Funeral Sandwiches
Funeral Sandwiches are savory and sweet ham and cheese sliders that are perfect for any gathering or a quick weeknight meal! As an appetizer or main dish, these little sandwiches are a crowd pleaser!
Despite the somber name, funeral sandwiches are made for more than just funerals. These little sliders are perfect for picnics, parties, potlucks and even a super quick and easy weeknight meal.
Each layer of these sandwiches offers a new level of flavor. Start with sweet and fluffy Hawaiian rolls, next add some sweet or smoky ham (either work amazing) and the tang of swiss cheese. Top it all with a sauce made of brown sugar and mustard. Bake it all to melty perfection and you’ve got a dish everyone will love.
You can serve these sandwiches as an appetizer, alongside Rotel Cream Cheese Sausage Balls, Deviled Egg Dip or Stuffed Celery or make it a whole meal with 4-Ingredient Pasta Salad and Air Fryer Corn on the Cob!
No matter the occasion, no one can deny the comfort and nostalgia these little sliders bring!
Why Make This Recipe
- Easy Meal or Appetizer: You can make this recipe in just thirty minutes and they make enough to share so they are perfect for a potluck, appetizer, dinner or lunch!
- Tons of Flavor: Ham, swiss, mustard and brown sugar all combine for these sticky, sweet, savory sandwiches!
- Southern Comfort: Funeral sandwiches get their name from the very Southern tradition of showering those in mourning with delicious, rich meals. There’s something nostalgic and comforting about this recipe!
Ingredients to Make Funeral Sandwiches
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Butter: I prefer unsalted but you can use whichever kind you have on hand.
- Brown sugar: Light brown sugar is my preference for this recipe.
- Dijon mustard: You could substitute stone ground, brown or even yellow mustard in a pinch!
- Worcestershire sauce
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Hawaiian Rolls: Stick with light and fluffy Hawaiian rolls. Crusty rolls will not work!
- Deli ham: For a sweeter flavor you can use honey ham or go more savory with smoked ham. Any ham will do!
- Swiss cheese: You could also use provolone or havarti but swiss is the most popular
- Poppy seeds
Recipe Variations
You can easily add a little extra tang or spice to these sliders by adding fresh or dried onion or diced jalapenos to your sauce.
Tools
- 9×13 Baking dish
How to Make This Recipe
Step One: Mix together the butter, brown sugar, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and onion powder.
Step Two: Spread half of the butter mixture on the bottom of a pan.
Step Three: Assemble the sandwiches. Cut the Hawaiian rolls in half and pile with ham and cheese, then place the bread back on top.
Step Four: Spread the remaining half of the butter mixture over the top of the bread. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.
Step Five: Allow the sandwiches to sit and soak in the sauce for about an hour.
Step Six: Place the sandwiches in the oven and bake until golden brown. Serve and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- If you’ve got picky eaters you can easily leave the poppy seeds off the top!
- It may be easier to cut the finished sliders with a serrated knife. It is also easiest to cut the rolls in half with a serrated knife.
- If your sandwiches are burning before the cheese fully melts, cover the top with some aluminum foil
Recipe FAQs
These sandwiches can be enjoyed warm, cold or even room temperature. However, make sure they are baked first. I personally prefer them warm out of the oven. They make great leftovers!
If you find that the tops or bottoms of your sandwiches are becoming burnt when you bake, try adding some aluminum foil to the top of your baking dish. The foil will allow the sandwiches to get nice and melty without burning. You may still want to remove the foil for a minute or two to get them nice and crispy!
No one wants a soggy sandwich. These sandwiches should become crispy as they bake but if they are still more soggy than you would like you can slice your buns and toast them before assembling all the ingredients. This extra toasting gives the bread a little more structure.
The best rolls for these funeral sandwiches are the simple King’s Hawaiian rolls. You could use any soft rolls but do not use any that are crispy on the exterior as they will most likely burn.
If you are planning to feed these to a crowd, it’s a great idea to make them ahead of time. I like to give my sandwiches time to soak in the sauce so I make them up to an hour ahead of time and then bake and serve.
If you want to make them even further in advance than that, I would recommend waiting and adding the butter sauce about an hour before you are ready to bake.
Did you enjoy this Funeral Sandwiches Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes I picked out just for you:
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Funeral Sandwiches
Equipment
- 9×13 Baking Dish
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 12 oz Hawaiian Rolls
- 9 oz deli ham
- 8 oz swiss cheese
- ½ tbsp poppy seeds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, brown sugar, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder and onion powder. Whisk to combine.
- In a 9×13 pan, spread half of the butter mixture on the bottom.
- Use a serrated knife and cut the hawaiian rolls in half, horizontally. Place the bottom half of the Hawaiian rolls in the pan.
- Layer the deli ham and swiss cheese on top of the bread.
- Place the top of the bread on the sandwiches, then spread the other half of the butter mixture on the bottom and sides of the bread. Sprinkle with poppy seeds.
- Allow the sandwiches to sit and soak for about an hour. Then, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Once preheated, place the sandwiches in the oven and heat for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Butter: I prefer unsalted but you can use whichever kind you have on hand.
- Dijon mustard: You could substitute stone ground, brown or even yellow mustard in a pinch!
- Hawaiian Rolls: Stick with light and fluffy Hawaiian rolls. Crusty rolls will not work!
- Deli ham: For a sweeter flavor you can use honey ham or go more savory with smoked ham. Any ham will do!
- Swiss cheese: You could also use provolone or havarti.
- If you’ve got picky eaters you can easily leave the poppy seeds off the top!
- It may be easier to cut the finished sliders with a serrated knife. It is also easiest to cut the rolls in half with a serrated knife.
- If your sandwiches are burning before the cheese fully melts, cover the top with some aluminum foil.
