The Best Poppy Seed Ham Biscuits in the World

Watch my poppy seed ham biscuit web story here.

All I can say, is if you haven’t made these yet then why the hell not?! They are awesome. Seriously awesome. Nothing more I can say about then expect make them. Really put the ingredients on your shopping list and go home and make them. Thanks Jenni.

Reader Deon

Poppy Seed Party Ham Biscuits

These little guys seem to be making a comeback, and I am here for it.

And I say hooray, because while they might be new to many folks, I’ve been enjoying these little dudes for probably 45 years at our neighborhood Christmas Eve Party.

Yes, this is another retro recipe, and since it is exploding in popularity on social media, I wondered if it was even worthwhile to post this version. I asked my readers, and many of them had still not heard of these guys, so I figure it’s my duty to share.

I’ve had other people’s ham biscuits, but honestly nothing I’ve had so far has compared to what I (and probably my entire old neighborhood) consider the best poppy seed party ham biscuits.

What Is the Best Cheese to Use for Party Ham Biscuits?

Swiss cheese. Hands down. As far as I’m concerned, accept no substitutes.

If you really don’t like Swiss cheese, though, you could sub in a mild to medium cheddar or perhaps a Havarti cheese.

(But seriously. Stick with Swiss cheese.)

What Makes These the Best Ham and Cheese Sliders?

I’m here to tell you that I’m not really sure. Here are some ideas.

• It might be the ratio of mustard to butter
• It could be the amount of Worcestershire sauce
• It may even be the finely chopped onion
• It could also be the Very Very Lot of poppy seeds

Whatever it is, though, they really are the best. Please give them a try, and you’ll see.

I had low expectations for these because I’m not a ham sandwich kind of person, but even I was won over by them (I personally think it’s the mustard/butter ratio), but OMG my eaters are absolutely bonkers for them. I’ve been making them ever since you first posted them, and at least once a month I MUST make a dinner of these with soup and a salad, or I never stop hearing the end of it. They’re a massive crowd pleaser!

Reader MaggieToo

Oh, and guess what?

This is also an 8 ingredient recipe (if you don’t include the salt, which you should not have to make a special trip to the store for)! Super easy to make. Super easy to eat.

Ham and Cheese Sliders without Poppy Seeds

Honestly, I love this ham biscuit appetizer just the way it is, seeds and all. But if for some reason you don’t like poppy seeds or cannot have them, you can leave them out.

The sliders will miss that slight crunch and subtle flavor of poppy seed, but you could potentially substitute in some sesame seeds or even some finely chopped toasted nuts. I think pecans would work especially well with the ham, Swiss and mustard.

If you’ve never had poppy seeds before and just think they sound weird in a sandwich, I ask you to please try the recipe as written at least once before opting to leave them out.

This is an old recipe that I used years ago and lost. Made the new version yesterday where the butter mix is on top and my husband said “No way.” Glad to find your recipe and I am making it for a Church luncheon tomorrow. Thanks for bringing back the old.

Reader “Married 62 Years and Loving Every Minute”

Making Party Ham Rolls in the Oven

This is definitely my preferred way to make party ham biscuits, you guys. Follow the instructions in the recipe or in the video, but here they are in shortened form:

1. Slice an entire tray of Hawaiian rolls horizontally. (We used to make these on Pepperidge Farms Petite Dinner Rolls, but I haven’t seen those in years. I prefer the King’s Hawaiian Savory Butter Rolls to the sweet rolls for this recipe.)
2. Spread each cut side with half the butter/poppy seed mixture
3. Layer on Swiss cheese, followed by ham and more cheese.
4. Put the top of the package of rolls back on top.
5. Place the whole shebang back in the original paper sleeve–yes, the paper tray can go in the oven!
6. Cut between the individual rolls to separate them and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. If you need to leave them in longer for the cheese in the center to get melty, cover the rolls loosely with foil so the tops don’t get too brown.
7. Enjoy!

How To Keep These Guys Warm for Serving

Generally these fly off the table so quickly that we’ve never had to worry about keeping them warm. But if you are serving a Suspicious crowd, they may hang out on the buffet a bit longer.

My mom had a very cool, lidded, warming server back in the 1970s, and it was used almost exclusively for these guys or her cheese olive puffs.

I have found something similar that works well:

Reheating Ham Biscuits In the Microwave

The good news about heating your ham biscuits in the microwave is that it only takes a few seconds and the rolls stay nice and squishy.

If you like your rolls squishy, stick with the microwave for reheating.

If you prefer your sliders to have a bit of crunch to the rolls, then bake them in the oven.

I would not try to heat the entire tray of biscuits in the microwave at one time, so reserve the microwave for reheating individual servings of a roll or two and bake whole trays in a conventional oven or a good toaster oven.

My Favorite Way to Heat Them Up

My favorite way to heat these up is to start them in the toaster oven on the toast setting until the tops brown just a bit and the cheese just starts to melt around the edges of the biscuit.

Then I put them in the microwave for maybe 10-12 seconds.

That way, I get the browned top and the little bit of crunch I want as well as the soft, squishy insides thanks to the microwave.

For me, they’re perfect when heated this way. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

More Retro Appetizer Recipes

These are some of my all-time favorite appetizer recipes. I hope you’ll enjoy them too!

• Smoked Pimento Cheese (because: pimento cheese!)
• Spicy Queso Dip (this recipe makes a ton so it’s great for parties)
• Bread Pretzels with Beer Cheese (even if you don’t want to bake your own pretzels, make the beer cheese. Seriously.)

You ready to make these guys? And seriously, you don’t have to share if you don’t want to!

If you have any questions about this or any other recipe or post on the site, there are a few ways to get in touch.

You can leave a comment on the post, and I’ll be back in touch within 24 hours.

If your question is more pressing, don’t hesitate to email me, and I should be back in touch within 4 hours (unless I’m asleep) or often much more quickly than that.

I hope you’ve learned something from this post or that you’ve decided to make the recipe.

It would really help me and other readers out if you’d rate the recipe using the star ratings in the recipe card.

It’s also very helpful to me and to other readers if you leave a comment and/or a recipe review.

Thank you so much for being here and for helping others find my recipes by sharing on your social platforms!

Thanks so much for spending some time with me today. Take care, and have a lovely day.

Watch my easy New Year’s Eve appetizers web story here. And watch the best poppy seed ham biscuits web story here.