These delicious Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Sliders are the perfect choice when you're looking for a change of pace on pizza night. Smothered on top with a savory garlic butter glaze and fresh parmesan, each bite is a pizza lover's dream. Slider buns are filled with gooey melted cheese, delicious sauce and loads of turkey pepperoni.
We just can't get enough of sliders. Have you seen the post for my Ham and Swiss Cheese Sliders? They're legendary around here. We love them so much that they are now a main entrée at Easter.
So yes, you might say we're a little slider obsessed.
Layered with zesty pizza sauce, mounds of turkey pepperoni and loads of shredded Italian cheese, these tasty little pepperoni sliders definitely live up to their name, just like Pepperoni Pizza Dip!
And the best part? The savory, garlic butter parmesan glaze that gets schmeared on top. It's so tasty, it should be bottled up and sold in stores. It's seriously that good.
These sliders can get a little messy. But a little mess never hurt anyone. Especially when it's from indulging in an almost too delicious to describe, get-it-before-it's-gone, pizza slider!
Why you'll love it
| Easy to make- If you can make a sandwich and melt some butter, you can make these easy pizza sliders. It's that simple. Versatile- This pizza sliders recipe is easy to double (or triple!) for a meal or appetizer. It's perfect for a fun lunch or dinner, and is also great for parties, tailgating and gametime! Make sure you save this recipe for the big game! Customizable- Add olives, onions, mushrooms and any other favorite pizza toppings to the pepperoni layer. |
Ingredients
For a list with measurements, see the printable recipe card below
- Hawaiian sweet rolls- King's Hawaiian recommended
- pizza sauce- I like a chunky sauce because it's usually a little thicker--you can also use marinara sauce
- turkey pepperoni- I like turkey for this because it has less fat and calories
- shredded Italian cheese blend or mozzarella- this is where I can't skimp on fat and calories. Kraft's shredded Italian 5 cheese is awesome for this
- butter, melted- I use salted butter
- garlic powder & Italian seasoning
- freshly shredded Parmesan cheese- choose refrigerated shredded in a bag if you don't have time to do it yourself
Instructions
For a more detailed set of instructions, see the printable recipe card below
- Place the roll bottoms (still connected) in a 13x9 pan lined with foil and lightly greased.
- Spread the pizza sauce over the rolls in the pan.
- Top with the turkey pepperoni.
- Sprinkle on the shredded Italian or mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with roll tops (still connected) and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Then add the garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
- Add the freshly shredded parmesan and mix well. The mixture will be very thick--almost like a paste.
- Spoon the butter glaze evenly over the tops of the rolls. Then use a pastry brush to evenly distribute.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes covered and then 5 minutes uncovered. You'll know they're done when the inside cheese is starting to ooze!
- Let stand for 5 minutes; then separate and enjoy!
Hint: Assemble the sliders no more than an hour or so before you're ready to bake them. The sauce can get--well, pretty saucy--and the bottom of the rolls can get a little soggy. And although these are absolutely amazing once made, they don't keep for long in the fridge (1-3 days max).
Helpful tips
- Because these sliders are saucy, it's best not to separate the individual tops and bottoms. Keep one giant "top" and one giant "bottom".
- I like to insert a toothpick into the top of each slider. While not absolutely necessary, I do this for two reasons:
- Although temporary, they help to press down the ingredients in each individual slider since they're so packed!
- The toothpicks also help me to create a foil tent over the sliders. We bake these covered, but we don't want any of the foil sticking to the tops of the sliders. The toothpicks serve as a guide when tenting the foil over the pan. Once you have a good tent, remove the toothpicks and set your foil tent loosely over your baking dish.
Equipment
- 13 x 9 in. pan, greased or lined with greased foil
- cutting board
- long serrated bread knife
- small pot with lid
- stirring spoon
- pastry or basting brush (optional, but handy)
- foil
- toothpicks (optional, but handy)
Storage
Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. Enjoy within 3 days (the longer these sit, the soggier they get).
Reheating instructions: Arrange in a single layer on a prepared pan, cover loosely with foil and bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 2-3 minutes or until sliders are heated through (the melted cheese will be a good guide for this).
Because these are so saucy, freezing isn't recommended.
📋Recipe
Cheesy Pepperoni Pizza Sliders
Ingredients
- 1 (12 count) Hawaiian sweet rolls
- 1 cup pizza sauce
- 5 ounces turkey pepperoni
- 8 ounces shredded Italian cheese blend or mozzarella
- ¼ cup (½ stick) butter melted
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Unpackage rolls. Turn the entire set of rolls on its side. Use a bread knife to slice through all of them at once, but keep all the tops and bottoms together.
- Lightly grease a 9x13 pan or line the pan with foil and lightly grease. Then lay the bread bottoms (still connected) in the dish, cut side facing up.
- Spread the pizza sauce over the rolls in the pan.
- Then top with the turkey pepperoni.
- Sprinkle on the shredded Italian or mozzarella cheese.
- Cover with roll tops (still connected) and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Then add the garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine and remove from heat.
- Add the freshly shredded parmesan and mix well. The mixture will be very thick--almost like a paste.
- Spoon the butter glaze evenly over the tops of the rolls. Then use a pastry brush to evenly distribute.
- At this point, I like to insert a toothpick into the top of each slider. While not absolutely necessary, I do this for two reasons: Although temporary, they help to press down the ingredients in each individual slider since they're so packed! The toothpicks also help me to create a foil tent over the sliders. We bake these covered, but we don't want any of the foil sticking to the tops of the sliders. The toothpicks serve as a guide when tenting the foil over the pan. Once you have a good tent, remove the toothpicks and set your foil tent loosely over your baking dish.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes covered and then 5 minutes uncovered. You'll know they're done when the inside cheese is starting to ooze!
- Let stand for 5 minutes; then separate and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate. Enjoy within 3 days (the longer these sit, the soggier they get).
- Reheating instructions: Arrange in a single layer on a prepared pan, cover loosely with foil and bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 2-3 minutes or until sliders are heated through (the melted cheese will be a good guide for this).
Tammy D. says
These were such a hit at our party...we really loved all the cheese. It really was like eating a pizza--sandwich style!
Kitchen Ready Betty says
So glad you liked them! They are always popular at parties because of their awesome pepperoni pizza flavor!
Ellen M. says
These pizza sliders were so easy to make (and eat). Thanks for the tasty recipe.
Kitchen Ready Betty says
Yes, this is an easy recipe, and they don't take long to bake either!