Don’t let the size of these mini marinated ham and cheese sandwiches fool you. This quick and delicious holiday appetizer packs a wallop of flavor in a tiny bite–I’m talking about a party in your mouth. Yeah baby! My sister has been serving these delicious sandwiches on Christmas Eve–paired with tomato bisque soup and a Caesar salad–for years. It’s become one of my most requested recipes. Coworkers frequently ask me to bring this dish to potluck lunches and I’m always happy to oblige because I can whip up a batch of these sandwiches in a snap, they can be cooked in a microwave if necessary, and I always get rave reviews.

You may want to double the recipe because these sandwiches always disappear fast. As usual, I’ve tweaked the recipe to suit my taste, but you can find the original recipe here. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make these tasty ham and cheese appetizers:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 cup onion, minced
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used Duke’s mayonnaise)
4 tablespoons creamy horseradish sauce (I used Kraft)
1 package of sliced deli ham, cut to fit buns
1 package of sliced Swiss cheese, cut to fit buns
1 package party rolls or small dinner rolls (I used Martin’s potato rolls)

Saute the onions in butter over low heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the brown sugar, mustard, poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and parsley. Stir and cook until the brown sugar is melted. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, assemble the sandwiches. Cut sandwiches in half (it’s faster to cut the entire sheet of buns at one time instead of cutting each bun individually). Place the bottom half of the buns in a 9 x 13″ pan. Combine the mayonnaise and horseradish sauce in a small bowl. Spread a thin layer of the mayonnaise mixture on the buns. Top with ham and cheese slices and the top half of the buns. Spoon marinade on top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops of the sandwiches are browned and the cheese is melted.

Serve these mini sandwiches for a quick holiday meal, an office potluck luncheon, a superbowl party, or a church supper. They’ll be a hit.