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These oven baked Meatball Sliders feature sweet Hawaiian rolls, juicy meatballs, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and a buttery topping seasoned with garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Hawaiian Roll Meatballs Sliders are the best easy dinner idea that your family will go crazy for!
If you like these meatball sliders made with Hawaiian rolls and frozen meatballs – then you’ll also love these Ham and Cheese Sliders or Cheeseburger Sliders.
Meatball Sliders Recipe With Hawaiian Rolls
Meatballs are always a hit at my house for dinnertime! Anytime there are meatballs involved – whether it’s Crockpot Jelly Meatballs, Slow Cooker Spaghetti and Meatballs, or Easy Swedish Meatballs – I know it will always be a dinnertime win.
These oven baked sliders are simple to make with sweet Hawaiian rolls, meatballs, pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, and a seasoned butter mixture that get’s slathered all over the tops of the sliders. It creates this buttery and super flavorful topping that makes these sliders simply delicious.
Hawaiian rolls make for great meals like this dinner recipe. Be sure and also make my Hawaiian Sweet Roll French Toast recipe – it’s the best way to eat the classic breakfast recipe but in a whole new way thanks to the sweet, savory, and thicker Hawaiian rolls.
Simple Ingredients Needed
- Hawaiian Rolls – These are the sweet Hawaiian rolls that are sold in a package with 12 rolls in it. The good thing about these rolls, is that they are attached (meaning that the top pieces are attached together and the bottom pieces). All you need to do is slice the rolls in half, lengthwise, to make these oven baked sliders with meatballs. There is a sweeter classic version or try using the savory butter version of the Hawaiian rolls.
- Frozen Meatballs – Make sure these are completely thawed before using them to make the sliders. Either put them in the fridge for several hours or thaw them in the microwave prior to making this easy dinner recipe.
- Pasta Sauce – Pick your favorite pasta sauce and use it! Anything will work for these sliders. You won’t use the entire container so save it to make this recipe again.
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – You can also use sliced mozzarella cheese, but the shredded works better cause it’s able to more easily lay on the meatballs and sliders. If you use sliced cheese, I recommend laying the slices of cheese on the bottom slider buns, then adding the meatballs, and then the pasta sauce.
- Melted Butter
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Italian Seasoning
- Garlic Powder
How To Make Meatball Sliders With Frozen Meatballs
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 10×15-inch baking pan (with sides) or use a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Use a serrated knife to slice the rolls in half lengthwise. You will end up with the top halves and then the bottom halves once sliced. Keep the rolls intact and do not separate them.
- Place the bottom half of rolls onto the prepared pan. Place one thawed meatball on each slider roll in the center. Top the meatballs with pasta sauce and then sprinkle some mozzarella cheese over top.
- Place the top half of the sliders back on and gently press down.
- Mix together the melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Use a basting brush, or pastry brush, to brush the butter mixture on top of the rolls.
- Bake for 10-13 minutes or until the rolls are toasted and the cheese is melted.
How To Store & Reheat Leftover Meatball Sliders
Store any leftover sliders inside an airtight container for up to 2 days. Sliders don’t keep well as leftovers for very long, as the rolls will get soggy from the marinara sauce. It’s best to eat these sliders the same day they’re made.
To reheat leftovers, simply reheat them in the microwave or inside a toaster oven.
Can I Use Homemade Meatballs?
Yes! Using homemade meatballs is a great option for this recipe. If they are frozen just make sure they are thawed completely. If they are fresh meatballs, then you need to make sure that are thoroughly cooked before using them to make these sliders.
Try these delicious homemade Italian Meatballs in these sliders. Or make it really quick & easy and use frozen meatballs – we love the Cooked Perfect brand or the Mama Lucia’s brand of meatballs that you can find at your local grocery store.
Changes & Variations For This Recipe
- More Meatballs! : A change that I do often when making this recipe is to cut the meatballs in half, use 18 total meatballs, and then put three half pieces of meatball onto each slider. This way there are more meatballs on each slider which means a meatballs in every bite! It can be cumbersome trying to eat the circle shaped meatball, so cutting the meatball in half is a quick fix to make it easier to eat.
- Cheese : Instead of shredded cheese try using sliced mozzarella cheese. Lay the slices down first, and then add the meatballs, and then add the pasta sauce. Using sliced cheese makes the sliders even cheesier and more delicious. You can also use any variety of cheese you want – provolone, Italian cheese blend, muenster cheese, or smoked mozzarella cheese.
Recipe Tips For Success
- Thawed Meatballs : Make sure the meatballs are completely thawed before making the sliders. The cook time is very short, so if you’re finding that the meatballs are not warmed through once the bake time is done there are a couple things you can do – first, cover the pan with tin foil while the sliders are baking. This will allow the hot air to stay trapped inside and warm the meatballs quicker and more thoroughly. Second, you can heat the meatballs up before adding them to the sliders.
- Spice It Up! : Sprinkle on some red pepper chili flakes onto each meatballs or add it to the buttery topping mixture. You can also use red cayenne pepper or hot sauce. Use Pepper Jack cheese to spice it up.
- Pesto : Mixing together marinara sauce + prepared pesto is always a good idea and so yummy in this recipe.
- Baking Tips : For softer sliders be sure and cover the pan with tin foil while baking. In order for the rolls to be somewhat toasted, remove the foil for the final 2-3 minutes of baking. Covering the pan with foil also helps trap all the warm air which will ensure that the meatballs get warmed thoroughly. If you find that the meatballs are cold in the center, consider covering the pan with foil to help them heat better OR you can preheat the meatballs before adding them onto the sliders.
Hawaiian Roll Meatball Sliders
Equipment
Ingredients
Meatball Sliders
- 12 Hawaiian rolls (attached, do not separate)
- 24 frozen meatballs (completely thawed)
- 1½ cups pasta sauce
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Butter Topping
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a baking sheet (12"x17") or a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or foil. Set aside.
- Use a serrated knife to slice the rolls in half, lengthwise, making sure to keep the rolls attached. You will end up with a layer of the top slider buns + a layer of the bottom slider buns. Place the bottom slider buns onto the prepared pan. Set aside the top slider buns for later.12 Hawaiian rolls
- Cut each meatball in half so you end up with 48 halved pieces of meatball. Place 4 halved meatball pieces onto each slider roll. Top the meatballs with the pasta sauce and then sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over top.24 frozen meatballs, 1½ cups pasta sauce, 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- Place the attached top slider buns over top and gently press down.
- Mix the melted butter, worcestershire sauce, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder together. Use a pastry brush to brush it over the top slider buns.2 tablespoons butter, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the rolls are toasted and the cheese is melted. If the tops are getting too browned, loosely lay a piece of foil over top the baking pan for the final 5 minutes or so of the bake time.
Notes
Nutrition
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