Cowboy Breakfast Sliders are hearty, flavor-packed mini breakfast sandwiches that are a delicious way to start your day! They have a filling of scrambled eggs, ground pork sausage, crispy bacon, and sharp cheddar cheese, all layered between soft, slightly sweet Hawaiian rolls. And, if that isn’t enough flavor for you, don’t forget about the cowboy butter–a compound butter made of herbs and spices that take these sliders to the next level! I hope I never run out of Cowboy Butter Recipes!
Customize Your Cowboy Breakfast Sliders: Ingredients & Smart Substitutions
- Eggs: If you need a wonderful scrambled eggs recipe, I have you covered. Or, for a lighter version, use egg whites or a mix of whole eggs and egg whites.
- Pork Sausage: Look for ground pork sausage (not just ground pork). Pork sausage is already seasoned, making it a flavorful option. I have a breakfast sausage recipe that would be perfect! Ground turkey or chicken sausage would also work. If using plain ground pork, turkey, or beef, you may need to add your own seasonings for flavor.
- Bacon: I am a fan of thick-cut bacon so it stands out in recipes, especially when it’s added with other ingredients. But, you could use the bacon you have on hand. (Make it ahead of time; check out how to bake bacon to get it ready to go!) Or, try turkey bacon. I think pancetta or prosciutto would also be good! Or, leave out the bacon. The sandwich will still be yummy!
- Cheese: If you are not a fan of sharp cheddar cheese, swap for Monterey Jack, pepper jack (for a spicy kick), or Swiss cheese for a milder flavor.
- Hawaiian Rolls: I love the slightly sweet taste of Hawaiian rolls. You can use store-bought or make your own! Brioche slider buns would also be a wonderful choice.
- Cowboy Butter: And now, the star of the recipe, the cowboy butter! It really stands out, flavor-wise, in these sliders. It’s so easy to make, and I find myself using it all of the time! And, I am constantly on the lookout to use it for even more recipes! You could use plain melted butter, too, but I encourage you to give the compound butter a try!
Make Ahead Cowboy Breakfast Sliders
To save time in the morning (I know how crazy they can be), get the sliders prepared ahead of time. Here is how:
- Prepare the Ingredients. Cook the scrambled eggs, sausage, and bacon.
- Assemble the Sliders (without the cowboy butter): Layer the cooked ingredients and cheese between the Hawaiian rolls, but don’t brush with the cowboy butter yet.
- Store: Wrap the assembled sliders tightly in aluminum foil or place them in an airtight container. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days.
- To Bake: When ready to put the sliders into the oven, brush the tops with cowboy butter. Bake as instructed.
You can also freeze the assembled sliders for up to 2 months. When ready to bake, let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
What To Serve With Breakfast Sliders
Serve these breakfast sliders with crispy hash brown patties, fresh fruit platter, or yogurt with granola, just to give you a few ideas. And, don’t forget about the drinks like coffee, orange juice, or a smoothie (check out my easy smoothie recipes)!
Storing & Reheating Cowboy Breakfast Sliders
To store cowboy breakfast sliders, first, let them cool to room temperature. Then, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a couple of days. Reheat in the oven or microwave.
More Cowboy Recipes
Cowboy Breakfast Sliders
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs, scrambled
- 8 ounces ground pork sausage, cooked
- 6 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked, crumbled (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup (113 g) sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 package (12-count) King's Hawaiian Rolls
- 1 recipe cowboy butter, melted, divided
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 7×11-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Split your rolls in half horizontally and place the bottom halves in the baking dish.
- Evenly pour about 2 tablespoons of melted cowboy butter over the bottom halves of the rolls in the pan.
- Top with and even layer of eggs, sausage, bacon, and cheese.
- Place the top halves of the rolls on top of the cheese. Brush the tops of the rolls with 2 tablespoons melted cowboy butter.
- Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is hot and bubbly.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 3-5 minutes (or until the tops of the sliders turn a golden brown).
- Remove from oven. Slice and serve the sliders with the remaining cowboy butter brushed over the hot sliders or for dipping.
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
Wow, I loved these! They are so flavorful, I could eat one of these every morning!
Elizabeth
I am a huge fan of cowboy butter, and it does work well with the breakfast sliders. But, I hate to admit it, I might use just a little less (but still definitely use it)!
Annabelle
These are good! They have all of my favorite breakfast foods in a cute little sandwich. The cowboy butter sets them apart from other breakfast sandwiches.
Bella
Love the savory flavors and how the cowboy butter adds a rich, buttery taste to every bite. I really liked these!
Selena
Great for feeding a crowd or enjoying as a family breakfast treat. Easy to make and packed with flavor!
I made these for a brunch potluck thing and I think they were everyone’s favorite thing there, I showed up late when most people were already full and these still disappeared.
I doubled the recipe and just used a larger pan and 2×12 Hawaiian Rolls, and everything seemed to scale perfectly.
A couple changes I made that worked well I think:
1. Used maple bacon and probably a little more than the recipe suggests
2. Probably cooked them for 5-10 minutes longer with the foil on and another 3-5 minutes with the foil off (so 10 to 15 minutes longer overall to account for more food)
3. Mixed together the cooked ground sausage and bacon with the cheese in a bowl before putting it in the sliders so they’d stay together a little better.
Recipe suggestions:
1. It wasn’t 100% clear to me if I was supposed to cook the scrambled eggs before adding them to the sliders (in retrospect I probably just didn’t read closely enough, I slightly undercooked them on purpose and they were perfect)
2. If you put the Hawaiian rolls in the freezer for 10-15 minutes they’re way easier to cut in half without smushing them too much
I went a little light with the cowboy butter because it smelled very strongly of garlic and I was worried it would be too much, but it wasn’t at all and would have been fine with the full amount.
Highly recommend, this is a very forgiving recipe that people really like.
My mom made these when I came back from college and I asked her to make me a batch to bring back with me. Really dope.