Hawaiian Roll Sliders (with Turkey and Pesto)

If you need to feed (and impress) a hungry crowd, but don’t have a lot of time or energy to spare, these Hawaiian Roll Sliders are just what you need. They’re ready in only 30 minutes with minimal hands-on assembly, making them a go-to for a fun weeknight dinner or a last-minute game-day passing dish.

The quick pesto mayo spread and garlic-parsley butter are totally worth the few extra minutes, giving these sliders a restaurant-quality appearance and flavor. The best part is that you assemble them all at once on a single sheet pan, saving time and effort without sacrificing flavor. This is one dish you won’t mind making again and again.

How to Make Our Hawaiian Roll Sliders

Ingredients

Process

1. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise and pesto. Whisk together. Set aside.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in parsley.

3. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Slice the rolls in half, crosswise, leaving them intact to one another. Spread a generous layer of pesto mayo over the top and bottom of the split bread rolls. 
4. Place the bottom half of the rolls onto a baking sheet. Top each bottom bread roll with 1 ounce of turkey. Then evenly sprinkle shredded cheese over the entire surface.

5. Place open faced rolls into the oven and bake for 8 minutes.
6. Remove sheet pan from oven and gently press top half of bread rolls over the shredded cheese, mayo-side down. Brush garlic butter over the rolls.

7. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese fully melts and the tops have toasted. Remove rolls from oven, brush with more garlic butter, and sprinkle with grated Parmesan and red pepper flakes. Serve immediately.

Tips for the BEST Hawaiian Roll Sliders

• Instead of laying whole slices of turkey out on the bottom rolls, gently tear the turkey into smaller pieces before layering them on. This helps each slider “pull apart” without losing whole slices of turkey or taking turkey from another slider.
• Bake the sliders open-faced first to help the cheese melt evenly, then finish assembly and finish baking. If you skip this step, the sliders in the middle may have unmelted cheese.
• Don’t skip the second butter brush just before serving. While the first brushing bakes flavor into the rolls, the second adds a beautiful shine and extra burst of flavor that seeps into each bite.
• Leave the sliders together until serving for the best presentation. Nothing beats pulling a slider apart and seeing a melted cheese pull. Our mouths are watering just thinking about it.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

If you have sliders left over, you can easily store them for the next day. Here are some tips for the best results:

To store: Let them cool completely, then wrap the sliders tightly in aluminum foil or place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To reheat your sliders: preheat the oven to 350°F. Keep the sliders wrapped in foil (or wrap them in foil if you didn’t store them this way) and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until warmed through. During the last few minutes of baking, open the foil so the top can crisp up a bit.

Variations

We love this combo of pesto, turkey, and mozzarella cheese, but you can easily make this Hawaiian slider recipe your own. Here are some fun swaps and variations to try:

• Swap the turkey for sliced ham, roast beef, rotisserie chicken, or even salami or pepperoni for an Italian-style slider.
• Skip the meat and make a vegetarian slider.
• Replace the mozzarella with Swiss, sharp cheddar, pepper jack, or a cheese blend.
• Instead of the pesto mayo, spread sun-dried tomato pesto, olive tapenade, garlic aioli, homemade basil pesto, or a mix of Dijon mustard and mayo
• Add interest and a burst of flavor to the rolls with pickled jalapeños, a drizzle of hot honey, roasted red peppers, or banana peppers.
• Instead of Hawaiian rolls, make these sliders with potato rolls, brioche slider buns, or regular dinner rolls.

What to Serve with Our Pesto Sliders

Whether you serve these pesto sliders at a party alongside other finger foods or whip up a tray for an easy weeknight dinner, they pair well with:

• Tomato soup
• Caprese salad
• Caesar salad
• French fries
• Pickle chips
• French onion dip
• Grinder pasta salad
• Buffalo wings
• Corn ribs
• Hawaiian macaroni salad

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