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These easy Homemade Pull Apart Italian Sub Sliders are such a fun and easy appetizer for relaxed nights of entertaining family and friends. Soft dinner rolls stuffed with red pepper sauce, assorted deli meats, and a mix of both mozzarella and provolone cheese. Each handheld Italian-style sub slider is spicy and layered with peppers. They’re cheesy on the inside, yet golden and toasted outside, with a delicious garlic butter topping. Serve these sliders warm for a truly simple appetizer that everyone will love.
A heads up for this week, it’s unintentionally 4th of July appetizer week! When I was preparing recipes for my two weeks of traveling, I really had the mindset of creating 4th of July friendly dishes for you all to prepare this week!
The 4th is, of course, the biggest holiday of the summer. And I know so many of us are looking for simple appetizers and recipes to just throw on the grill. Well, I think I have you covered. So many new appetizers are coming up this week. And each one is unique and delicious in its own way.
Of course, these sliders are a huge family favorite over here. They were very much enjoyed while I was testing out the recipe.
Here are the details
There is one downside to this dish. It uses the oven and these are best served warm. I know that’s not the most ideal for a 4th of July style recipe, but these are worth it.
Every other element of these sliders gets double thumbs up. They’re incredibly easy to throw together, very hands-off, and totally delicious.
You can even prep the sliders ahead of time and bake them off just before serving.
If you have time, I recommend making my homemade roasted red pepper sauce. It’s actually a recipe I stole from the HBH Every Day Cookbook. But I’m sharing it here too since I wanted you to have it for these sliders.
It’s the simplest sauce. A jar of roasted red peppers, blended with toasted walnuts, tomatoes, herbs, and spices. It’s currently one of our favorite sauces and really elevates the flavors of these sliders.
If you don’t want to make the sauce, red pepper sauce or sun-dried tomato pesto are easily available in most grocery stores. Or just add some sliced roasted red peppers.
Assembling these slides is simple. I spread on dijon mustard, fig preserves (optional, but truly delicious), and then the red pepper sauce. Layer on assorted deli meats. I love to use prosciutto, spicy salami, Spanish chorizo, or pepperoni.
From here, add slices of mozzarella and provolone cheese. Then finish with fresh arugula.
The final thing I love to make is garlic butter. I like to spread this over the rolls just before baking. The butter melts down over the rolls and makes them really quite delicious.
You could serve these at room temperature, but they’re definitely best when the cheese has some time to melt in the oven. People LOVE a melty, messy slider.
I like to serve these with red peppers and basil leaves on the side.
These sliders are like a good old Italian sub sandwich but in a fun new form. And with delicious garlic butter in every bite.
I’m excited for you all to make these this summer! They’re so much fun and they use up a lot of fresh produce too! Be sure to make a double batch when serving a crowd – there never seems to be enough!
Looking for other summer appetizer recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Honey Whipped Feta with Garlic Herb Roasted Olives
Soft Garlic Herb Cheddar Cheese Bread
Charred Peppers with Marinated Feta and Tzatziki
Lastly, if you make these Pull Apart Italian Sub Sliders, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Pull Apart Italian Sub Sliders
Servings: 12 sliders
Calories Per Serving: 243 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 package (12 count) dinner rolls, halved lengthwise
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fig preserves
- 1/2 cup roasted red pepper sauce, or 2 roasted red peppers, sliced
- 1/2 cup mixed pitted Italian olives, chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped pepperoncini
- 9-12 ounces assorted deli meat (prosciutto, spicy salami, Spanish chorizo, pepperoni)
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 4-6 slices whole milk deli mozzarella cheese
- 4-6 slices deli provolone cheese
- 1 cup baby arugula
- 3 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 4-6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F.2. Place the bottom half of the dinner rolls onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the dijon over the bottom half of the roll. Add the fig preserves and red pepper sauce (or red peppers). Layer on the olives, pepperoncini, deli meats, basil, mozzarella, provolone, and then arugula. Place the top half of the roll over the cheese. 3. In a bowl, mix together the butter, garlic, Italian seasoning, and parmesan. Spread the butter over the top of the rolls, reserving extra for serving. Cover the rolls with tin foil and bake 10-15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking another 10-15 minutes, until the cheese has melted.4. Brush with any remaining garlic butter, serve immediately with additional red pepper sauce on the side.
Notes
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
Makes 2 cups
1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained
1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pine nuts
1/4 cup tomato paste or packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic or sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons raw honey
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
kosher salt Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Store in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks.
1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pine nuts
1/4 cup tomato paste or packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh parsley
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic or sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons raw honey
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
kosher salt Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Store in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 2 weeks.
When your teens gobble it up, you KNOW it’s VERY tasty.
Served with arugula and cucumber salad, topped with blackberry vinagerette I threw together after harvesting a cup of berries in the garden.
The garlic butter bread topping just makes it!
Hey there,
Amazing!! I am thrilled that this dish was a hit, thanks a lot for trying it out! xTieghan
Made these this evening they were so good. Perfect! Albeit I assembled them upside down but even then so very good. I love fig jam and the surprise occasional sweetness with the Dijon mustard – superb! We used Rao’s Tomato Pesto because it was a lazy day. I’ll make the roasted red pepper sauce another time.
Hey Stephanie,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a go, I am so glad it was a winner:) Have the best week! xx
Whoa!!! These are so flavorful and fun to put together! I baked them at 350 for 10 minutes and then removed the tin foil for the last 10, and they came out perfectly! Thank you so much for another crowd pleasing recipe!
Hi Lynn,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
So delicious Tieghan!! I made these for brunch today, and my house smells amazing. But, that red pepper sauce!! It would be a good pasta sauce as well, so good!!
Hey Lorena,
Amazing!! I am so glad this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for trying it out! Have the best weekend! ☀️xx
These were so yummy!!! Love all the flavors.
Hi Kristi,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks for sharing your review and making this recipe, I am so glad it was a winner! xxTieghan
Oh my goodness! These sliders are amazing! My family raved about them! The red pepper sauce is delicious and I’m going to use the extra sauce over some pasta. 10 stars!!
Hey Lori,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for trying it out! I hope you had a great holiday weekend!?
These were really tasty. I like the sweetness from the fig preserves mixed with the salty of the olives.
But the star of this recipe is the homemade red pepper sauce. It is AMAZING! It should have some recipes of it’s own to feature it. I think I’ll use the leftover to make a pasta or pasta salad, maybe with pancetta and shrimp.
Hey Noell,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and sharing your review. I love that it was enjoyed!! Happy 4th of July weekend!??
Hi! I’m trying to prep some freezer meals for my maternity leave. Do you think that this could be frozen prior to baking?
Hey Kristin,
Sure, I don’t see why not! Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
You said arugula but on pics I see only basil. Where do you put the arugula?
Hi Maria,
The arugula is used in step 2, I don’t photograph every step so just because you don’t see something in a photo doesn’t mean it’s not there:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can these be eaten at room temp? Hoping to bring to a picnic this weekend. Look delicious!
Hey Athena,
Sure, that would be okay:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xx
Hi! When/where do you add the olives? Excited to try this, looks delicious!!
Hi Sallie,
You are going to add the olives in step 2:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
What a fun, fresh, easy meal! The Roasted Red Pepper Sauce looks amazing! Thanks Tieghan!
Thanks so much Kimberley! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it!! xTieghan
We have a new nut allergy in our family, anyone have any alternative suggestions on what to use other than pine nuts or walnuts in the roasted red pepper sauce? This looks amazing and we can’t wait to make these. Aways a HBH fan!
Hi Christie,
Just use the roasted red peppers as the recipe calls for, the sauce is not needed:) I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try!! xTieghan
THESE LOOK REEEALY GOOD ….. PUNCHED UP FLAVOUR FROM THE RUN-OF-THE-MILL VARIETY. QUESTION : NOT EXACTLY “PULL-APART” SINCE THE DELI MEATS ARE LAID ACROSS BUN SURFACE WHOLE ??? A PIZZA CUTTER WOULD WORK TO DIVIDE QUICKLY !!! HAVE A YOUNG GRANDSON LOOKING FORWARD TO THESE THIS WEEKEND ;0)
Hi Toni,
Sure, a pizza cutter would be great to use. I hope you love the recipe, let me know if you give it a try! xx
Yes, I was coming to comment and ask how these are “pull apart” when the pics show the meat laying over several buns. Do you have to slice them first? Or do you try to get the meat and cheese slices centered over individual buns?
You will probably have to slice them slightly:)
Looks like basil not argula? Which sounds better to me anyway!
The pic looks like basil and not arugula? It all looks delicious still.
Hi Megan,
This recipe uses both basil and arugula:) Let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hi Nina,
The recipe used both basil and arugula:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try or have any other questions!! xTieghan
I don’t see any arugula in the pictures, just basil. Please help, I’d like to make these this coming weekend. Thanks!
Directions tell you when to layer both basil and arugula. But don’t address olives and pepperoncinis.
Hi Georgia,
Sorry for any confusion, the olives and pepperoncinis are used in step 2:) I hope you love the recipe!!
Hi Vickie,
You can follow the recipe as written, I used both basil and arugula. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe!! xTieghan
Where do the olives and pepperoncini go?
The 9ives and pepperoncini are listed in the ingredients but not in the instructions. Nor did I see them used in your pi.
Hi Christine,
Sorry for any confusion, the olives and pepperoncinis are used in step 2. I don’t always show a photo for every step, so just because you don’t see something in a photo doesn’t mean it’s not in the recipe:) xTieghan
Hi Woody,
You are going to use those in step 2, sorry for any confusion!! Let me know if you give this recipe a try! xTieghan