Italian Sliders Recipe – Baked Party Appetizer for Game Day

Italian sliders are the perfect party dish for a Super Bowl get together! You start with slider buns and layer them with Italian deli meats like salami, pepperoni, and ham, then add melted provolone cheese.

For extra flavor, you drizzle some garlic parmesan sauce on top, then bake them until golden and crispy. To finish, load them up with your favorite sandwiches toppings like lettuce, tomatoes, pepperoncinis and black olives mixed with a creamy Italian dressing. These sliders are delicious, easy to assemble, and perfect for a crowd!

I’m going to fail you all a bit when it comes to the Super Bowl…we don’t watch it. It hasn’t always been easy, and it was an important decision for our family to not watch the Super Bowl. I know, don’t hate me, but Sunday is our one day set aside for our family and religion. However, we still enjoy a lot of good food (check out our Super Bowl Food Recipe Roundup for more ideas!), so I really wanted to step up a bit and provide our readers with more options for the big day. Food is everything for a football gathering, am I RIGHT?!

I decided to take a nod from our famous ham and cheese sliders and make a new version. Because of my love of chopped salads and the goodness of Italian delis I decided to jump into a fresh version of baked sliders.

What Do I Need to Make Italian Sliders?

Head to the deli and grab a few slices of your favorite Italian meats and some provolone. Then almost everything else you’ll either have at home already or you can grab it in the produce section. Here is everything you’ll need…

• Hawaiian Slider Buns: You can either grab a pack of rolls at the store or make homemade Hawaiian sweet rolls.
• Provolone: Grab it from the deli when you get your meats.
  • NOTE: If you aren’t a provolone fan, use mozzarella cheese instead.
• Meats: Ham, Pepperoni and Salami

Garlic Parmesan Glaze

• Butter: the base for the glaze on top of the buns
• Parmesan: freshly and finely grated
• Garlic Herb Seasoning: We love Johnny’s Garlic Spread, but any garlic herb seasoning will work great.

Toppings (Grinder Salad)

• Mayonnaise: adds creaminess to the dressing
• Italian Dressing: adds flavor
• Sliced Black Olives: buy a can of sliced olives or slice whole olives yourself
• Red Onion: I like them diced pretty small so they blend right in.
• Shredded Lettuce: shred your own romaine lettuce or buy a bag of pre-shredded
• Tomatoes: Roma or vine ripe tomatoes work great.
• Pepperoncini Peppers: a signature of Italian sandwiches and salads that add a little heat
  • NOTE: If pepperoncinis are too spicy for you, use banana peppers or dill pickles.

The measurements and details for each ingredient can be found in the recipe card down below.

How to Make Baked Italian Sliders

Something so delicious shouldn’t be so easy! Baked slider sandwiches are one of my favorite ways to feed a crowd something warm and delicious. Here are the step-by-step instructions…

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350℉. Cut the rolls horizontally and place them in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
2. Layer: Place a layer of provolone cheese on the bottom half of the rolls then top with all three meats. Add the top rolls and gently slice through the seams so that each sandwich is separate.
3. Bake: Whisk together the melted butter, parmesan and garlic herb seasoning and then brush over the tops of the sliders. Bake for 15-20 minutes.
4. Make the Chopped Salad: Whisk together the mayo and Italian dressing in a small bowl then stir in the olives (if using) and onions. Add the lettuce, tomatoes and pepperoncini peppers to a large bowl and then toss with the dressing.
5. Finish the Sandwiches: When the sliders are done baking, carefully remove the tops and add the chopped salad. Put the tops back on and enjoy!

Keep scrolling to the end of the post for the complete recipe found in the recipe card. You can also print or save the recipe there.

Carrian is all about the olives while I’d rather have more spice. Create these sliders to your own tastes by making substitutions like, sun dried tomatoes, peppers, different meats and cheeses until you’ve made the sandwich of your dreams.

What is a Slider?

A slider is an American term for a small sandwich, typically around 2 in (5.1 cm) across, made with a bun. The term primarily refers to small hamburgers like our cheeseburger sliders, but can also cover any mini sandwiches made with a slider roll.

What to Serve with Italian Sliders

Don’t limit yourself to just the Super Bowl for these Italian sub sliders! They are great for a quick weeknight dinner, an appetizer for a party or for a potluck with friends. If you’re serving Italian sandwich sliders as a main dish, here are some side dishes to serve with them:

Can Italian Sliders Be Made Ahead?

Individual components of the sliders can be made ahead of time, but I wouldn’t recommend fully assembling them. You can slice the buns and add the cheese and meats then put the tops on and cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 4-5 hours.

Do not add the garlic butter mixture on top of the buns until right before baking. The chopped grinder salad could be made an hour or so ahead of time, but I wouldn’t make it too much earlier than that or the lettuce will start to wilt and brown.

Storing and Reheating

If possible, don’t store constructed sliders. The moisture of all the vegetables and the dressing will make them quite soggy. Store the lettuce mixture separately and add right before serving.

Sliders that have been stored with just the meat and cheese can be reheated in the oven or in an air fryer. Add the chopped salad on before serving. If you have leftover sliders that are fully assembled, store them in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for about a day and I would just eat them cold.

Get ready for game day with this delicious and easy Super Bowl Italian sliders recipe! Packed with flavor and perfect for sharing with friends and family.

More Slider Recipes: