Ham & Cheese Slider Sandwiches for a Crowd (serves 65 People)
Cooking for a crowd? This easy ham and cheese slider recipe served 65 hungry camp guests and is ideal for large family gatherings, retreats, and church lunches.
Years ago, I spent two unforgettable years cooking in the kitchen of a year-round camp and conference center, preparing meals for retreats, family camps, church groups, and special events.
During those busy camp kitchen days, I gathered some of my favorite large-quantity recipes — meals that were dependable, crowd-pleasing, and practical for feeding dozens of hungry guests.
One lunch that was always a hit was these warm, buttery ham and cheese sliders.
They were simple to prepare, easy to scale, and absolutely delicious.
On the day these photos were taken, we were serving about 65 people and prepared approximately 140 sandwiches, planning for just over two sliders per person since the buns were small.
Why These Ham and Cheese Sliders Work So Well for Large Groups
- Easy to prep ahead
- Budget-friendly
- Kid-friendly and adult-approved
- Customizable with different meats and cheeses
- Bakes quickly in large batches
- Perfect for buffet-style serving
Recipe for 65 Ham & Cheese Slider Sandwiches
Below is the printable recipe for your convenience.
Ham & Cheese Slider Sandwiches for a Crowd
Need an easy large-group lunch idea? These ham and cheese sliders fed 65 people at camp and are perfect for church groups, family reunions, retreats, and crowd cooking.
Ingredients
- For the Sliders:
- 140 small dinner rolls or slider buns
- Mayonnaise, Miracle Whip, or a combination
- Deli ham (enough for 140 sliders)
- 35 slices mozzarella or Swiss cheese, cut in half
- Butter Sauce:
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 2¾ cups butter, melted
- ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Slice all dinner rolls in half horizontally. Spread mayonnaise or Miracle Whip on the inside of each bun.
- Layer deli ham evenly over the bottom halves. Place half a slice of cheese on each bun. Top with the bun lids and press gently to close. Arrange tightly in baking pans.
- In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, poppy seeds, mustard, minced onion, and Worcestershire sauce until well combined.
- Evenly pour the butter mixture over all the assembled sliders. Use a pastry brush to spread it across the tops so everything is well coated. Let sit for 10 minutes or until the butter starts to set.
- Cover pans with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 12–15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and sliders are heated through.
- Remove foil and bake an additional 2 minutes until the tops are lightly golden.
- Serve warm with fruit, veggies, chips, or soup for a complete crowd-friendly meal.
Notes
These can be assembled the day ahead and kept covered in the fridge until ready to bake. Allow for a bit more baking time if they are really cold.
Pictures of How to Make these Ham & Cheese Sliders:
1.Slice buns horizontally and lay open on a clean countertop. 
2. Spread mayonnaise on each half of the bun. 3.Layer ham on one side of the bun & cheese on the other.
4. Close up the buns and nestle them in a baking pan with sides. 
5. Mix together the butter sauce. 6. Pour the butter sauce evenly over the buns.
Use a pastry brush to spread the sauce evenly over each bun.
Once the butter sauce starts to harden slightly, cover each pan with foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 12- 15 minutes or until the cheese starts to melt. Then uncover and bake for 2 more minutes until tops are slightly brown and crispy.
Serving Suggestions for Camp or Group Meals
These sliders pair beautifully with:
- Fresh fruit
- Veggies and dip
- Tomato basil soup
- Pasta salad
- Potato salad
- Pickles
- Chips
For ladies’ luncheons, we often served them with tomato basil soup for a cozy meal.
For family camps or kids’ groups, fruit and veggie trays worked perfectly.
Want more Large Quanitity Cooking Recipes?
Check out these ideas:
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I used this ham and cheese slider recipe with the butter-poppy seed sauce and scaled it to 140 sliders for about 65 people.
It was easy to prep ahead and everyone loved the buttery, slightly tangy topping.
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