Your Ham & Cheese Sandwiches Deserve A Hawaiian Bread Upgrade

Sure, a ham and cheese sandwich is a classic. But there's a way to take it to an unprecedented level of meal-time bliss with a few simple tweaks. It starts with the bread. Hawaiian rolls, which are buttery, fluffy, and slightly sweet, are the first step in our culinary journey that also includes other ingredients like melted butter, spicy mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Typically, you'd use an entire 12-pack of the rolls (they're pretty small) that you slice lengthwise, layer with deli ham and Swiss cheese, and douse in the butter mixture before heating in the oven.

They are often billed as hot ham and cheese sliders, but I grew up in the South where we call them funeral sandwiches, and they're a Southern staple for any get-together. While these sandwiches have a slightly macabre name since they were traditionally served at wakes, you'll find them at less somber occasions like picnics, potlucks, and any other event where there's a hungry crowd. They're simple to make, and the combination of a fluffy roll, salty ham, and melted cheese all baked in an umami-rich butter sauce is impossible to beat.

King's Hawaiian brand rolls are the standard choice to use for this sandwich. The company began in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1950, and based its recipe on a type of rich and sweet Portuguese bread. Besides King's Hawaiian, there are several other brands that also make this style of roll. They can be found in your local grocery store's packaged bread aisle. How King's Hawaiian became the go-to bread of choice in this classic Southern dish is a mystery. However it happened, Hawaiian rolls work perfectly for a number of reasons.

They retain their fluffiness while absorbing the sauce, and stay together without crumbling apart when served. Their slight sweetness also balances out the saltiness of the other ingredients. Because you make the sandwiches in a big batch, this is also a great way to make sure you use all the deli ham in the package, since you should only keep open lunch meat in the refrigerator for three to five days after you've opened it.

Like many recipes with a somewhat murky past, there are many variations on standard funeral sandwiches. Besides Hawaiian rolls, melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, and spicy mustard, the version of the funeral sandwich I grew up with also included minced onions and a touch of brown sugar. Other variations, including this one on TikTok, forgo the sugar and onions, and include poppy seeds. If ham isn't your thing, turkey works just as well. Just make sure not to skip a step that many (including me) think is necessary for the best outcome: After you've poured the butter over the top of the Hawaiian rolls, let them sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour to fully soak up the sauce.

You don't need a get-together to make these sandwiches. If you're flying solo, you can reheat what you don't eat in one sitting. They're even more delicious the second time around, especially if you include brown sugar in the recipe, as it will give the sandwiches an extra caramelized top and bottom. Or, you can only use half the pack of rolls to start. The rest of the pack comes in handy at breakfast since Hawaiian rolls solve the biggest problem with French toast. They don't absorb as much liquid as other types of bread, making for a less soggy version of this classic breakfast treat. You might as well pick up two packages next time you're at the store. They'll definitely get eaten.