So, quite a few years back, my sister happened across a version of this recipe and it has remained a staple for my family ever since. I think I may have mentioned the fact that I come from a good sized family with a ridiculously large extended family. Adding to that, my family is extremely close knit and you may see why a recipe we now offhandedly refer to as “those party sandwiches” is used so often. Ending up together as often as we do, it became a necessity for us to come up with some simple recipes that are fit for our regular large gatherings!
I’m sharing the OG version of this recipe today but, knowing me and my family, you all probably guessed that we have a handful of versions of this. Over the years we have tweaked it…then experimented on those tweaks…then creatively made use of those experimental tweaks and turned them into entirely different recipes. Say what now? This started as a ham and provolone slider sandwich on Hawaiian sweet rolls with a sweet glaze. Some of our favorite parts are that you can make it the night before you serve it, you can make a big batch really easily, and you can put it in disposable pans so there’s no clean up after everyone leaves! Delicious and brilliant, right? Oh yeah! That was a game changer for my family just as it was.
Of course, we couldn’t leave a good thing as-is. Oh no..we tweaked and drastically cut the measurement for poppy seeds because who really likes those anyway? Then, getting more adventurous (or perhaps out of lack of ingredients), we thought why not try this with turkey and sharp white cheddar cheese with some bacon crumbles (just for good measure) instead of ham? Just added a little more mustard to the sauce and a little less brown sugar and, voila! Oooh what about that same mustard glaze but smoked shredded pork and pickles for a spin on a Cuban? or what about roast beef and provolone and sautéed green peppers and onions with an au jus based glaze? Well, wait just a minute now, if we could sub the protein and/or the cheese and/or the glaze, there must truly be no rules!
Mind you, these later versions bear little (if any) resemblance to the original recipe introduced by my sister. That’s the magic of recipes (especially when you combine them with a family of good cooks). You find one good recipe and it multiplies into numerous (spiraled almost-out-of-control) versions creating even more amazing recipes. Don’t get me wrong here people, there was absolutely nothing wrong with that first recipe but we just can’t help ourselves from messing with things! To this day, each of my siblings and my mom all make the original version as well as at least one of the experimental kinds. The more parties we make it for, the more passed around the recipe gets. The smaller our fridge contents become, the more interesting the experimental versions of the recipe can be! Gotta love it, right?
Whether you love this original version as much as we do or you love the idea of trying out one of our random switch-ups or an experimental kind of your own, I really hope this makes your taste buds happy!
Those Party Sandwiches
This is a fantastic lunch or dinner for a group and can be made ahead the night before!
Ingredients
Sandwiches:-1 dozen (1 package) King’s Hawaiian sweet rolls
-1/2 pound favorite sliced ham lunchmeat
-1/2 pound favorite thinly sliced provolone cheese
Glaze:
-1 stick of butter
-1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
-1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard
-1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
-2 tablespoons brown sugar
Directions
1) In a small saucepan measure in each of the ingredients for the glaze. Feel free to add more of less of any ingredient (besides the butter) to your tastes’ liking.
2) Stir glaze over medium heat (stirring occasionally) until it comes to a boil. Set aside to cool slightly.
3) Remove outer packaging from sweet rolls and slice entire contents in half (place hand lightly on top of the golden rounded tops and put long bread knife in the middle of the buns on the short side then cut from that end to the other so you can lift and easily remove all the tops of the rolls leaving the bottoms).
4) In a pan large enough to fit the Hawaiian rolls (disposable aluminum pans are perfect!), place the bottoms of the cut sweet rolls. No need to separate them!
5) On each of the sweet roll bottom portions place a slice of lunchmeat and slice of cheese (folded to fit) and add more or less to your sandwich-size-liking.
6) Place tops of sweet rolls on top of the lunchmeat/cheese sandwich fillings.
7) Stir and then spoon or slowly pour the slightly cooled glaze all over tops and sides of sweet rolls.
8) Cover pan with aluminum foil (try to tent the foil slightly so it’s not resting on the glazed sweet roll tops). You can refrigerate overnight before baking or bake right away.
9) Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes with foil on top then remove foil and bake another 5 minutes.
10) Remove pan from oven and you can cut/serve each roll for individual slider sandwiches.
Actual recipe pics pending but didn’t want to hold up sharing this recipe!!!
Simplified By Stacie 