Garlic and Herb Ham and Cheese Sliders

The ISFA work continues — another kitchen table this week, another young family with numbers that might work. I sat across from a couple in Boone County and laid out the grants and watched their faces change from fear to possibility, and the change is the thing I live for now.

Thursday was tater tot hotdish, because Thursday is always tater tot hotdish and the schedule doesn't change for anything — not pandemics, not loss, not the passage of years. The tater tots go in at 375 and come out golden and the family eats them and the eating is the Thursday and the Thursday is the structure and the structure holds. But I also made cherry tomato pasta earlier this week, because the kitchen doesn't only look backward. The kitchen grows.

The garden at peak production — tomatoes by the bushel, corn taller than Jack (which is saying something now, the boy is tall), peppers in every color, the zucchini in its annual attempt to conquer the neighborhood. I've left three on the neighbors' porch. They know. Everyone knows. The zucchini phase is endured, not discussed.

Between the kitchen table meetings and the garden’s zucchini takeover, some weeks just need a meal that asks nothing of you except to assemble and wait — and these Garlic and Herb Ham and Cheese Sliders are exactly that. They came to mind because the story of this week is really about layers: grants stacked on hope, tater tots stacked on Thursday, and yes, ham and cheese stacked on soft rolls with a glossy herb butter poured over the top. The oven does the work, the family eats, and the structure holds a little longer.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 12 sliders

Ingredients

1 package (12 count) Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls
3/4 lb deli ham, thinly sliced
6 slices Swiss cheese (or provolone)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or line with foil.
Slice the rolls. Without separating the individual rolls, slice the entire slab horizontally through the middle so you have one large top and one large bottom. Place the bottom half in the prepared baking dish.
Layer the fillings. Arrange the sliced ham evenly over the bottom half of the rolls, overlapping as needed. Lay the cheese slices on top of the ham in an even layer, covering the ham completely.
Cap with the top. Place the top half of the rolls back over the cheese to close the sliders.
Make the herb butter. In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, parsley, thyme, and onion powder. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Glaze the tops. Pour or brush the herb butter mixture evenly over the top of the rolls, letting it run down the sides and into the seams. Use a pastry brush to coat the tops thoroughly.
Cover and bake. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the butter has soaked into the rolls.
Uncover and finish. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 4—5 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and glossy.
Slice and serve. Use a sharp knife to cut along the roll seams to separate individual sliders. Serve warm directly from the pan.

Nutrition (per serving)

Garlic and Herb Ham and Cheese Sliders — The Kind of Sandwich That Holds a Busy Week Together