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Hot Italian sliders are an Italian grinder sandwich recipe that’s perfect for gatherings such as tailgating or for backyard picnic ideas. They will feed a crowd, and you can serve them with a side of marinara for a dipping sauce. These mini sandwiches are made with slider rolls, Italian deli meats, and cheeses, making them the perfect appetizer if you’re craving a hot Italian sub.
Looking for a game day appetizers or backyard picnic ideas? The mini Italian sandwiches offer meats and cheeses, creamy mayo and sweet Hawaiian rolls.
These maple bacon turkey sliders are also a delicious treat, or perhaps you’d like to try cheeseburger hot pockets or gorgonzola buffalo burgers!
Why You’ll Love It
Flavor-packed: There’s no shortage of flavor in these hot Italian sub sliders. Served warm or hot, they are a perfect appetizer for any kind of occasion, and the combination of Italian meats and cheeses with zesty mayo is irresistible.
Tweakable: The great thing about an Italian sliders recipe is you can vary what goes in there, choosing any deli meats and cheeses. Whether provolone cheese or Swiss melty cheese is more your vibe, or whichever kinds of deli meats are your favorite, you can pick and choose which to include in your hot Italian sliders.
Perfect for a crowd: You can double or triple the recipe if you have a lot of folks to feed. Whether you’re preparing a funeral sandwich, you want to try a new tailgate recipe, or you are catering a buffet, you will find this hot Italian sandwich recipe easy to prepare in bulk.
Italian Grinder Sandwich Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Slider rolls: Small-size buns for the sliders.
Italian meats: I used salami, capicola and pepperoni.
Italian cheeses: I used provolone and mozzarella.
Banana peppers: For some heat.
Giardiniera: Pickled vegetables or giardiniera are so tasty in these.
Garlic: Adds flavor to the mayo mixture.
Banana pepper juice: More flavor comes from the banana pepper juice.
Italian seasoning: Fortifies the Italian flavors in the dish.
Butter: For the topping.
Herbs: Fresh parsley and dried oregano flavor the butter topping.
How to Make Hot Italian Sliders
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Toast the buns: Cook the slider buns in the oven until crispy (if you skip this step, your sliders will be soggy!)
Make the zesty mayo: While the buns toast, you can combine the zesty mayo ingredients.
Fill the buns: Add sliced deli meats and cheeses to the toasted buns, alternating with giardiniera and banana peppers, finishing with cheese.
Assemble the tasty Italian sliders: Spread zesty mayo on the bun tops before topping the individual sandwiches.
Make the garlic butter: Mix the ingredients, then pour over the sliders.
Bake the hot Italian sandwich recipe: Give them about 20 minutes in the oven, then serve hot with marinara sauce for dipping.
Substitutions and Variations
Meats and cheeses: Use any meat and cheese you like.
Adjust the spice level: Feel free to leave out the red pepper flakes and banana peppers if you don’t want any heat (or try mild banana peppers).
Hawaiian rolls: Brioche buns can be used rather than Hawaiian rolls.
Add peppers: Include roasted red peppers if you wish.
Extra cheesy: Double up on the melty cheese.
Serving Suggestions
For lunch: These Italian slider rolls are great paired with fries or salami pasta salad, or you might prefer gouda cream cheese corn.
For dinner: Enjoy a protein such as steaks or roasted chicken if you’re feeding a crowd.
With other sliders: Serve up cowboy sliders or sloppy joe sliders too!
Storage Instructions
Store: Serve these hot Italian sliders with Hawaiian rolls as soon as they’re ready while still warm from the oven. Leftovers will keep for 2 or even 3 days but will get soggy. If you have some left over, keep them wrapped in foil and refrigerated.
Freeze: Don’t freeze these. They’ll just get mushy and soggy.
Reheat: You can warm them back up in the oven.
Top Tips
Personalize them: You have plenty of options when it comes to meats and cheeses and can mix and match anything you prefer.
Banana peppers: Use pre-sliced banana peppers that come in a jar. The juice has a zesty vinegar taste that compliments the mayo and gives the sliders a kick of heat.
Toast the rolls first: Lightly toasting the rolls before adding the sandwich fixings helps prevent it from becoming soggy and is a vital step.
Layering order: There is no right or wrong order to layer the meat and cheese but adding a final layer of cheese over the giardiniera and peppers will prevent them from falling off the buns and once the cheese melts it acts as a glue to hold the sliders perfectly in place.
Serve hot: These are best served hot from the oven, so don’t let them sit around and get cold.
Italian Hawaiian Roll Sliders FAQs
Subs are known as grinders in the New England region. Grinders are typically made with long rolls that are like Italian bread but crustier on the outside and chewier on the inside. You can choose Hawaiian rolls, brioche buns, and grinder rolls with this recipe.
They are mild, tangy peppers that are slightly sweet. They’re yellow (hence the name), but you can also find mature ones in orange, green, or red. For this recipe, it’s best to use the sliced kind that comes in a jar since you won’t have to chop them, and you’ll need some of the juice to make the zesty mayo. If you prefer, sliced jalapenos are another option.
Hot Italian Sliders Recipe
Hot Italian Sliders
Equipment
- Baking Dish 8-Inch Square
Ingredients
- 1 Package Hawaiian rolls, or 12 slider rolls
- ⅓ Pound Genoa salami
- ⅓ Pound capicola
- ⅓ Pound pepperoni
- 8 Slices provolone cheese
- 8 Slices mozzarella cheese
- ⅓ Cup banana peppers, sliced, from a jar
- ⅓ Cup giardiniera, chopped, mild
For the Mayo Dressing:
- 2 Teaspoons garlic, minced
- ½ Cup mayonnaise
- ½ Tablespoon banana pepper juice, from a jar
- 1 Teaspoon Italian seasoning
For the Butter Topping:
- ½ Teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 6 Tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 Teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 Clove garlic, minced
- 3 Tablespoons parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked
- 2 Tablespoons parsley, freshly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 8×8 casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Use a bread knife to slice rolls in half.
- Place into the oven for 5 minutes to lightly toast.
- While bread is toasting, prepare zesty mayo.
- Combine mayo, banana pepper juice, garlic, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl and whisk well.
- Remove rolls from the oven. Lay rolls cut side up on a solid surface or cutting board.
- Alternate layering meat and mozzarella to cover the entire surface of the bottom half of the rolls.
- Next, top with peppers and giardiniera. Cover with sliced provolone cheese.
- Evenly spread zesty mayo over the cut side of the top buns. Place into the casserole or baking dish.
- Next, prepare garlic butter topping. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, oregano, pepper, parsley, and parmesan. Stir, then pour over the top of the buns. Cover with foil.
- Place into the oven on the center rack and bake for 15 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake for 5 more minutes.
- Serve with marinara sauce.
Notes
Banana peppers: Use pre-sliced banana peppers that come in a jar. The juice has a zesty vinegar taste that compliments the mayo and gives the sliders a kick of heat.
Toast the rolls first: Lightly toasting the rolls before adding the sandwich fixings helps prevent it from becoming soggy and is a vital step.
Layering order: There is no right or wrong order to layer the meat and cheese but adding a final layer of cheese over the giardiniera and peppers will prevent them from falling off the buns and once the cheese melts it acts as a glue to hold the sliders perfectly in place.
Serve hot: These are best served hot from the oven, so don’t let them sit around and get cold.
Nutrition
Looking for the best sliders? This Italian grinder sliders recipe is so good. You’ll love how the meats and cheeses combine with the zesty mayo and pickled vegetables. The banana pepper adds a touch of heat while the Hawaiian rolls offer sweetness. This is one of the best slider recipes to make for a special occasion or event.
More Recipes to Try
Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Made for a picnic and everyone enjoyed the zesty fresh goodness.
We loved these! Made them for the first football game of the season. What a hit! Not one left to bring home. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m glad i made this yesterday! It was a hit! So perfect!
We all loved this. It was scrumpt-Italy-umptious!!!
What temp?
It is 350 F. I am not sure what happened to the instructions. Several lines were missing. It’s all good now!
These are my favorite! So tasty!