The Best French Dip Sliders Ever!
“It’s a beaut, Clark!” -Clark Sr., National Lampoons Christmas Vacation
I love King’s Hawaiian Rolls. I could eat a whole package of them & still want more. They’re sweet & soft & melt beautifully in my mouth… like a dinner donut. Plus, they’re amazing right out of the bag! Even better when I don’t have to do anything to them to make them delicious. Cuz sometimes grocery store food needs help. Not this! But that doesn’t mean they CAN’T be more amazing. So if you wanna know how to morph these delicious stand-alone delicacies into a show-stopping dish, keep reading!
If you’ve never heard of Hawaiian roll sliders, sweet Jesus, you’re about to be in for a treat. I was first introduced to them at a party in the form of ham & cheese sliders. These tiny wonders of edible love were a hit to say the least. Are they healthy??? Fuq no. But they’re oh so good. Perfect for game day! You can check the ham & cheese version out here. But we’re not here for that today. We’re here for a more sophisticated version. I first was introduced to French Dip Sliders when I stumbled across this recipe. And I instantly knew I had to try it. My hubs LOVES French dip sandwiches and I love him, so… it was a natural next step.
The only thing that could make this man sandwich better is a shat ton of butter and a King’s Hawaiian Roll!!!
French dip sliders start with a few obvious ingredients: a package of Hawaiian rolls, roast beef deli meat, and provolone cheese, with some additions that will take these treats to the next level. This recipe makes half number of servings as you have rolls, so if you buy a 12-pack, you’ll have 6 servings.
Here’s a full list of ingredients:
Caramelized onions:
2 tbsp butter
1 yellow onion sliced into thin strips (I use Vidalia onions any time I can cuz I’m southern & they’re delicious)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
pinch of salt & pepper
Sandwiches:
1 package of kings Hawaiian rolls (I’ve used this same, unmodified recipe for both a 12-pack and a party pack… not much difference)
12 slices of provolone (or even Swiss!) cheese
1 lb of deli thin-sliced roast beef
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp course salt
1 tsp fresh parsley
Au jus:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp garlic minced
1 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
The caramelized onions can be made up to two days ahead of time as long as they’re refrigerated. To make them:
start with a skillet over medium high heat
plop 2 tbsp butter in the skillet
once the butter is melted, add the sliced onion with a pinch of salt & pepper & 2 sprigs of thyme
allow the onions to caramelize in the butter for 15 minutes or so, moving them around from time to time to keep them from burning
once the onions are nice & brown, remove from heat
To assemble the sandwiches:
spray a large pan with cooking spray & set aside
keep all rolls attached and slice horizontally, creating a top half & a bottom half
place bottom half on large pan & top with roast beef, provolone cheese, caramelized onions, & top half of rolls
melt 2 tbsp butter and brush on top of rolls
sprinkle top of rolls with garlic powder, course salt, parsley
bake uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted
While baking, make the au jus:
melt 1 tbsp butter in skillet over medium heat (if you can use the same skillet as was used for onions, even better!)
add garlic & cook for 1 minute
add beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, & season with salt & pepper
simmer for 10 minutes, until slightly reduced
Serve these upgraded Hawaiian rolls on the fanciest Dollar Tree serving platter you can find and be sure to include a bowl for dippin’ in the jus (you can even pronounce the ‘s’ if you want cuz YOU made them danggit and if you’re making these, chances are real high that you aren’t in France… Let me know what you think!
DISCLAIMER: I’m a comedian, wife, mom who writes about things I’ve tried and learned over the years. I’m NOT a chef or in any way an expert in the kitchen so don’t ask me about substitutions, what you did wrong, what I think about trying something a different way… I have no idea. But sometimes if you try something new, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. If you DO have a tip, trick, or joke leave a comment!