These meatball parmesan sliders are made with cocktail meatballs, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce, all baked in garlic butter brushed Hawaiian rolls for a super easy and delicious dinner.

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

These meatball parmesan sliders are one of my favorite things to make for parties. Who wouldn’t love mini meatball parms baked in garlic buttered Hawaiian rolls? They're always a huge hit and instantly become a conversation starter. People cant stop talking about them.

Using jarred sauce and premade meatballs are huge time savers, too. I love super easy recipes like this that look impressive and hardly require any effort at all. Make them for your next holiday, party or next time the big games on and see how quickly they go.

Ingredients

Heres everything you'll need to make this delicious appetizer. You can find the full ingredients list along with measurements and instructions on the recipe card below.

Kings Hawaiian Rolls- Soft, buttery rolls the perfect size for these sliders.
Cocktail Meatballs- Make these sliders filling and just the right size to fit into the sliders.
Tomato Sauce- Gives these sliders the homemade, meatball parmesan feel.
Mozzarella Cheese- Mild cheese flavor that melts beautifully and compliments the meatballs.
Parmesan Cheese- Adds a slightly nutty, salty flavor.
Butter- Adds richness and color to the top of the sliders.
Italian Seasoning- Brings Italian herbs and seasoning all in one place
Garlic Powder- Adds the earthy garlic taste evenly throughout the sliders.
Parsley- An optional garnish that adds a pop of color.

How To Make It

Heres how to make these delicious meatball sliders. You can find the full ingredients list along with instructions on the recipe card below.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

First, cut small, deep circles into the center of each of the Hawaiian rolls without cutting through to the bottom. Using your fingers push down the center to create a bit of a bigger space. Next, melt the garlic butter ingredients together in the microwave for about 15 seconds or until the butter is melted. Brush the top and inside of the rolls with the butter.

PRO TIP: To get a really nice, uniformed hole in the center of the rolls, gently push the center down with the bottom of a small glass. A shot glass is the perfect size!

Now, place them into the center rack of the oven for about 4 minutes or until lightly toasted. Add a little bit of tomato sauce to the center of each hole and a small bit of mozzarella cheese. Add the warmed/cooked meatballs on top and sprinkle with a parmesan cheese .

PRO TIP: Be sure to shred the mozzarella cheese yourself. It will melt much better that way.

Next, top them with more mozzarella cheese and place them into the center rack of the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the rolls are lightly toasted. Finally, let them cool slightly before garnishing with parsley (optional) and enjoy.

PRO TIP: Keep an eye on the sliders because they can burn very quickly with the butter on top.

What Meatballs Should I Use?

For this recipe, I used cocktail meatballs form a local Italian Deli called B & M Market but any frozen cocktail meatballs will do. You can even use your own recipe. Just be sure to roll them small enough to fit into the center of the Hawaiian rolls. HERE is a great recipe.

What Should I Serve These With?

As an appetizer, they can be served as is. To make them a bit more of a meal, a simple house salad or side of pasta would be perfect here.

Storage

Let the meatball sliders cool completely and place them into a food safe, air tight container. They will last in the fridge for up to three days.