Hawaiian Baked Ham and Swiss Sandwiches

I'm baaaaaack! Ready for some football food? That's what I thought.

You've most likely had the classic poppy seed ham-and-cheese sandwiches at tailgates, wedding teas, and baby showers (I sure have). But, until recently, I had never seen these sandwiches made with Hawaiian rolls, which I adore for their sweetness. (Thanks, Pinterest and The Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife!)

These were, naturally, delicious. But, I would make a few adjustments on the next go-round.

First, I think the original recipe calls for too much meat and cheese (one pound of each!!). I know you're saying, "There's no such thing as too much cheese!" But, you can see in the photo how thick these were. I ended up breaking up mine in half and eating it open-faced. I used two packages each of deli ham and sliced Swiss, while one of each would have easily sufficed.

Also, my butter mixture came out more like a sauce than the described "spread"...perhaps because I left out the onions (and poppy seeds, for that matter) for personal preference. Or, it could have been that I didn't cook the sauce long enough, allowing it to reduce and thicken up.

Also, these came out a touch salty, so I would recommend using unsalted butter. Strangely enough, though, I only noticed this the night I made them...reheated the next day, they didn't seem as salty.

All that said....definitely give these a try!

Printable recipe

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1 12 pack King's Hawaiian Original Rolls

1 package sliced deli ham

1 package sliced Swiss cheese

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Melt butter and mix in mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for several minutes.

Cut the entire pack of rolls in half, horizontally (keeping all top and bottom halves intact).

In a greased 9x13 pan, place bottom half of rolls and put 1/3 of the butter mixture over the bottom of the rolls. Layer the ham and cheese on top.

Replace the tops of the rolls and put the remaining butter mixture over top.

Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Separate for serving.