Pizza Sliders
These loaded Pizza Sliders are baked until golden and filled with pizza sauce, pepperoni, melty mozzarella, and buttery seasoned tops for an easy dinner, party appetizer, or game day snack everyone will love.
Servings: 12
Calories: 209kcal
Ingredients
- 12 Hawaiian slider rolls still connected, any sweet slider rolls will work
- 1 cup pizza sauce homemade or jarred
- 2 fresh basil leaves finely chopped
- 12 slices sandwich pepperoni if you use pizza pepperoni, you will need about a pound.
- 12-16 slices mozzarella cheese or provolone
- 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
Pizza Seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon oregano leaves
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Topping
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
Optional Bun Toast
- Slice the slider buns in half (keep them connected). Place cut side up on a baking sheet. (Optional but recommended) Lightly brush with extra melted butter.
- Preheat your oven to 325°F or 350°F. (350°F is standard, but 325°F gives more control and prevents over-browning) for about 5 minutes and lightly golden brown. Let cool slightly before adding filling.
Skip Bun Toasting
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray an 9x13 casserole dish lightly with nonstick spray.
- Add finely diced fresh basil to pizza sauce and stir, if desired.
- Place the bottom half of your sliders into your casserole dish.
- Layer your ingredients over the bottom buns, starting with a layer of mozzarella cheese, then sauce, pepperoni slices, more mozzarella, and finally place the bun tops last.
- In a small bowl make your pizza seasoning. Add onion powder, garlic powder, oregano leaves and red pepper flakes. Stir and set aside.
- In a small bowl melt your butter. Brush it all over the bun tops. Immediately sprinkle pizza seasoning over the tops. Immediately sprinkle pizza seasoning over the tops.
- Bake in your preheated oven uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are toasted and the sliders are heated throughout, and the cheese is melted.
- Immediately sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Allow sliders to dit for a few minutes before slicing and serving.
Video
Notes
- Toast inside of buns lightly before filling: Reduces chance of bun from becoming soggy. Brush on a little butter before toasting too for even better results.
- Keep the rolls connected: This makes the sliders faster to assemble and easier to slice evenly after baking.
- Place cheese on bottom and top: Cover entire surface with cheese to prevent buns from becoming soggy.
- Brush the tops well: The butter mixture helps the buns toast and adds extra flavor to every bite. Do not skip the seasoning.
- Watch the bake time: Bake until the cheese melts and the tops are toasted, but do not dry the buns out. Ovens vary.
- Use fresh basil if you can: It gives the sauce additional flavor.
- Let them rest briefly: A short rest makes them easier to cut and serve neatly.
- Serve warm: These sliders are at their best right out of the oven while the cheese is melty.
- Customize the filling: Treat these like mini pizzas and switch up the toppings to suit your tastes.
Nutrition
Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 337mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 362IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 180mg | Iron: 1mg