When you are trying to satisfy the pizza lovers in your house with a little something different, this will certainly hit the spot! These easy-to-handle Pizza Sliders are a great game-day substitute for the same old takeout pizza. Tucked between two layers of sweet Hawaiian rolls lie mounds of a spectacular mozzarella and Italian cheese blend. That cheesy layer is topped with spicy pepperoni and slathered with a seasoned pizza sauce that produces a handheld that will rivel your favorite pizza spot’s pies. Get out of the takeout rut with Pizza Sliders and you will enjoy a whole new way to pizza! Grab a slice, ahem, we mean, a slider or two, and it is game on!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, low-moisture, part-skim, finely shredded
- 1 cup Italian cheese blend, finely shredded
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning, divided
- 1 1/3 cups pizza sauce
- 2 tablespoons jarred sun-dried tomato pesto
- 1 (12-count) package Hawaiian sweet rolls
- 3/4 cup pepperoni, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon parmesan cheese, grated
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Step 2 –Line an 18×26-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Add a wire rack on top of the parchment paper layer and coat it with nonstick cooking spray.
Step 3 –In a medium bowl, add the mozzarella, the Italian cheese blend, the basil, the black pepper, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Italian seasoning and stir to combine.
Step 4 –In a separate medium bowl, add the pizza sauce and the sun-dried tomato pesto and stir to combine.
Step 5 –Without separating the individual rolls, use a serrated knife to cut the entire slab of Hawaiian sweet rolls in half horizontally.
Step 6 –Transfer the bottom layer of the rolls onto the prepared baking sheet.
Step 7 –Evenly sprinkle the cheese mixture over the bottom layer of rolls.
Step 8 –Evenly add 1/2 of the pepperoni on top of the cheese mixture.
Step 9 –Add 1/2 of the sauce mixture over top of the pepperoni layer.
Step 10 –Repeat the layers once, starting with the cheese mixture and ending with the sauce mixture.
Step 11 –Bake the open-faced sliders until the cheese melts, about 15 minutes.
Step 12 –While the sliders are baking, in a small saucepan over medium heat, add the butter, the parmesan cheese, the garlic powder, and the remaining Italian seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts, about 1-2 minutes.
Step 13 –Transfer the sliders to a wire rack and add the top layer of the rolls.
Step 14 –Use a pastry brush to evenly coat the tops of the rolls with the butter mixture.
Step 15 –Bake the sliders until the rolls are golden-brown and crisp, about 5 minutes.
Step 16 –Slice and serve.
