These meatball sliders are a perfect example of how cheese makes everything better. Cheese gets injected into every element of these sandwiches: A cheesy pesto goes into the meatballs, which get sandwiched with mozzarella inside Hawaiian rolls, which get sprinkled with mozzarella and Parmesan and baked off. The result is a stacked slider with ooey-gooey perfection. No doubt about it, these sliders are cheesy inside and out, and your guests will absolutely love you for serving them up.
You can make these sliders with frozen meatballs, but trust us, the extra effort of homemade meatballs is worth it. You might even find yourself doubling the meatball recipe so you can freeze extras for later!
Ingredients for Meatball Sliders
- Ground beef: Lean 90% ground beef is best in this recipe. An 80/20 blend will be more flavorful, but it will yield greasier, messier meatballs.
- Pesto: Pick up prepared pesto at the grocery store, or whip up a batch of homemade pesto. You need just a few tablespoons of pesto, so you can freeze any extra in ice cube trays for later.
- Bread crumbs and egg: These ingredients act as binding ingredients that hold the meatballs together. Use seasoned bread crumbs for maximum flavor.
- Pasta sauce: Looking for a great store-bought brand? Check out our Test Kitchen’s picks for the best jarred pasta sauce.
- Hawaiian sweet rolls: These rolls are tender and pillowy. Their mild sweetness is a great balance against all the bold Italian flavors in this recipe.
- Cheese: Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses create the perfect mixture of melty texture and nutty flavor.
- Seasoned butter: A brushing with seasoned butter gives these sliders a decadent finish and sheen. You could use plain butter, but the added seasonings give the bread a serious flavor boost.
Directions
Step 1: Make the meatball mixture
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, pesto and egg. Mix lightly but thoroughly.
Step 2: Shape and bake the meatballs
Shape the mixture into 12 meatballs. Place them on a greased rack in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake until browned and a thermometer inserted into the center of each meatball reads 160°, about 35 minutes.
Editor’s Tip: If you’re making the meatballs ahead of time, let them cool slightly, then transfer them to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Step 3: Sauce the meatballs
Toss the meatballs with the pasta sauce, and set aside.
Step 4: Assemble the sliders
Meanwhile, cut the Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally without separating the individual rolls, creating one single top half and one single bottom half. Arrange the bottom half in a greased 13×9-inch baking dish. Top with half of the cheese slices, and sprinkle with oregano.
Add the meatballs and sauce. Top with the remaining cheese slices and top half of loaf.
Step 5: Brush with seasoned butter, and bake
Stir together the melted butter, olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes. Brush the mixture over the buns. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes.
Step 6: Finish the sliders with more cheese
Uncover the dish. Sprinkle the sliders with Parmesan and shredded mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted, 10 to 15 minutes longer.
Sprinkle with fresh basil, and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Use frozen meatballs: Don’t have time to make meatballs from scratch? No worries! Frozen meatballs are a totally acceptable shortcut if you’re short on time. Just be sure to follow the package directions regarding cook time.
- Change up the roll: Hawaiian rolls add a subtle sweetness to meaty sliders, but you can swap in any slider-style bun. Egg rolls and potato rolls are best, as they have a softer texture and richer flavor than dinner rolls.
Can you make this meatball sliders recipe ahead of time?
We don’t recommend making meatball sliders too far ahead of time. They can sit for about an hour, but they will become soggy. Instead, prepare the recipe components ahead of time to streamline the process.
The meatballs can be baked up to three days in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge (or freeze the meatballs for up to three months). Reheat them in the oven until they reach an internal temperature of 165°.
You can also prepare the flavored butter ahead of time (and here are more flavored butter recipes to try!). Store it in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to six months.
Meatball Sliders Tips
What can you serve with meatball sliders?
For parties, we love to serve meatball sliders with other party appetizers like chips, dips and salsa. For lunch or dinner, we usually keep things casual with a side of crunchy air-fryer sweet potato chips or an easy Caesar salad.
How many meatball sliders do you need per person?
Technically, the serving size for this recipe is one slider per person. But these mini sandwiches are so snackable, you should be prepared for each guest reaching for two or even three!
