Some recipes become family favorites because they’re fancy or take hours to make. Others become favorites because they’re simple, comforting, and somehow seem to show up at just the right moments. These ham and cheese melts definitely fall into that second category at our house.

I’ve been making these warm ham and cheese sandwiches for years, and they’re especially good during the colder months. There’s just something about pulling a tray of warm sandwiches from the oven when it’s chilly outside that makes the whole house feel a little cozier.

And around the holidays, when there are extra people coming and going, they’re one of those recipes I’m always glad to have tucked away.

Ham Cheese Melts Our Family Loves

The thing that makes these sandwiches a little different is the dill butter.

It’s a simple mixture of softened butter, mustard, dried dill weed, and finely chopped onion. I spread it on both sides of the roll before adding the ham and Swiss cheese.

As the ham cheese melts bake, the butter soaks into the bread, the Swiss gets wonderfully gooey, and that little bit of dill makes an ordinary ham sandwich taste so much better.

The funny thing is that my husband isn’t even a huge fan of dill flavoring, but he loves these sandwiches.

Our oldest son, on the other hand, is a completely different story.

The Dill Lover in Our Family

We lovingly call our oldest son a “dillihead” because he loves dill so much. 😂

I can’t even take credit for that one.

His grandmother introduced him to dilly beans when he was a toddler, and apparently she knew what she was doing because the love of dill stuck. To this day, if something has dill in it, chances are pretty good he’s going to like it.

So you can probably imagine why these ham cheese melts are among his favorites.

The dill flavor isn’t overpowering, though. That’s probably why my husband enjoys them too. It’s just enough to make you wonder what’s in that butter that makes the sandwich taste so good.

And since I’ve spent all this time telling you how good they are, I should probably give you the recipe. 😊

Ham Cheese Melts Recipe

These warm, buttery sandwiches are incredibly simple to put together. The recipe makes 18 sandwiches, so it’s perfect when you’re feeding a crowd. You can also freeze them before baking and pull out only as many as you need.

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1 tablespoon dried dill weed
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
• 18 dinner or lunch rolls
• Thinly sliced ham
• Thinly sliced Swiss cheese

How to Make Ham Cheese Melts

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, mustard, dried dill weed, and finely chopped onion. Mix until well blended.
3. Slice the rolls in half and spread the dill butter mixture on both sides of each roll.
4. Layer each sandwich with thinly sliced ham and Swiss cheese.
5. Wrap each sandwich individually in aluminum foil.
6. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sandwiches are heated through.

That’s it. They’re really that easy.

When you unwrap one, you get that warm roll filled with ham and melted Swiss, with the buttery dill mixture soaked into the bread. They’re best served warm from the oven.

Perfect for Holiday Family Gatherings

One of my favorite times to make ham cheese melts is during the winter, especially around the holidays.

When you have a house full of family, the last thing you want is to spend the entire gathering standing in the kitchen making food while everyone else is visiting.

That’s one of the reasons I love recipes I can prepare ahead of time.

You can make a big batch of these sandwiches, wrap each one in foil, and put them in the freezer. I talked more about why I love having freezer sandwiches on hand in my post about how freezer sandwiches saved my sanity during the school years.

When everyone arrives, you simply pull out however many you need and put them in the oven.

And then comes one of my favorite parts.

As they bake, the smell of the warm rolls, ham, Swiss cheese, butter, onion, and dill starts filling the house.

There is something so welcoming about a home filled with people you love and the smell of something delicious baking in the oven. It feels like the holidays to me.

Plus, everyone gets a hot sandwich without you having to stand at the stove making them one at a time.

Why I Love This Recipe

There are so many reasons these ham cheese melts have stayed in our family rotation.

They’re easy to make, you can prepare a lot at once, and they’re just as useful for an ordinary family dinner as they are when you’re feeding a house full of people.

I especially love that I can make them ahead of time and freeze them.

You can serve the sandwiches with soup for a cozy winter dinner, or put them out with chips, fruit, vegetables, and a few simple sides when you’re feeding a crowd.

And because everyone gets their own foil-wrapped sandwich, cleanup is pretty easy too. That’s always a bonus when you’ve already been cooking for a house full of people.

Make-Ahead Ham Cheese Melts Freezer Instructions

This may be my favorite thing about this recipe.

These sandwiches freeze beautifully, which means you can do all the work days or even weeks before you need them.

Assemble the ham cheese melts according to the recipe, but don’t bake them.

Wrap each sandwich individually in aluminum foil. Place the wrapped sandwiches in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and remove as much air as possible before sealing.

Freeze them for up to 2 months.

I especially love doing this before the holidays. If I know we’re going to have family over, I can make a big batch when I have time instead of adding another job to an already busy day.

How to Bake Ham Cheese Melts From Frozen

There’s no need to thaw the sandwiches first.

Place the frozen, foil-wrapped sandwiches in a 350°F oven and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until they’re heated all the way through and the cheese has melted.

PLACE YOUR “HAM AND CHEESE MELTS COMING OUT OF THE OVEN” PHOTO HERE

If you’re making a large number at once, check one of the sandwiches in the center before serving. Depending on how full your oven is, they may need a few extra minutes.

Then put them in a basket or on a platter and let everyone help themselves.

A Meal I Could Leave for the Boys

These ham cheese melts also came in handy when our boys were older teenagers.

When my husband and I would travel and leave the boys at home, I always wanted to make sure there was plenty of food in the house that they could easily make for themselves. These sandwiches were one of my go-to meals.

Before we left, I’d make a batch, wrap each sandwich individually, and put them in the freezer. Then the boys could pull out however many they wanted, put them in the oven, and have a hot meal without having to actually cook anything.

As a mom, I liked knowing there was something more substantial waiting for them than whatever teenage boys might come up with when left to feed themselves.

I mean, I’ve been known to have cold cereal for dinner at the end of a long and trying day, but teenagers would probably turn it into a ritual. 😂

Even now, that’s one of the reasons I love freezer meals like this so much. They’re not just convenient for busy nights. They’re a simple way to take care of your family even when you aren’t there to make dinner yourself.

Wendy’s Tips for Ham Cheese Melts

If you’re making these sandwiches for a family reunion, holiday gathering, camping trip, potluck, or other large get-together, make more than you think you’ll need.

They’re easy for people to grab when they’re hungry, and because they’re individually wrapped, leftovers are simple to put away.

I also love keeping a batch in the freezer for regular busy days. Sometimes knowing there’s an easy dinner waiting in the freezer is enough to make an exhausting day feel just a little more manageable.

And if someone in your family thinks they don’t like dill, I wouldn’t necessarily count these out. My husband isn’t a huge dill fan either, and he still loves them. The dill is mixed with the butter, mustard, and onion, so it doesn’t overwhelm the sandwich.

Of course, if you happen to have a “dillihead” in your family like we do, they’ll probably be very happy. 😂

What to Serve with Ham Cheese Melts

For a regular family dinner, I like the idea of keeping things simple. These sandwiches would be great with:

• A bowl of warm soup
• Potato chips
• Fresh fruit
• Cut vegetables
• A simple green salad
• Pasta salad
• Potato salad

For a holiday gathering or family reunion, you could put the foil-wrapped sandwiches in a basket and set out several easy sides. People can grab what they want without turning the meal into something complicated.

That’s exactly the kind of food I like when we’re together as a family. I’d rather spend my time visiting than worrying about making an elaborate meal.

A Simple Family Recipe Worth Keeping

I think some of the best family recipes are the ones that quietly become part of our lives.

They’re not complicated. They don’t require unusual ingredients or hours in the kitchen. They’re simply recipes everyone looks forward to eating.

For our family, these ham cheese melts are one of those recipes.

Maybe it’s the Swiss cheese. If you’ve ever wondered what gives Swiss its distinctive flavor and texture, Wisconsin Cheese has a helpful overview of Swiss cheese.

Maybe it’s that dill butter.

Maybe it’s because our resident “dillihead” has helped make dill such a familiar flavor in our family.

Or maybe it’s because I’ve served these sandwiches often enough that the smell of them baking reminds me of family being together.

Whatever the reason, they’re a keeper.

If you’re looking for something warm and easy to feed your family this winter, or you’re trying to figure out what on earth you’re going to feed a house full of people during the holidays, tuck a batch of these ham cheese melts into your freezer.

When everyone arrives, pop them in the oven and enjoy that wonderful smell filling your home.

I hope this recipe becomes a favorite in your home, just as it has in ours.

From my kitchen to yours.

Making every house feel a little more like home.