Ham Buns
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:10 to 12 servings
- 1cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon
- 1jumbo sweet onion, such as Vidalia, finely chopped (3 cups)
- 4flats of party rolls (see Tip)
- 3tablespoons yellow mustard
- 3tablespoons poppy seeds
- 1teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 6ounces Swiss cheese, grated (2 cups)
- 1pound smoked ham, finely chopped (3 cups)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
368 calories; 25 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 19 grams protein; 676 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Powered byPreparation
- Step 1
Position racks in top and bottom thirds of the oven and heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Step 2
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook onion, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Step 3
As the onion cooks, split each flat of rolls in half, running a bread knife parallel to the counter as you slice the still-connected rolls. Once the onion has finished cooking, remove from heat and set aside. Place two sheet pans in the oven, one on each rack, to heat while assembling the rolls.
- Step 4
In a large mixing bowl, combine mustard, poppy seeds and Worcestershire sauce. Add the remaining cup of butter and warm onion. Stir in cheese and ham until evenly combined.
- Step 5
On a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to completely encase a flat of rolls, place one flat, and open like a book. Spread about a quarter of the ham mixture in an even layer over the bottom half of the rolls to the edges. Close the book, so to speak, laying the still-connected roll top over the ham-covered base. Wrap the rolls tightly with the foil, crimping the edges of the foil to enclose them. Repeat with the three other flats of party rolls.
- Step 6
Divide the four packets between the two heated sheet pans. Bake until the cheese melts and rolls get toasty, 10 to 12 minutes. Unwrap and serve the flats on platters, encouraging diners to pull a bun from its brethren.
Tip
- Party rolls are sold as small buns attached to one another in flats. They range from 12 to 24 buns and from 12 to 15 ounces per package.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Suzette
Use the buns as blank canvas for any fillings and buttery topping you like. I use 12 Hawaiian rolls. The underside of the tops I smear with Boursin cheese; the bottoms I layer with Black Forest Ham and white cheddar. I then brush the buns all over with a melted butter sauce of minced garlic, minced shallots, Dijon, parsley. I make sure to really dab the garlic butter all over and in between the buns. I bake them covered in foil for 10-15 minutes, uncovered for same. So good. Recipe from BH&G.
Brett Williams
I made this for a party and it was a huge hit. Instead of mixing shredded swiss in, I used swiss slices and it was fine. To those who said this was a blank canvas, I can attest. I bought a second bag of tray buns and filled with diced roast beef, sauteed onions and peppers, mayonnaise, Worcestershire and garlic. I covered with provolone slices and these were also a huge hit! Love this. I was asked by multiple people for the recipe.
JT
I upped the meat/cheese amounts by about 50% and still felt like there was room for more, but very good and folks ate 'em up. Also did a version replacing ham with pastrami, the mustard/poppy mix with Russian dressing, and the onions with sauerkraut. Turned out to be a great variation. (If only I could find RYE party rolls!)
Fran.
The tip says flats come in 12 or 24, but the recipe just says "4 flats". How many buns total for the recipe? Then I'll figure out how many flats to use based on what I can find. Based on the picture, I'd guess you mean "4 flats of 12", or 48 buns, but sometimes photos don't always tell the story, and if the recipe serves "10-12", that means 4 buns per person, which is a lot as an appetizer. Thanks.
Seymour
Can you steam these?
Kathy
I used to make a variation of these using sliced Swiss and mini sandwich rolls. Wrapped them individually in foil, froze them, and would then bake straight from the freezer. Definitely a Southern thing!
kswl
Holly, sautéing any kind of onion, including Vidalias, actually makes them taste sweeter as the heat breaks down complex sugars into simple ones. I grew up eating ham rolls as leftovers after any holiday that included a ham. We combined yellow mustard and butter to spread on the rolls, and sometimes added pickle relish to the chopped ham.
Silbermuti
Use the buns as blank canvas for any fillings and buttery topping you like. I use 12 Hawaiian rolls. The underside of the tops I smear with Boursin cheese; the bottoms I layer with Black Forest Ham and white cheddar. I then brush the buns all over with a melted butter sauce of minced garlic, minced shallots, Dijon, parsley. I make sure to really dab the garlic butter all over and in between the buns. I bake them covered in foil for 10-15 minutes, uncovered for same. So good. Recipe from BH&G.
DPNC
If you can get country ham, it is especially nice in this. Merry Christmas, y'all!
Hamlin O’Kelley
Ham Delights...staple of Southern parties since forever
Mike in Peoria, AZ
Cal127, I found a youtube video that might help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40uYPuaiNBk
Dan
I’ve often made a very similar recipe using Hawaiian rolls. The main difference being that you layer the meat and cheese on the buns, close the sandwiches, then pour the butter mixture over the top. Let them soak in the fridge for a few hours, then bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes plus a few minutes uncovered at the end. They’re insanely delicious.
Arromanches
I was taught to make these decades ago by a friend from southern Virginia. Her family calls them Ham Delights but the recipe is identical. I wouldn’t bother caramelizing the onions!
LizzieMac
Tailgate essential in the South!
Charlotte K
I'd call these "Country Club Comfort Food." They remind me of serviceable food nestled in heated serving dishes on the wedding reception buffet of the CC. I made them for lunch just now with the end of a very good Easter ham. I probably could have added a lot more mustard and W'shire sauce than called for and they would have remained bland but warming. Maybe they needed some horseradish and garlic powder, I think next time I have an end of ham like that, I will just eat the ham.
Rachele
Surprisingly bland. In the future, I will use Trader Joe’s Dijon and sliced ham and cheese as others have suggested. Probably will add some dill or gherkin pickles to add additional flavor.
Frank
I would like to verify the numbers? I found the largest vidalia I could and 1 pound of ham, but when finely chopped these did not measure 3 cups. I got maybe just over a cup.
Sue
So good! Made pretty much as written, but used the indicated amount of filling for just three flats (16 rolls each) of rolls. That higher-filling-per-roll ratio was just right, IMO. Next time, add chopped pickles—dill or gherkin. Or reuben rolls! Or cheesesteak! So many options! Also, I made these ahead: in the morning, wrapped in foil, in the fridge till evening. Then in the oven at 400 on air-fryer setting for 20-30 minutes. Perfect! I’m wondering if you could freeze before before baking…
Gerard_ATL
Frozen sister shuberts yeast rolls work well … and this recipe does have too much mustard.. I use like 1/2 teaspoon of mustard… I used plain havarti (only cause I didn’t have Swiss) as well. Dried onions work in a pinch, if you don’t wanna sauté a fresh one. Works well with thinly sliced Parisian ham… perfect for an Easter brunch.
JPM
My mother has been making these for 50 years. A family favorite with leftover ham. We use Velveeta and it's delicious. Try it with grated SPAM!
Steve
It's hard to tell how many rolls to use. Four flats? Four packs of Hawaiian bread is a lot!
lee
The party rolls used in the south for this recipe are called Hawaiian rolls and can be found near the deli section.
mlbsmum
Ham Delights! A southern staple.
Chris
In the 60's my mom made these full-size - on hamburger buns - and wrapped them individually in foil. She would make a large batch and pull a few out of the freezer as needed. This version sounds fun - will have to try!
invisiblezipper
I agree with JT about increasing the filling. I doubled everything but kept the roll amount the same. These are always a hit at parties.
tracy1012
These were very meh for us. The mustard was too strong for us and chopping up the ham gave the sandwiches a weird consistency. Next time, I would use sliced ham and sliced Swiss and dial the mustard way back. We also used sweet Hawaiian rolls, which were too sweet, so I would definitely use plain dinner rolls.
Rebecca
I found this recipe being on the NYT app amusing. In the South these are called Funeral Rolls. The caramelized onions are a nice touch, but please don’t chop the ham! Use high quality Black Forest deli ham shaved, and pile it on high! You walk in any funeral home during visitation and find these in the kitchen for the mourners to snack on.
Frances Leftwich
I really expected to like this and used the recipe as written except only made half and it was still alot. It was bland and I basically don't know why it was disappointing. My husband didn't care much for it either?? I won't be putting the effort into this again.
Stavra
I used a shredded white cheddar and Gruyère mix and Dijon mustard instead of yellow, because that’s what I had on hand. Subbed Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel seasoning for the poppy seeds, and put the spread on two long baguettes instead of small rolls. Super delicious and a great use of country ham leftover from New Year’s day. Will definitely make again.
John_B
This was an abysmal failure. 10 - 12 minutes is not enough time for the cheese to melt, and there isn't really enough cheese to taste with all the ham. The same applies to the mustard and Worcestershire sauce. There are better ways to use up your leftover ham.
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