Turn your favorite Italian sub sandwich into Hot Italian Sliders—an easy, crowd-pleasing appetizer or meal for parties, game day, or a casual family night. These sliders take about 10 minutes to assemble and bake for roughly 25 minutes, so you’ll have a tasty tray ready in about 35 minutes.
Table of contents
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Recipe tips
- What to serve with them
- More slider recipes
These Hot Italian Sliders combine all the classic flavors of an Italian sub—salami, pepperoni, capocollo and provolone—layered over a creamy, seasoned spread. The filling includes Italian-seasoned cream cheese with pepperoncinis and roasted red peppers for a bright, tangy finish. They’re simple to scale up for a larger group and work equally well as a warm appetizer or a casual main course.
Ingredients
- Cream cheese – 8 ounces, softened. Leave at room temperature 30 minutes or microwave briefly until spreadable.
- Italian seasoning – 2 tablespoons for the filling and extra for the topping. Use a store-bought blend or your preferred homemade mix of oregano, basil, garlic and thyme.
- Pepperoncinis – about ½ cup, sliced. Substitute banana peppers for a milder, slightly sweeter taste.
- Roasted red peppers – about ½ cup, drained, patted dry and diced.
- Brioche or Hawaiian rolls – a set of 12 rolls that come connected; these make ideal slider buns.
- Deli meats – roughly 4 ounces each of thinly sliced salami, pepperoni and capocollo (or substitute ham or prosciutto if preferred).
- Provolone cheese – about 4 ounces (approximately 6 slices); mozzarella can be used as an alternative.
- Butter – 1/4 cup melted, mixed with Italian seasoning for brushing the tops before baking.
Instructions
Step-by-step photos accompany these directions in the original layout. Follow the steps below for an easy, reliable bake.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a mixing bowl, combine the softened cream cheese with diced roasted red peppers, sliced pepperoncinis and 2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning until evenly mixed.
- Use a serrated knife to slice the connected rolls in half horizontally, keeping the top and bottom halves intact. Place the bottom half into a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the bottom half of the rolls.
- Layer the sliced capocollo, salami and pepperoni across the cream cheese. Top with provolone slices to cover the meats.
- Replace the top half of the rolls over the cheese.
- Mix the melted butter with 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, then brush this herb butter evenly over the roll tops.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 5–10 minutes, until the tops are golden and slightly crisp.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for a couple of minutes, then slice between each roll to create individual sliders. Serve warm.
Recipe tips
- Make the cream cheese mixture ahead: You can prepare the cream cheese filling up to three days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to assemble the sliders. For best texture and flavor, assemble and bake just before serving.
- Serve cold if you prefer: These sliders also work as cold sandwiches. To serve cold, omit the herb butter topping and slice after assembly. Add shredded lettuce, sliced tomato and thinly sliced onion if you like a fresh crunch.
- Sizing and portions: Plan on 2–3 sliders per person for a main course. As an appetizer among other dishes, 1 slider per guest is usually enough.
- Double easily: To serve a larger crowd, simply prepare a second pan and repeat the process; the recipe scales well.
- Meat and cheese swaps: Swap capocollo for ham or prosciutto, or add extra layers of meat for a heartier sandwich. Mozzarella can stand in for provolone for a milder, stretchier melt.
- Bread choice: Soft brioche or Hawaiian rolls work best because they toast nicely and provide a slightly sweet balance to the savory meats and tangy peppers.
What to serve with them
These sliders are wonderful on their own, but you can offer warm marinara or a simple tomato dipping sauce on the side for extra flavor. For a full meal, pair them with potato chips, potato salad, or air-fryer French fries. On a game-day spread, they complement a variety of appetizers like pizza rolls, dips, or wings.
- Warm tomato or marinara sauce for dipping
- Potato chips or potato salad
- Fries, fresh vegetable platter or simple green salad
More slider recipes
If you enjoy making sliders, try other variations to keep gatherings interesting—cheeseburger sliders, ham and brie sliders, pulled pork sliders, fajita meatball sliders, buffalo chicken dip sliders or sous-vide-style burger sliders are all great options to explore.
Cheeseburger Sliders
Cranberry Brie Ham Sliders
Dr Pepper Pulled Pork Sliders
Fajita Meatball Sliders
Jalapeño Buffalo Chicken Dip Sliders
Sous Vide Sliders
Hot Italian Sliders
Turn your favorite Italian sub into easy, flavorful sliders—great for parties and game day. Prep in 10 minutes and bake in about 25 for a warm, cheesy result in under 40 minutes total.
12
sliders
10 minutes
25 minutes
35 minutes
Whitney Bond
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup pepperoncinis, sliced
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, patted dry and diced
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 12 count Hawaiian or brioche rolls
- 4 ounces salami, sliced
- 4 ounces pepperoni, sliced
- 4 ounces capocolla (or ham), sliced
- 4 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
For topping
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a bowl, mix the softened cream cheese with pepperoncinis, roasted red peppers and 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning until combined.
- Slice the rolls in half horizontally and place the bottom half in a 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over the bottom half of the rolls.
- Layer salami, pepperoni, capocolla and provolone on top of the cream cheese.
- Place the top half of the rolls over the meat and cheese.
- Melt the butter, stir in 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning, and brush over the roll tops.
- Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 5–10 minutes until browned.
- Remove from oven, slice between rolls to separate sliders, and serve immediately.
- Optional: offer a warm tomato-based sauce on the side for dipping.
Notes
- You can prepare the cream cheese mixture up to three days ahead and keep it chilled. For peak flavor and texture, assemble and bake just before serving.
- For cold sliders omit the herb butter and serve chilled with optional lettuce, tomato and onion.
- Estimate 2–3 sliders per person for a main dish; 1 slider per person when served with other appetizers.
- To double the recipe, make a second pan and repeat the steps.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 342 kcal (per slider)
Carbohydrates: 19 g | Protein: 13 g | Fat: 25 g
Sodium: 881 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 6 g