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Overhead view of freshly baked pizza sliders being pulled apart, showing gooey melted cheese stretching between the rolls. The golden tops are brushed with garlic butter and sprinkled with Italian herbs and parsley, with bowls of marinara sauce nearby for dipping.
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Pepperoni and Sausage Pizza Sliders

Get ready to enjoy all of the irresistible flavors of pizza in these easy-to-make 30-minute Pizza Sliders! They're packed with plenty of cheesy goodness, marinara, sausage, and pepperoni on soft and buttery slider buns. You'll love them; they are perfect for game day or a party appetizer!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 12 sliders
Calories 284kcal
Author Tawnie Graham of Kroll's Korner

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. mild, ground Italian sausage
  • 1 oz. Parmesan cheese
  • 12 count package King's Hawaiian Rolls
  • 12 oz. jar pizza sauce
  • 6-9 slices mozzarella cheese* or shredded from a block
  • 28 slices pepperoni You can chop the pepperoni if desired
  • 6-9 slices provolone cheese not smoked flavor. Can use shredded if preffered

For the butter mixture

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder or garlic salt if you like salty!
  • pinch chili flakes optional

Garnish

  • fresh parsley, hot honey, marinara sauce
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Prepare the oven & pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan or a baking sheet with nonstick spray or spread with a little softened butter, the butter helps make the bottom of the rolls nice and crisp (and not soggy!) Set aside. 
  • Cook the sausage: Cook in a skillet over medium heat, breaking up the sausage as it cooks. This will take ~5-7 minutes. Once cooked, drain on paper towels to get rid of excess grease. You could probably break the meat up smaller than I've shown in my photos 😆
    1 lb. mild, ground Italian sausage
    Side-by-side images showing raw ground Italian sausage in a skillet on the left and browned sausage cooked through on the right. A wooden spatula rests in the pan, with marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese bowls nearby.
  • Mix: Add the sausage to a bowl and stir in ¼ cup of the pizza sauce and about 1 oz. grated parmesan cheese. Making the sausage a little saucy makes it a little easier to layer/stick onto the sliders. Set aside. 
    1 oz. Parmesan cheese
    Two photos showing cooked Italian sausage in a bowl. On the left, grated Parmesan and marinara sauce are added to the sausage; on the right, everything is mixed together into a flavorful filling.
  • Cut the rolls: Without separating the rolls, cut them in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Place the bottom half of the rolls in the prepared dish or baking sheet.
    12 count package King's Hawaiian Rolls
    Overhead view of a loaf of Hawaiian rolls sliced in half horizontally with a serrated knife on parchment paper, ready to be assembled for pizza sliders.
  • Start layering: Layer the remaining ingredients in this order: a layer of pizza sauce (no more than 1/2 cup because too much sauce will make them soggy) and mozzarella cheese.
    12 oz. jar pizza sauce, 6-9 slices mozzarella cheese*
    Two-step photo showing assembly of pizza sliders. On the left, the bottom half of the rolls is spread with marinara sauce; on the right, topped with overlapping slices of mozzarella cheese.
  • Continue to layer: Pepperoni and then sausage.
    28 slices pepperoni
    Two images showing layered ingredients for pizza sliders. The left shows a layer of pepperoni slices over the mozzarella, and the right adds cooked sausage mixture on top of the pepperoni.
  • Finish layering: Provolone cheese and the top rolls. Try to place everything in an even layer, and don't let the cheese hang off the sides of the rolls too much or the cheese might ooze out when melted.
    6-9 slices provolone cheese
    Two photos showing the final layers before baking. The left shows provolone cheese slices covering the sausage mixture, and the right shows the top half of the Hawaiian rolls placed back on top.
  • Prep the butter: Combine the melted butter and seasonings.
    1/4 cup unsalted butter, 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, pinch chili flakes
    Close-up of hands mixing melted butter with Italian seasoning and garlic powder in a small bowl using a pastry brush, next to the assembled unbaked sliders.
  • Top the rolls: Brush/pour the butter mixture on top of the rolls.
    Two photos showing the tops of the rolls being brushed with garlic butter. The left shows a hand brushing on the mixture, and the right shows the fully coated rolls ready to bake.
  • Bake: Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes Start Timer; uncover and bake a few minutes longer until the tops are golden and pizza sliders look melty. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve straight away with warmed marinara and hot honey for drizzling. Dig in! Grab a napkin because they can get messy 😏
    fresh parsley, hot honey, marinara sauce
    Two images showing the finished pizza sliders. On the left, the baked sliders are golden brown and sprinkled with Italian herbs; on the right, a hand pulls apart a cheesy slider with melted mozzarella stretching between the rolls.

Video

Notes

  • Mozzarella: Feel free to use shredded mozzarella if you prefer!
  • Storage: These sliders are best served fresh and hot on the day of. However, if you do have leftovers, they will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. Keep in mind that the longer they sit, the soggier they become.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slider | Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 714mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 442IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 187mg | Iron: 1mg