Un-traditional Cuban Sliders

One of my favorite sandwiches of all time is the Cuban.  I just love the blend of flavors, in addition to the fact that it comes with a pickle slice.  Score!  So it was only natural that this sandwich came to mind as I was sitting there, on my couch, trying to think of things that I could serve for my birthday celebration.  The only problem that I could foresee at the time was the fact that this sandwich could be quite large and I wanted something small.  This way it would be able to fit on people’s plates along with other things.  That’s when I had an idea….sliders, the perfect party food!

The reason that I am calling this recipe the “Un-traditional” Cuban Slider is because a traditional Cuban sandwich is made with roasted pork, but unfortunately I could not find precooked pork anywhere.  I know that I always could have roasted my own, but with everything else that I had to make for the party I knew that I would not have time.  That’s why you will notice that I opted to substitute Genoa salami.  I know that this doesn’t sound like the best choice to replace pork (2 very different types of meat), but it’s what I read that people add to their Cuban sandwiches sometimes, so I just went with it.  I am glad I did too, because I thought the sliders turned out great!  These will definitely be made again.

Un-traditional Cuban Sliders

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Ingredients:

24 slider buns

18 oz. black forest ham

24 slices Genoa salami cut in ¼ sections

24 slices Swiss cheese cut in ¼ sections

Dill pickle chips

1 cup mayonnaise

3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

5 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper

Directions:

For Dijon-Mayonnaise- In a small bowl beat together the mayonnaise, mustard, and garlic.  Season with a dash of salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so that the flavors have a chance to blend.

To assemble the sliders:  First, open a slider roll.  Place two squares of Swiss cheese on the bottom.  Top the cheese with two slices of black forest ham.  Next, add 4 small pieces of salami (equals 1 piece).  Top the salami with 2 more pieces of Swiss cheese, add a pickle chip, and spread on a thin layer of the Dijon-Mayonnaise sauce.  Repeat the process with the remaining slider buns.

Preheat a griddler or panini press.  Once ready, place a few of the Cuban sliders onto the press and cook until the device beeps, or until the cheese is melted and the tops of the sliders are a little crispy.  If you don’t have a griddler, that is ok, you can always cook the sliders in a large skillet over medium-high heat, flipping once so that each side turns a little brown and becomes crispy.