These easy cheesy pull apart Meatball Sliders are filled with tender and juicy meatballs, topped with gooey cheese and tangy pasta sauce sandwiched in pillowy soft rolls. They’re perfect for party appetizer, game day food, or a quick dinner the whole family will love.

meatball sliders in clear casserole dish

Meatball Sliders in Hawaiian Rolls

These cheesy meatball sliders come together quickly using just a few simple ingredients. This makes them the perfect warm and hearty appetizer for feeding a crowd, especially during the busy holiday season, Super Bowl Sunday or other occasions when you’ll be preparing several other dishes. But the best part is, they are a huge hit with kids and adults alike.

After the very first bite, your guests will be completely hooked! The slightly sweet Hawaiian rolls with the savory meatballs and the tangy sauce all work to create the perfect balance of flavor. You may want to make a double batch, because these sliders never last long.

These classic Ham and Cheese Sliders also great for parties. Be sure and also check out this collection of some other Irresistible Slider Recipes. And, if you’re looking for other easy recipes to give premade meatballs a homemade twist, you’ll want to see this easy Slow Cooker Meatballs Recipe.

💓Why We Love This Recipe

Easy- Using premade meatballs and a jar of pizza sauce, they’re a quick and easy dinner recipe, appetizer or hearty snack.
Fun-They’re like mini meatball subs that pull apart, making them an easy and fun way for kids to handle on their own.
Delicious- These sliders, with savory meatballs, are loaded with so much flavor and cheesy goodness.
Versatile-You can serve them for just about an occasion. Weeknight dinners, an easy lunch, or appetizers for the big game or any party.

🛒Ingredients:

Hawaiian sweet rolls
Pre-cooked meatballs
Pasta sauce (marinara sauce)
Shredded mozzarella
Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning
Olive oil (or melted butter)

👩🏻‍🍳How to Make Cheesy Meatball Sliders

Heat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Spray a 9×13 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Tip: for Easy clean up, line the pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Step One: Heat Meatballs and Sauce

Place meatballs and pasta sauce in in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low for about 10 minutes, until warmed through.

Step Two: Prepare Rolls

Hawaiian rolls cut in half on cutting board

Cut your 12 Hawaiian rolls in half and place the bottom half of the rolls into the 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Step Three: Layer Cheese

Layer about half of the mozzarella cheese on the bottom halves.

Step Four: Add Meatballs and Top with Cheese and Sauce

meatballs with sauce on cheese and bread

Remove meatballs from the heat and place one meatball onto each roll, and drizzle about 2 tbsp of the sauce over each meatball.
Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over top of the saucy meatballs.
Drizzle a bit more pasta sauce over the meatballs.

TIP: Keep in that that you won’t be using the entire 2 cups. Add just enough to coat but not too much to make soggy sliders.

Step Six: Add Toppings

top of rolls with meatballs inside and parmesan cheese on top

Place the top buns into the sliders.
In a small bowl, stir together olive oil, parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning. Brush the oil mixture over the top of the sliders.
They will need to bake for 15-20 minutes but tent the sliders with foil for the last half of the baking time to avoid over browning the tops of the rolls.
Use a knife to cut into the meatball and cheese sliders into Individual sandwiches and serve!

Easy Meatball Sliders Recipe Variations

Meatballs: We used premade Italian meatballs, but you can use turkey meatballs, chicken meatballs or make your own meatballs if you prefer.

Rolls: If you can’t find slider rolls or slider buns, you can use small dinner rolls instead. You can even make them with these amazing Texas Roadhouse Rolls.

Sauce: Use your favorite kind of sauce. We use pizza sauce but feel free to use any of your favorite marinara sauces or use homemade if you have some on hand.

Cheese: Mozzarella and parm go hand in hand with Italian meatballs. But you can use Swiss cheese, cheddar or even Gruyere if you want to get fancy.

Other add-ins: For added flavor, you can add fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, poppy seeds or other seasonings to the topping mixture.

What Do You Serve with Meatball Sliders?

If you’re serving these sliders for dinner, they’re wonderful with a simple serving of chips or French fries. For something a little more substantial, they also taste great served with this Creamy Coleslaw, these Funeral Potatoes or this healthy Broccoli Salad.

meatball inside rolls with sauce oozing out of roll

Can I Use Homemade Meatballs?

Certainly! Though it will add to the overall prep time, using homemade meatballs are a great option.

Can Italian Meatball Sliders be Made in Advance?

You can heat the meatball and pizza sauce mixture in advance but it’s best to wait to assemble the sliders until right before baking to prevent them from becoming too soggy.

How Long are Sliders Good?

Though sliders are best right after they are made, you can store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a day or two.

How Do I Reheat Meatballs Sliders?

Reheating leftover sliders in the oven will give you the best results. Heat oven to 350°F and cook sliders until warmed through. They can also be reheated in the microwave, but the rolls will be much softer.

More Appetizer Recipes

Meatball Sliders

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 50

Cheesy meatball sliders are perfect for watching the big game or an easy dinner.

Equipment

9 x 13 baking dish

Ingredients

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.
In a medium sauce pan, combine sauce and meatballs and heat over medium-low for about 10 minutes, until warmed through.
Cut your 12 Hawaiian rolls in half, and place the bottom half of the rolls into the prepared baking dish.
Layer about half of the mozzarella cheese on the bottom rolls.
Remove meatballs from the heat and place one meatball onto each roll, and drizzle about 2 Tablespoons of sauce over each meatball.
Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese over top of the meatballs.
Add more sauce over the meatballs as desired. Don’t drench them – we want sauce but not soggy sliders. Save any leftover sauce for dipping.
Place the top buns into the sliders.
In a small bowl, stir together olive oil, parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning. Brush the oil mixture over top of the sliders.
Bake for 20 minutes, tenting the sliders with foil for the last half of the baking time to avoid the tops from getting too brown..
Use a knife to cut the rolls apart and serve.

Nutrition

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