Hot Italian Sliders
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Turn your favorite Italian sub sandwich into Hot Italian Sliders for your next party, game day, or a fun and simple way to feed a crowd! These sliders are easy to prep in just 10 minutes, then bake for 25 minutes, for a delicious appetizer, or meal, made in just 35 minutes!
When it comes to a great party snack, these sliders are perfect. They’re easy to prep in just 10 minutes, you can easily double the recipe depending on the size of the party, and they’re always a crowd pleaser!
This recipe combines everything you love about Italian sandwiches, with layers of salami, pepperoni, capocollo and provolone cheese. Plus an extra creamy layer of Italian seasoned cream cheese mixed with pepperoncinis and roasted red peppers that makes these Italian sliders so incredibly flavorful!
You can mix up the meats and sub in ham or prosciutto, or add even more layers of meat for extra meaty sub sliders. This recipe is perfect for serving on Super Bowl Sunday, but it’s also easy enough to make into a fun Friday night family meal, paired with board games and good times!
Ingredients
- Cream cheese – you’ll need to soften the cream cheese before starting this recipe. To easily soften it, leave it out at room temperature for 30 minutes. Or you can microwave it in a bowl for 30 seconds.
- Italian seasoning – click the link for my homemade seasoning blend that’s easy to mix up in just 5 minutes. It combines delicious herbs and spices, like oregano, basil, garlic and thyme. Or purchase pre-made Italian seasoning on the spice aisle at the grocery store.
- Sliced pepperoncinis – these are sold in a jar on the condiment aisle at the grocery store, usually next to the pickles and olives. You can also use sliced banana peppers for a slightly sweeter flavor.
- Roasted red peppers – for this recipe, you’ll want to remove the peppers from the liquid in the jar, pat them dry, then dice them up before adding them to the cream cheese.
- Brioche rolls (or Hawaiian rolls) – basically any rolls that are sold connected, as a set of 12, will work for this recipe as the slider buns.
- Deli meats – for this recipe you’ll want 4 ounces of thinly sliced salami, pepperoni and capocolla. You can buy them packaged, or head to the deli counter and have them slice it for you. If you can’t find capocolla, or want to substitute it with something else, you can use ham or prosciutto.
- Provolone cheese – you’ll need 4 ounces, or 6 slices, of provolone cheese to melt over the sliced meat in the sliders. You can also use sliced mozzarella cheese, if you prefer.
- Butter – to brush on top of the rolls with Italian seasoning, for a flavorful, buttery crust on top that browns up perfectly in the oven.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Make the cream cheese mixture. In a medium bowl, combine softened cream cheese, diced roasted red peppers, sliced pepperoncinis and Italian seasoning.
- Slice the rolls in half. Use a serrated knife to slice through the middle of the rolls, while keeping the rolls connected, creating a bottom half and top half. Remove the top half and set it aside.
- Spread on the cream cheese. Place the bottom half of the rolls in a casserole dish. Gently spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the rolls.
- Top with the meats and cheese. Add an even layer of capocolla, salami, pepperoni and provolone cheese on top of the cream cheese mixture. Place the top half of the rolls on top of the sliced provolone cheese.
- Brush with herb butter. In a small bowl, combine melted butter and Italian seasoning. Brush the butter mixture evenly on top of the rolls.
- Bake the sliders. Cover the sliders in the casserole dish with a piece of aluminum foil. Place the sliders in a preheated 350°F oven for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, or until the sliders are browned on top.
- Slice the sliders. Remove the sliders from the oven. Use a sharp knife to slice between each of the rolls to make the sliders. Serve immediately, optionally with a side of warm marinara sauce for dipping.
Recipe tips
- You can make the cream cheese mixture ahead of time. But I recommend preparing and baking the sliders right before serving them for the best taste and texture. You can make the cream cheese mixture up to 3 days before making the sliders. Simply store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container, until you’re ready to use it.
- You can serve the sliders cold, if you prefer. Simply omit the Italian seasoned butter topping. After you’ve assembled the rolls, just slice them into sliders and serve them. If serving them cold, you can add shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced onions and sliced tomatoes on top of the provolone, if you’d like.
- Plan to serve 2 or 3 Italian sliders per person, if making these into a meal. If serving these as an appetizer with other dishes, I would plan for 1 slider per person, as they’re pretty filling!
- It’s easy to double this recipe, simply by making a second casserole dish of sliders. Just click the 2X button in the recipe card below. The ingredient amounts will automatically update to double the recipe.
What to serve with them
The hot Italian sliders can be served with warm marinara sauce for dipping, but honestly they have so much flavor, they’re also great on their own! If serving the sliders as a meal, you can pair them with potato chips, potato salad, or air fryer french fries.
If serving the sliders as part of a game day or party spread, I recommend pairing them with these other delicious appetizer recipes.
More slider recipes
Make more mini sandwiches with these other easy slider recipes!
Hot Italian Sliders
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup pepperoncinis, sliced
- ½ cup roasted red peppers, patted dry and diced
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning, click link for recipe
- 12 count Hawaiian rolls, or brioche rolls
- 4 ounces salami, sliced
- 4 ounces pepperoni, sliced
- 4 ounces capocolla, sliced (or ham)
- 4 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
For topping
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, pepperoncinis, roasted red peppers and 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning.
- Slice the rolls in half through the middle. Place the bottom half of the rolls in a 9 inch x 13 inch baking dish.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture on the bottom half of the rolls.
- Top with the sliced salami, pepperoni, capocolla and provolone cheese.
- Place the top half of the rolls on top of the meat and cheese.
- Melt the butter for the topping, then stir in the 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning and brush it on top of the rolls.
- Cover the sliders with foil, place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the piece of foil and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, use a sharp knife to slice between each of the rolls to make the sliders and serve immediately.
- Optionally serve with a side of warm marinara sauce for dipping.
Notes
- You can make the cream cheese mixture ahead of time. But I recommend preparing and baking the sliders right before serving them for the best taste and texture. You can make the cream cheese mixture up to 3 days before making the sliders. Simply store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container, until you’re ready to use it.
- You can serve the sliders cold, if you prefer. Simply omit the Italian seasoned butter topping. After you’ve assembled the rolls, just slice them into sliders and serve them. If serving them cold, you can add shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced onions and sliced tomatoes on top of the provolone, if you’d like.
- Plan to serve 2 or 3 Italian sliders per person, if making these into a meal. If serving these as an appetizer with other dishes, I would plan for 1 slider per person, as they’re pretty filling!
- It’s easy to double this recipe, simply by making a second casserole dish of sliders. Just click the 2X button above. The ingredient amounts will automatically update to double the recipe.
Nutrition Facts
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