Whether you’re looking for a snack or a finger-friendly party food, these easy Cuban-Style Sliders will really hit the spot! Deli ham, Swiss cheese, and dill pickle slices are layered on little Hawaiian rolls to create bite-sized sandwiches that are always a crowd-pleaser.
Don’t skip the Dijon dressing! It bathes the sweet and smoky ham in a tangy bath of flavor, and somehow convinces guest to grab “just one more”!
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What Are Cuban Sandwiches?
Exactly what makes a Cuban sandwich a Cuban sandwich is something that is still hotly debated today (as well as the first American city where Cuban sandwiches, or Cubanos, were found). But the Cuban sandwich ingredients that almost everyone agrees to be essential are bread, ham, pork, Swiss cheese, mustard, and pickles.
The type of bread used in Cuban sandwiches is very specific. Cuban bread is similar to French bread, but the way it’s made is quite different. A moist palmetto leaf is placed atop each loaf of bread before it rises, causing the dough to rise around the leaf. This gives the bread flavor and its unique texture.
Like the bread, the pork used in Cuban sandwiches is also distinctive. Often referred to as Cuban pork, the meat is marinated overnight in mojo sauce, a citrusy, spicy blend of olive oil, garlic, onion, oregano, and either bitter orange or lime juice. It is then slowly roasted, producing a juicy, flavorful meat that can be sliced for these sandwiches.
How Are These Sliders Different Than Traditional Cubans?
Unless your family has easy access to Cuban bread, it’s pretty hard to make a traditional Cuban in most of the United States. While thick slices of French or Italian bread would make a good substitute, I wanted to make a version of a Cuban sandwich that was quick, easy, and good to make for a crowd.
I used prepackaged Hawaiian rolls as the bread base in these sandwiches. Yes, it’s a far cry from the sturdy Cuban bread that inspired these sliders, but they’re yummy, they’re small, and I can easily pick up a package or two from my local grocery store.
I also left out the pork in these Cuban-style sliders. I think that the addition of Cuban pork would be delicious, but since I chose a more delicate bread, I didn’t want the pork’s juices to disintegrate the bread as my guests ate.
Instead, I focused on the flavors of the ham, cheese, pickles, and dressing to create these Cuban-style sliders. And those flavors come through so well, there’s no denying which sandwich inspired me in this recipe!
How Can I Vary This Recipe?
Like most recipes, the Cuban sandwich has evolved over the years. It began over 500 years ago in Cuba, when the Taíno tribe stuffed a thin, yucca-based bread with fish and bird meat. When the Spanish settled in Cuba, pork and ham were made their way into the sandwich. But in the 1800s, the sandwich really began to change.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the Florida tobacco industry drew workers from Cuba. Immigrants from other places in the world interacted with the Cubans, sharing food and traditions. It is thought that the addition of mustard on the sandwich came from the Germans. And the addition of salami (while hotly contested as to whether they belong on a Cuban) came from Italians.
So given the sandwich’s give-and-take history, feel free to add to or detract from the recipe any way you want! Some common variations of traditional Cubans include:
- Substituting a different type of bread for Cuban bread
- Adding salami
- Substituting butter for mustard
- Adding lettuce and tomato after the sandwich is heated
- Adding bacon
- Serving the sandwich cold
Use these variations as a springboard for your Cuban-style sliders, or just use what your family loves to eat! No matter what, they’re going to love your Cuban-inspired sandwiches!
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Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
Lightly grease a 9x13u0022 baking dish with cooking spray. Carefully slice Hawaiian rolls in half. Lay the bottom halves in the prepared baking dish.
- Lay ham over bottom halves of rolls. I like to roll each meat slice to give the sandwiches more volume.
- Top the ham with pickle slices. You can use as many or as few as you’d like.
- Cover the ham and pickles with Swiss cheese.
- In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and onion powder. Mix well until smooth.
- Spread dressing evenly over Swiss cheese.
- Top with upper halves of rolls, then cover baking dish with foil. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove foil and brush tops of sliders with melted butter. Return to oven and bake about 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted and sandwiches are warmed through.
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Easy Cuban-Style Sliders
Difficulty: Easy10
2-sandwich servings10
minutes20
minutes30
minutesDeli ham, Swiss cheese, and dill pickle slices are layered on little Hawaiian rolls to create bite-sized sandwiches that are always a crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
20 Hawaiian rolls
1 lb deli ham, sliced thin
Dill pickle slices
9 sliced Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon melted butter
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
- Lightly grease a 9×13″ baking dish with cooking spray. Carefully slice Hawaiian rolls in half. Lay the bottom halves in the prepared baking dish.
- Lay ham over bottom halves of rolls. I like to roll each meat slice to give the sandwiches more volume.
- Top the ham with pickle slices. You can use as many or as few as you’d like.
- Cover the ham and pickles with Swiss cheese.
- In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and onion powder. Mix well until smooth.
- Spread dressing evenly over Swiss cheese.
- Top with upper halves of rolls, then cover baking dish with foil. Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes.
- Remove foil and brush tops of sliders with melted butter. Return to oven and bake about 5 more minutes, until cheese is melted and sandwiches are warmed through.
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