Southern Baked Ham Buns [Ham & Cheese Sandwiches]

Place Ham on Trivet

Why Use Whole Ham?

Ham that comes sliced in packages is most always processed and filled with a lot of water. When you first prepare my Instant Pot Maple Glazed Ham, you are adding tons of flavor and using better ham. It is nice to bite into a solid piece of ham, rather than paper thin sheets of the processed stuff.

That being said, if you are in a time crunch and have to used the pre-sliced packaged stuff, go a head, but the taste difference will be noticeable.
 

Slice Buns Horizontally

Carefully, slice the whole bag of Kings Hawaiian Buns in half and place the bottom half in a Pyrex Baking Dish.

Place Bottom Buns in 9×12 Baking Dish

This looks like a plain ole ham and cheese sandwich, but it’s not, just wait! One of the key ingredients is to use Duke’s Mayonnaise, which is found in the South. Luckily, now that I am back living in Los Angeles, I can purchase on line here.

Does Mayonnaise Make a Difference?

• I think so. Mayonnaise is not always just mayonnaise. A high quality brand is best to use for any recipe.
• It has been said that the key ingredient to making a successful Instant Pot Hawaiian Macaroni Salad IS the mayonnaise. That recipe has so few ingredients and using a high quality mayo totally can make or break the recipe.

I grew up with Hellmann’s on the East Coast. It’s called Best Foods Mayonnaise on the West Coast. Those are both good brands. However, since being introduced to Duke’s Mayonnaise while living in Charleston, Duke’s has become my mayonnaise of choice.

From the photo above, these Southern Ham Buns still look ordinary, but wait, the best is yet to come. The next step is cause for the transformation from ordinary to spectacular.

Melt Butter in Medium Saucepan

Grab your saucepan and start to prepare the magic. If you want to use an Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker rather than using your stove, that is fine. Use the warm setting and you are good to go!

Whisk in the Seasonings

When we make my Instant Pot Maple Glazed Ham recipe, we make sure to buy a bigger ham than needed, just so we have leftover for these delicious Southern Baked Ham Buns. Forget what you know about a ham and cheese sandwich or even a warm ham and cheese sandwich, as these ham buns are something out of this world. The flavor sauce and the sweet buns take regular ham and cheese to a whole other level.

Another yummy recipe to make with your leftover ham is my Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup.

Ingredients to Special Sauce

• Worcestershire
• Dijon Mustard
• Minced Onions
• Poppy Seeds

The sauce is whisked up really well, until frothy. I like to use this Rösle Stainless Steel Flat Whisk as it does a great job of whisking.

Whisk Sauce until Well Combined

If you like this sauce and I know you will, it is super fabulous to use with my Instant Pot French Dip Sandwich [Italian Drip] recipe. Before adding the meat to the buns, dunk the cut side of the buns into the the sauce and put it under the broiler or toast it in the air fryer for a few seconds! Talk about a fantastic sandwich and taking a French Dip up another level!

Brush Buns with Sauce

So that the sauce gets into every nook and cranny, I use this Silicone BBQ Basting Brush to paint it on. If you pour the sauce right over, it’s going to find the fastest route to the bottom of the pan and the tops of the buns won’t get the benefit of the sauce.

Never break the buns into individual pieces until after they are baked and ready to serve. The sauce should mostly stay on the top buns and penetrate. Brush the sauce into all the gabs in between the buns and along the side.

The Sauce will Soak into the Buns – Delicious!

Doesn’t that look delicious!!!! The buns won’t be at all soggy as the sauce magically sinks into the buns and after baking, the tops are nice and brown and a bit toasty with a wonderful flavor.

Cover Pan with Foil

One of the nicest features about this Southern Baked Ham Buns recipe is that it can be made in advance. After covering the pan with tin foil, they can be placed in the refrigerator overnight. In fact, they need to sit and absorb all the flavors at least 30 minutes, but seriously, the longer they sit before baking, the better.

An hour before your party, just take them out, let them rest and then bake according to the instructions found on the recipe card below. They will be the hit of the party.

Sprinkle with Brown Sugar

But wait, there is one more tiny step to this already incredible recipe. The last few minutes of baking, a little brown sugar is sprinkled on top. You will want to keep an eye on them to make sure the brown sugar melts into the buns, but does not burn.

Holiday Party Ham Buns {Southern Baked Ham & Cheese Sandwiches}

Yum! You won’t believe how good these ham buns are; there are no words! Must try NOW! Serve along with my Pressure Cooker Carrot Tail Wieners {Cocktail Weenies}, Orange Ginger Cranberry Sauce, Pressure Cooker Cocktail Sausage Weenies at your next holiday party.

All this goodness comes from my mistake of moving! 🙂

More Wonderful Sandwich Recipes to Make:

• Air Fryer Simple Grilled American Cheese Sandwich
• Air Fryer Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich {Copycat Recipe}
• Instant Pot Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
• Pecan Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Kitchen Equipment and Essentials

• J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s Knife
• Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
• Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
• Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
• Rösle Stainless Steel Flat Whisk– a MUST have, probably my most used utensil
• My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
• 1-1/2 Quart Stainless Steel Saucepan
• Pyrex Oblong Glass Baking Dish
• Silicone BBQ Basting Brush

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Here is the handy printable recipe:

Southern Baked Ham Buns [Warm Ham and Cheese Sandwiches]

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Appetizer, Lunch

Cuisine: American, Southern

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 392kcal

Author: Jill Selkowitz

Ingredients

• ▢ 12 Kings Hawaiian Bread Buns (Sweet) (or other mini soft buns)
• ▢ 1 pound Ham thin cut/shaved
• ▢ 1 pound Swiss Cheese thinly sliced
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar

Sauce

• ▢ 1/4 cup Butter
• ▢ 1.5 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
• ▢ 1.5 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• ▢ 1.5 teaspoons Minced Onions
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Poppy Seeds

US Customary - Metric

Recommended Products

J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef's Knife

Duke's Mayonnaise

1-1/2 Quart Stainless Steel Saucepan

Rösle Stainless Steel Flat Whisk

Pyrex Oblong Baking Dish

Silicone Basting Brush

Instructions

• With a sharp bread knife, carefully cut the rolls horizontally in half, making sure to keep the bottoms attached to each other and the tops attached to each other.
• Prepare ham using my Instant Pot Maple Glazed Ham recipe.
• Place the bottom half into a 9x12 baking dish and spread with 1/2 of the mayonnaise. 
• Slice ham very thin.
• Divide ham over bottom half.   
• Divide cheese over bottom half.
• Spread mayonnaise on the inside of the top buns and place on top of the ham and cheese on the bottom buns.
• In a small saucepan on low, melt the butter and then remove from heat.
• Whisk in the mustard, onion flakes, Worcestershire and poppy seeds.
• With a basting brush, brush sauce over tops of rolls. 
• Cover with foil and let sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the refrigerator.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
• Uncover and sprinkle the brown sugar over the top and place back in oven for 5 more minutes, or until the top buns are slightly brown.  Serve warm.

Notes

This can be prepared the prior day. After covering the buns, place in refrigerator overnight and then allow to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

The Southern Baked Ham Buns are best made with real ham cut from a ham like in my Instant Pot Maple Glazed Ham recipe, as opposed to using pre-sliced packaged ham, which is most likely processed ham. However, if you are in a crunch, you can use the packaged ham, but you will note the flavor difference in using real ham. Make sure to squeeze out the excess water from the processed stuff.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Southern Baked Ham Buns [Warm Ham and Cheese Sandwiches]

Amount Per Serving

Calories 392 Calories from Fat 234

% Daily Value*

Fat 26g40%

Saturated Fat 13g81%

Cholesterol 80mg27%

Sodium 704mg31%

Potassium 158mg5%

Carbohydrates 19g6%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 22g44%

Vitamin A 432IU9%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 313mg31%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Southern Baked Ham & Cheese Sandwiches