Crowd-pleasing Ham and Cheese Biscuits are a variation of a traditional Southern recipe, adding in sliced cheese and Green Mayo. Savory ham and cheese slices are nestled inside of buttery, tangy buttermilk biscuits; a dollop of fresh, bright herb-flavored mayo is added to finish. Mouth-wateringly good, these biscuit sandwiches are a perfect addition to any brunch, lunch or cocktail buffet. They’re also perfect for picnics, potlucks and tailgating!
Table of Contents
- Ham Biscuits – Background
- Creating these Ham and Cheese Biscuits
- Ham and Cheese Biscuit Sandwiches Ingredients
- How to Make Ham and Cheese Sliders (aka Biscuits)
- Ham and Cheese Biscuits FAQs
- What goes with Ham and Cheese Sliders?
- Pin this recipe now to save for later!
- Ham and Cheese Biscuits with Green Mayo
Ham Biscuits – Background
Biscuits stuffed with slices of ham (often country ham) are everywhere in the South. And, with a mother who was raised in Kentucky, we often ate ham biscuits in our family. My maternal grandmother’s moist, buttery Buttermilk Biscuits were stuffed with slices of salty country ham that mom had flown in from her favorite purveyor in Kentucky. These little bites of deliciousness were served various ways – at tailgating gatherings before Denver Broncos’ games, as part of summer picnics, and at mom and dad’s cocktail parties.
Creating these Ham and Cheese Biscuits
A few years ago, when I was planning a summer picnic menu, I started playing around with mom’s ham biscuit recipe. Adding a slice of cheese was an obvious choice – turning them into a sort of ham and cheese slider. Then I decided to come up with a clever sauce, and thought a flavored mayo would be good.
I tossed a handful of fresh herbs that I had on hand (basil, parsley, chives) into the food processor along with some mayonnaise and whirled it all around until the herbs were chopped and the mayo was a pretty light green color. Well, it was perfect! Not only is it super-flavorful and delicious, this pretty green mayo’s fresh, herb-y piquancy is the perfect match for the salty ham and creamy cheese.
Ham and Cheese Biscuit Sandwiches Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make my grandmother Nama’s Buttermilk Biscuits and the Green Mayo recipe, as well as the additional ingredients to assemble these delectable little sandwiches:
Buttermilk Biscuits
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Buttermilk (liquid or powder)
Green Mayo
- Mayonnaise
- Fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley
- Fresh basil
- Fresh chives
Ham and Cheese Biscuits
- Sliced ham
- Sliced cheese (American, Cheddar or Muenster) – optional
- Fresh basil leaves
Feel free to substitute and/or add other herbs to your taste. I’ve added in fresh tarragon and it was delicious. You can substitute other flavored mayos as well.
How to Make Ham and Cheese Sliders (aka Biscuits)
Nothing in this recipe is difficult to make, but you do need to allow around 1 hour to put together all the components (more detailed step-by-step instructions are provided in the recipe card further down this post):
- Make biscuits.
My grandmother Nama’s Buttermilk Biscuits are perfect for these mini sandwiches. Moist and tender but with enough texture to hold together as a mini sandwiches (some biscuits are too flaky and won’t work well). You’ll need around 10 minutes prep time, 15 minutes cook time and around 30 to 45 minutes cooling time. I use an electric stand mixer; Nama mixed them by hand and I’ve included alternative instructions in the recipe card.
- Make green mayo.
You can use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand – my favorite combo is basil, parsley and chives. Just put the herbs and mayonnaise in a blender or food processor and process until the herbs are all finely chopped and the mayo is a light green color. You can also chop the herbs by hand and stir them into the mayo (but it won’t be the pretty green color). Only takes around 5 minutes and you can make the mayo while the biscuits are in the oven (or up to 24 hours ahead). Cover and refrigerate.
- Assemble sandwiches.
Up to 3 hours before serving, assemble the sliders. I keep the biscuits in one large piece, slice the whole slab horizontally, spread the inside generously with the green mayo and then layer on the ham and cheese slices. Last, I add some basil leaves for a bit more brightness. Slice between the biscuit tops to create the sandwiches.
Ham and Cheese Biscuits FAQs
While biscuits are typically best served warm or hot, my testers preferred these mini sandwiches cold – mainly because some of the herb flavor in the mayo is lost when it’s heated. So, if you want to serve them warm or hot, leave off the mayo.
Yes you can. The Green Mayo can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance, covered and refrigerated. Biscuits can be prepared, baked and cooled up to 2 days ahead. Leave in pan, cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using. Sandwiches can be assembled earlier in the day, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using.
Yes! To freeze: prepare but don’t bake, place in baking dish and freeze. When frozen, remove from pan and place in a zip top baggie and return to freezer. Biscuits will keep for up to 1 month. To bake, place frozen biscuits on a buttered baking sheet and bake, increasing baking time to 16 to 18 minutes.
What goes with Ham and Cheese Sliders?
These little bites of deliciousness are the perfect addition to almost any picnic, potluck or tailgate. Serve them with:
Pin this recipe now to save for later!
Ham and Cheese Biscuits with Green Mayo
For these crowd-pleasing Ham and Cheese Biscuits, salty ham and creamy cheese slices are nestled inside of buttery, tangy buttermilk biscuits; a dollop of fresh, bright herb-flavored mayo is added to finish. Mouth-wateringly good, these biscuit sandwiches are a perfect addition to any brunch, lunch or cocktail buffet. They’re also perfect for picnics, potlucks and tailgating!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Biscuit cooling time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 15 mini biscuit sandwiches 1x
Ingredients
Buttermilk Biscuits
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling and cutting
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small (1/4 -inch) squares
- 1 cup cold buttermilk (see Note)
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Green Mayo
- 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh chives
Ham Biscuit Sandwiches
- 4 large slices ham
- 6 slices American, Cheddar or Muenster Cheese – optional
- 15 to 20 fresh basil leaves (medium to large size)
Instructions
Buttermilk Biscuits – Using an Electric Mixer
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer using the whisk attachment, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Add butter to flour mixture and mix on medium speed, just until butter is incorporated (it should resemble course meal – it’s okay if there are a few small hunks of butter).
- Switch whisk to the dough hook and with the machine running, add buttermilk all at once and mix just until dough begins to form a ball on the hook.
- Turn dough out onto a heavily floured work surface (dough will be very wet). Sprinkle flour over the top and flour your hands, then pat dough to roughly a 7 by 11-inch rectangle (it should be around 1/2-inch thick).
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 15 (2-inch) square biscuits (3 biscuits across by 5 down).
- Place biscuits in a buttered 7 by 11-inch baking dish (don’t use glass). Brush top of biscuits with melted butter.
- Bake 12 to 14 minutes, or until the biscuits are light golden brown on top. Cool in pan.
Buttermilk Biscuits – Mixing By Hand
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Add butter to flour mixture and, using two knives or a pastry cutter, blend in butter just until it’s incorporated (it should resemble course meal – it’s okay if there are a few small hunks of butter).
- Make a well (hole) in the middle of the flour mixture and add buttermilk. Fold together until the milk is incorporated and the dough has started to come together. Don’t overwork. (Dough will be very wet.)
- Turn dough out onto a heavily floured work surface. Sprinkle flour over the top and flour your hands, then knead, folding the dough over and then turning 1/4 of a circle, then folding again, etc. Fold it over a total of 4 times. It should come together and feel like a baby’s bottom or your earlobe.
- Again using floured hands, pat dough to roughly a 7 by 11-inch rectangle (it should be around 1/2-inch thick).
- Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 15 (2-inch) square biscuits (3 biscuits across by 5 down).
- Place biscuits in a buttered 7 by 11-inch baking dish (don’t use glass). Brush top of biscuits with melted butter.
- Bake 12 to 14 minutes, or until the biscuits are light golden brown on top. Cool in pan.
Green Mayo
- Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend until the herbs are finely chopped and the mayonnaise is a light green color.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Assembling Biscuit Sandwiches
- When ready to assemble sandwiches, using large spatulas remove biscuits from pan in one large piece and place on a cutting board. (If not using right away, leave in pan and wrap with foil and refrigerate. Will keep for up to 2 days.) Carefully cut whole slab of biscuits in half horizontally.
- Carefully flip the entire piece of biscuit tops over and set next to bottoms. It’s okay if a few of the biscuit tops separate from the others – just place them where they would be if they were still attached.
- Generously spread mayonnaise on inside of biscuits top and bottom.
- Place ham slices over mayo on biscuit bottom to cover, placing flat end of each slice on the outside longer edge of biscuits. Top with cheese slices (if using), spreading evenly.
- Top with fresh basil leaves, placing so that one basil leaf will end up in each slider.
- Carefully flip over biscuit tops and place on top (I use large spatulas). Using a sharp knife, cut between the biscuit tops, to separate into 15 sliders.
Notes
Note on buttermilk: Recipe also works with powdered buttermilk. Mix 4 tablespoons powder in with other dry ingredients and add 1 cup cold water when the recipe calls for buttermilk.
Make ahead – Green Mayo: Mayonnaise can be prepared up to 24 hours in advance, covered and refrigerated.
Make ahead – biscuits: Biscuits can be prepared, baked and cooled up to 2 days ahead. Leave in pan, cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.
To freeze biscuits: Prepare but don’t bake, place in baking dish and freeze. When frozen, remove from pan and place in a zip top baggie and return to freezer. Biscuits will keep for up to 1 month. To bake, place frozen biscuits on a buttered baking sheet and bake, increasing baking time to 16 to 18 minutes. Can also freeze baked biscuits in a zip top baggie for 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator.
- Category: Sandwiches, potlucks, picnics
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Southern
My first time making biscuits….to accolades at my Queens Jubilee party today. What a great recipe. These were gobbled up before I could take a picture. The herby mayo was delicious. Thanks Lee.
Thanks Lisa! I’m so happy you and your friends enjoyed them.