Roast Beef Sliders

Easy Roast Beef Sliders with horseradish, lots of melted cheese, and a savory butter, garlic, and poppy seed sauce are the perfect appetizer for any party, game day, or social gathering! Made with soft, sweet Hawaiian rolls, these small sandwiches pack a big flavor wallop for your mouth!

When it comes to party food, is there anything more fun than sliders? I love the classic ham and cheese sliders so much that it’s hard not to load up my plate with them whenever I see them at a party. These roast beef sliders are cousins to the ham and cheese version, except elevated to a whole other level with some sliced deli roast beef and a generous spread of creamy horseradish on the buns.

It’s the kind of food that people clamor over at potlucks, cookouts, tailgating and other parties. Which works out great because these are so easy to make ahead (overnight works great for these babies) and bake right before it’s time to serve them up! But they are just as good for family dinner on a weeknight since you can prep them earlier in the day and then just pop them in the oven when you get home and serve them up with a salad on the side.

When it comes to sandwiches, I love them meaty, hot, and cheesy! If you feel the same, you might also want to check out these Cubanos Sandwiches, Blue Bayou Monte Cristo Sandwiches, or Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwich.

I made these roast beef sliders for “Freaky Friday” which only happens once a quarter when I get together with some of my favorite blogging friends for a fun old-fashioned blog swap. It’s headed by Michaela from An Affair from the Heart, and she secretly assigns each of us another participants blog, then we browse their recipes and remake one of them to share on our own site. I always look forward to it because I love to try my friends’ recipes. Check out all of my past Freaky Friday recipes!

This go-round I was assigned Jennifer from Take Two Tapas. I have been following Jennifer and her amazing blog for YEARS ever since we met at a food blogging conference way back in the day. She’s awesome and just such a real, down-to-earth person and her recipes are always spot on. I have made her copycat Outback blooming onion sauce multiple times (I have made it at least 8-10 times for dipping fries, onion strings, and more). I almost shared it today instead of these roast beef sliders because we love it so much!

Her corned beef and swiss puff pastry sliders also looked incredibly delicious. As do her pork tenderloin sliders with caramelized onion and sliced pear. And I’m dying to try her air fryer bang bang shrimp now that I finally caved and bought an air fryer! Seriously, check Jennifer’s blog out if you love entertaining and party food, because she’s got you covered!

What You’ll Need

• Hawaiian sweet rolls: These are our favorite premade rolls! They are so soft and lightly sweetened. It’s hard to resist them, so I usually buy more than I need for the sliders since my husband is always stealing away a couple of them.
• Thinly sliced roast beef: I like to get my meat freshly sliced at the deli counter and have them slice it nice and thin for these sliders.
• Cheese: There are three different kinds of cheese in these rolls for the ultimate in savory, melty stretchiness. Mozzarella, pepper jack (my favorite!), and cheddar join forces for a satisfying slider experience.
• Creamy horseradish sauce: Pairing roast beef and horseradish is a classic combination and adds a delicious kick that I can’t get enough of!
• Butter: Salted butter works forms the base of the rich marinade/sauce that gets drizzled over the assembled sliders before baking.
• Worcestershire sauce: I can never pronounce it’s name, but this ingredient adds awesome flavor.
• Poppy seeds: I don’t think of poppy seeds as adding much flavor, usually, but their delicate crunch is a textural delight!
• Spices: Dried mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder give a nice savory flavor to the sauce without overpowering the roast beef, horseradish, or cheese, which are the stars of the show here.

How to Make Roast Beef Sliders

1. Slice the rolls: Use a long serrated knife to cut the Hawaiian rolls in half lengthwise. You’ll find that they split much more easily if you don’t separate the rolls first. Also, I usually slice in about 1-2 inches on each side, which works as a guide to then make it much easier to slice evenly across.
2. Spread with horseradish sauce: Use about half of the horseradish sauce on the bottom layer of rolls so there is a little bit on each slider.

3. Layer the filling: Layer the roast beef over the rolls, sort of folding and scrunching it together rather than laying it flat. Sprinkle all three kinds of cheese evenly over the roast beef, then spread the remaining horseradish sauce on the cut side of the top layer of rolls and lay them on top.

4. Make the sauce: Combine the melted butter in a small bowl with the worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and dry mustard. Drizzle this evenly over the top of the rolls, then sprinkle them with the poppy seeds.
5. Marinate for at least 4 hours in the fridge: The sliders will soak up some of the liquid during this time, which helps them be less greasy when they are baked. You can even leave them overnight, which makes these great for a party since you can assemble them well in advance

6. Bake: Place the sliders into a preheated 350 degree F oven for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and the buns are toasty on top. Be sure to check the sliders partway through the cook time and cover them with foil to prevent them from browning too much, if needed.
7. Slice and serve: Once how and melty, slice between each roll to separate the sliders, then serve warm with a small spatula for dishing up.

Storing and reheating leftovers

If you have any roast beef sliders leftover (doubtful), they will keep in the fridge for about 3 days. You can always reheat them covered in foil in a 350 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted again. Or pop one or two in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until heated through.

Recipe variations & additions

I wanted to stay pretty true to Jennifer’s original version, but I have a couple of ideas for how I might change these up ever so slightly the next time I make them:

• Add some drained roasted red peppers on top of the roast beef before topping with the cheese. Roasted red peppers are one of my favorite things ever and I’m positive they would be delicious here!
• Similar to the roasted red peppers, some caramelized onions or even pepperoncini peppers would probably be good. Just be careful not to overload the sliders or they might get soggy or take a lot longer to heat through.
• If you are concerned about the spiciness of the horseradish, try replacing half of it with mayo and stirring them together before spreading on the rolls.
• You could use other types of cheese if you want. I think provolone, muenster, or swiss would be especially good!

More Recipes Like This

• Slow Cooker Asian Pulled Pork Sliders
• Bacon Jam Burgers
• Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas
• Easy Chicken Parmesan Sliders
• Cheeseburger Sliders

Game Day

Cheesy Meatball Sliders

Savory Breakfast

Cheesy Breakfast Sliders

Thanksgiving

Leftover Turkey Sliders

Print Pin Rate

Roast Beef Sliders

5 from 21 votes

Amy Nash

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Additional Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 35 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 18 sliders

Easy Roast Beef Sliders with horseradish, lots of melted cheese, and a savory butter, garlic, and poppy seed sauce are the perfect appetizer for any party, game day, or social gathering! Made with soft, sweet Hawaiian rolls, these small sandwiches pack a big flavor wallop for your mouth!

Ingredients

  

123

Assembly

• ▢ 20 sweet Hawaiian rolls
• ▢ 40 thin slices of roast beef (about 1 ½ pounds)
• ▢ 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
• ▢ 8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
• ▢ 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
• ▢ 6 ounces horseradish sauce

Sauce

• ▢ 1 cup salted butter, melted
• ▢ 1/4 cup Worchestershire sauce
• ▢ 2 teaspoons dried mustard
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

• Slice the rolls in half lengthwise without separating them, then lay the bottom half in a 9×13-inch pan.
• Spread half of the horseradish sauce in a thin layer on the roll, then top with the sliced roast beef.
• Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top, then spread the undersides of the cut top rolls with the remaining horseradish sauce and place them on top of the cheese.
• In a small bowl, whisk the melted butter with the Worcestershire sauce, dried mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder. Drizzle all over the tops of the rolls, then sprinkle with the poppy seeds. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, then uncover and bake the sliders for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is melted. You may need to cover them with foil during the last 10 minutes or so. Slice between the rolls then serve warm.

Notes

• Storage: Leftovers can be covered and kept in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat in a 350 degree F oven until warmed through (about 15 minutes) or in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
• Variations: Try adding roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, or pepperoncini peppers between the roast beef and cheese layers for additional flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 94mg | Sodium: 1055mg | Potassium: 207mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 627IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 382mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @HouseOfNashEats or tag #houseofnasheats!

Recipe from Take Two Tapas.

Take a look at all of our 2021 Freaky Friday Spring Edition Recipes:

• A Dish of Daily Life – Smoky Chicken Street Tacos
• An Affair from the Heart – Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas with Cilantro Lime Butter
• An Affair from the Heart – Blueberry Mojitos
• Aunt Bee’s Recipes – Easy Chile Relleno Casserole
• The Carefree Kitchen – Glazed Lemon Cookies
• The Culinary Compass – Easy Candied Pecan Recipe
• Devour Dinner – Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf
• The Foodie Affair – Keto Broccoli Salad
• The Fresh Cooky – Bowtie Pasta Recipe
• Hostess at Heart – No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
• Lemoine Family Kitchen – Lemon Blueberry Bread
• Lemon Blossoms Blog – Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars
• Life, Love & Good Food – Sandwich Cubano
• Off the Eaten Path – Grilled Vegan Guacamole
• Or Whatever You Do – Blackstone Mexican Style Street Corn
• The Speckled Palate – Lemon Bars
• Take Two Tapas – Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels