These Hawaiian roll turkey sliders are made with a creamy avocado mixture that takes these to a whole new level. Make them for Thanksgiving leftovers, game day, or a quick dinner.
What do you think of when you picture sliders? White Castle cheeseburgers, or maybe basic ham and cheese sliders?
Get ready to take it to a whole new level with this recipe. The crispy bacon and creamy avocado mixture will have everyone reaching for more of these turkey and cheese sliders.
What Kind Of Cheese Goes Well With Turkey?
Pretty much any type of cheese you could crave will go well with these hawaiian roll turkey sliders. The best ones melt easily, so choose your favorite from the list below:
- Cheddar
- Colby Jack
- Muenster
- Swiss
- Provolone
- Smoked Gouda
- Brie
- Havarti
How Do You Heat Up Hawaiian Roll Turkey Sliders?
The type of turkey you use greatly impacts how to heat up the hawaiian roll turkey sliders. If you use leftover turkey meat or deli turkey, you’ll be heating it from cold. This means it will need at least 15-20 minutes of baking in a 400 degree oven. (Or until the cheese is melted.)
If you freshly cook ground turkey, these only need about 10 minutes to bake.
No matter which method you choose, the sliders will need about 5 minutes of baking time without a cover. This gets that beautiful golden brown toasting on the tops of the rolls.
What If I Don’t Have Leftover Turkey?
Just because most of us don’t have shredded turkey meat after Thanksgiving doesn’t mean you can’t make these for game day or dinner. You can substitute the shredded turkey out for either ground turkey or deli meat. (You can also use chicken.)
To get three cups of cooked ground turkey, you’ll need two pounds of turkey meat. This should give you approximately the same amount of bulk.
If you choose to use deli turkey, use the cream cheese and avocado like mayonnaise. Spread it evenly on the top and bottom buns and layer the turkey meat between them. You’ll need about 1 ½ pounds of deli turkey for this sliders recipe.
Professional Tips for Amazing Hawaiian Roll Turkey Sliders
- You can use whatever type of bacon you want, but I recommend extra thick. It will make the flavor a little more pronounced. You can layer the bacon across the top of the sliders, or chop it and sprinkle it on top. Chopping it into the mixture does make it easier to separate the sliders after baking.
- Butter the bottom and sides of your baking sheet or baking dish. This will help the rolls to toast on the bottom, as well as prevent sticking.
- Do not skip covering the sliders with aluminum foil. Hawaiian rolls are packed with sugars that make them darken and brown very quickly. At this high temperature, it only takes about 10 minutes before they are burnt. Heat up the filling with the turkey sliders covered, then uncover them to get a nice toasty top.
- After you add the melted butter to the top of the sliders, you can garnish with your favorite ingredients. (I like minced garlic and poppy seeds.) You can also use sesame seeds, minced red onion, extra cheese, or even mix honey mustard in with the butter.
What Should I Serve With These Sliders?
If you are using these for game day, the smattering of choices will vary and should fill out the menu. If you are making it for dinner however, you’ll want to serve a side dish that is veggie heavy. I recommend:
Hawaiian Roll Turkey Sliders with Bacon and Avocado
The Hawaiian rolls in these turkey sliders lend a nice sweetness that balances the other flavors. However, it’s not a requirement to use them. If you choose a different type of slider bun, increase the toasting time from five minutes to ten. Most other buns don’t have as much sugar, so it takes a bit longer for them to toast.
Use this printable grocery list to make shopping for these turkey sliders even easier!
This printable grocery list helps simplify shopping. Everything is listed in standard grocery store amounts. If no size is specified, even the smallest package will provide more than enough.
Happy Cooking! 🙂
Hawaiian Roll Turkey Sliders
Ingredients
- 24 Hawaiian rolls, (2 packs)
- 2 cups turkey meat, shredded
- 3 ripe avocados, reserve one for garnish
- ¾ cup cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 2 cups cheddar, or other favorite cheese
- 8-10 strips of thick bacon, cooked
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13” pan.
- In a large bowl, smash 2 of the avocados until smooth(ish). Stir in the dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cream cheese, and turkey meat until combined.
- Use a bread knife to slice the Hawaiian rolls in half horizontally. Place the bottom halves in the buttered baking dish and evenly spread the avocado turkey mixture on. Top with the bacon and cheese then return the tops of the Hawaiian rolls onto the sliders.
- Melt the butter and drizzle it over the tops of the rolls. Sprinkle on the poppy seeds and minced garlic and loosely cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Remove the aluminum foil and cook for an additional five minutes or until the rolls are toasted and golden brown. Serve with a garnish of cubed avocado and bacon pieces on a toothpick.
Notes
- Turned sideways, two packs of Hawaiian rolls should fit in a 9x13 pan. If it feels too tight, switch to a buttered baking sheet.
Shauna Frandsen says
The recipe does not specify how many avocados to use.
Mackenzie Ryan says
Thank you so much for pointing that out, Shauna. I'm sorry that happened. I have it fixed to reflect the correct amount of avocados.