Pepperoni Pizza Sliders

Not too long ago I made these Hot Ham & Cheese Sliders which my family loved. It went over so well the first time that I made them again at least 3 times since! So playing off of that recipe, I gave it a pizza twist and came up with these Pepperoni Pizza Sliders. Pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and a tangy pizza sauce are tucked into savory rolls and drizzled with an Italian herb and butter before baking until warm and melty...

I firmly believe that you can transform any dish into a sandwich. To exemplify that, just check out fellow Chicagoland native and Food Network Star, Jeff Mauro - The Sandwich King! Inspired by his creativity and how much we enjoyed the hot ham and cheese sliders, why not turn a pizza into a slider sandwich? I basically made pizza ingredient substitutions to make this and you can adapt this however you'd like. Do you like peppers and mushrooms on your pizza? If so, saute them and add it in the slider! Do you prefer a white alfredo sauce over the traditional red sauce? If so, use that instead! In the end, it'll be delicious and easy... and if you're looking to get your kids in the kitchen, this recipe is great. Joel really enjoyed making this with me!

Pepperoni Pizza Sliders
recipe adapted from various sources online

For the sandwiches:
3/4 cup pizza sauce
12 Hawaiian rolls (I used the Savory Butter variety & Udi's GF Dinner Rolls)
24 slices large deli pepperoni (or 1/2 lb pepperoni slices)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

For the topping:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1/2  tablespoons onion powder
1/2  tablespoons garlic powder
1/2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

a few dashes Worcestershire sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Spread pizza sauce onto both sides of the center of each roll. Place a large slice (or a few small slices) of pepperoni and a some shredded cheese inside of each roll. Close rolls and place them close together into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. 

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches, just enough to cover the tops; let sandwiches sit for 10 minutes to absorb the butter and seasonings. At this point, sandwiches can be assembled a day ahead, covered and kept in the fridge ready to bake.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover and cook for 2 additional minutes or until tops are slightly brown and crispy. Serve warm.