too thin. You can toast the bottom half in the oven for a few minutes before assembling everything. But the buttery sauce and the melting cheese caramelize on the bottom, creating a delicious, warm, slightly sweet crust.
Make Ahead Tips
If you are making roast beef sliders on Hawaiian rolls for a party, you’ll need a way to keep them warm! Wrap individual sandwiches in foil and place them in a slow cooker in a warm setting.Store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container and rewarm in a 325° F (165° C) oven for 15-20 minutes. Freeze | Hawaiian roll sliders also known as Funeral sandwiches and they are extremely freezer-friendly. Make up a bunch ahead of time and pop in the freezer. If frozen, cook in a 300° F (150° C) oven for 15-20 minutes; remove the foil and bake 10-15 minutes longer. I recommend thawing in the fridge before baking, bake as directed.