Hot Honey Pepperoni Sliders (Print Version)

Pepperoni, mozzarella, and hot honey stacked in toasted slider rolls. Perfect party food ready in 35 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Slider Base

01 - 12 slider buns or Hawaiian rolls
02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

→ Pizza Filling

03 - 1 cup marinara or pizza sauce
04 - 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
05 - 24 to 36 slices pepperoni
06 - 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend (oregano, basil, thyme)

→ Hot Honey Drizzle

07 - 1/3 cup honey
08 - 1 to 2 teaspoons hot sauce (such as Frank's RedHot or Sriracha), adjusted to taste

→ Garlic Butter Topping

09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
10 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
11 - 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
12 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Using a serrated knife, slice the slider buns in half horizontally while keeping them connected as a sheet. Place the bottom halves in the prepared baking dish.
03 - Spread the marinara sauce evenly across the bottom bun halves. Sprinkle half of the mozzarella over the sauce, then layer the pepperoni slices on top. Add the remaining mozzarella and scatter the dried Italian herbs over the cheese.
04 - Place the top halves of the buns over the layered fillings, pressing down gently to help the sliders hold together.
05 - Combine the melted butter with the garlic powder. Brush the mixture generously over the tops of the buns. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired.
06 - Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes until the cheese is fully melted and the tops are golden brown.
07 - While the sliders bake, gently warm the honey in a small saucepan over low heat or in a microwave-safe bowl in 15-second intervals. Stir in the hot sauce until well blended. Keep warm until ready to serve.
08 - Remove the sliders from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Use a serrated knife to cut along the bun seams into individual sliders. Drizzle the warm hot honey over the tops just before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The hot honey drizzle sounds unusual but once you try it on pepperoni you will never go back to plain sliders.
  • Everything bakes in one dish so cleanup is almost zero, which matters more than anyone admits.
02 -
  • Do not skip the foil tent for the first 15 minutes or the tops will brown long before the cheese in the middle has a chance to melt completely.
  • Drizzle the hot honey at the very last second because if it sits too long the buns absorb it and lose their slight crunch.
03 -
  • Shred your own mozzarella from a block rather than using pre shredded, because the anti caking additives prevent that beautiful stretchy pull everyone photographs.
  • Let the baked sliders rest those crucial 2 minutes before cutting or the cheese and sauce will slide right off the buns in a messy heap.

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