Funeral Rolls taste AMAZING! They are an easy appetizer recipe to make and let me tell you they are nothing to mourn about. I was first introduced to these delicious Funeral Sandwiches many years ago when I taught at North Laurel High in London, KY. My co-worker made these for a teachers meeting and everyone gobbled them up! She told me they are called Funeral Rolls because they were prepared for funeral “layouts” traditionally in the South.
They are so easy to make and what I love is that can prepare them in advance and then bake them when you are ready. I made these for my family this year at Christmas and they loved them! They would make a fabulous appetizer for game day too!
We prefer our Funeral Rolls to be made with Kings Hawaiian Rolls. Simply Cut each roll in half, lengthwise and place bottom halves on the bottom of a baking pan. Then Layer bottom half with ham slices and cheese and place the top half back on.
In a bowl, Mix together the butter, Worcestershire, mustard, brown sugar and onion powder. Pour sauce over sandwiches, drenching each one. Cover tightly and marinade anywhere from 4-24 hours. Overnight works best! This is why I love this recipe because you make them in advance and pull them out to bake later!
Trust me on this, once you try Funeral Rolls you will never look back. This is the most requested recipe that I make from friends and family. It is certainly nothing to mourn about.
Funeral Rolls
Funeral Rolls are nothing to mourn about. They are a delicious prep ahead sandwich that everyone loves.
Ingredients
- 1 package 12 ct of King’s Hawaiian Rolls (or other brand of choice)
- 1 lb. Ham, sliced thin
- package Swiss or Provolone Cheese, sliced thin
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
- 2 TBSP mustard
- 2 TBSP brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- optional - poppy seeds
Instructions
- Cut each roll in half, lengthwise and place bottom halves on the bottom of a baking pan.
- Layer bottom half with ham slices and cheese and place the top half back on.
- In a bowl, Mix together the butter, Worcestershire, mustard, brown sugar and onion powder. Pour sauce over sandwiches, drenching each one. Cover tightly and marinade anywhere from 4-24 hours. Overnight works best!
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Optional - sprinkle poppy seeds over the top
- Bake for 15 minutes uncovered,or until cheese is melted and bun tops are a bit golden.
Appetizer Recipes:
Salami Rolls (Gluten Free)
Bacon Cheddar Cheese Pull Aparts
Jalapeno Popper Dip (Low Fat ~ Weight Watchers)
Melissa is a soccer mom who has been married to her best friend for 21 years. She loves sharing recipes, travel reviews and tips that focus on helping busy families make memories.
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Kathy H.
January 30, 2014 at 10:43 pmThese are good. At our mom’s group one of the ladies made these…yummy
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
December 6, 2014 at 6:53 pmThanks! We love funeral rolls!
Kathy H.
December 31, 2014 at 5:51 pmSo funny…I forgot all about these until the beginning of the month and was looking for the recipe since I had no idea what they were called…YA printing and I already had them pinned, du!!!!
kathy b
March 23, 2016 at 7:29 amthats funny because the brand kings hawaiian hada recipie on their page but it wasnt called funeral rolls
Su
January 31, 2014 at 4:45 amThese look great. Why do they call them funeral rolls? thx
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
January 31, 2014 at 11:09 amBecause they were prepared for funeral “layouts” traditionally in the South.
Donna M Gain
January 31, 2014 at 9:14 amWhy are these rolls called
“Funeral Rolls”?
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
January 31, 2014 at 9:35 amBecause they were prepared for funeral “layouts” traditionally in the South.
KaSonia
March 30, 2014 at 2:20 amTried this half Kaiser rolls other half Hawaiian rolls, half turkey/cheddar and other half ham/provolone, and no marinade and they came out great, I also have some in fridge to marinate to see which way is best.. yum yum thanks
Beth@That One Mom
April 2, 2014 at 4:09 pmI’ve been looking for this recipe. I remembered that they were called Funeral Rolls, but not what goes in them! When I got to the recipe and saw North Laurel High School, I decided I had better save it and show it to my husband…he was in the first graduating class at North!
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
August 6, 2014 at 5:26 pmToo funny~ I taught there 1 year, 1995-1996.
Kim T
October 14, 2014 at 9:14 pmFor a nice make ahead then freeze option, hand shredded meat and cheese, pour the sauce over the meat and cheese, mix all in a bowl put spoonful in each roll that is pre sliced, then wrap each sandwich or several in a foil packet. You can grab a few at a time and put in the oven as guests arrive. Taste heavenly!
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
December 6, 2014 at 6:52 pmThanks for the freezer option for funeral rolls!
Joni Turner
December 11, 2014 at 9:51 amI make these but with mustard instead of brown sugar, and onion flakes instead of powder. Lol we call them blue Moon rolls. That’s how often I make than, just bc I will make a ton and only get 1 🙁
Franceaz
December 17, 2014 at 2:58 pmI want to make these for a potluck at work. Any suggestions on how I could keep them warm/reheat – since I will bake them before leaving for work? There would be almost 4 hours before being served at the potluck. Thank you in advance!
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
December 18, 2014 at 11:17 amThey are also great reheated – do you have access to an over or a microwave? could you put them in a crockpot with foil to keep warm on low – just thinking out loud here.
Tammie
January 4, 2015 at 2:30 pmDo you eat these warm or can they be cool or at room temp? My boys are heading out on a road trip and I was thinking about making these for them and wrapping in foil.
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
January 5, 2015 at 10:42 amI have done both! They are AMAZING!
Nicole
January 4, 2015 at 2:40 pmIs the mustard dry mustard? Like the seasoning? Or yellow mustard that you would put on a sandwich?
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
January 5, 2015 at 10:42 amYellow Mustard – I have even used Dijon before 🙂
Danae
January 11, 2015 at 10:22 pmMy husband is extremely picky and does not normally eat ham. I made these last week and everyone loved them! My husband requested I make them again this week! They are AMAZING!!
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
January 12, 2015 at 10:05 pmThanks!!!
Maralea
January 23, 2015 at 5:28 pmWe have made these many times. Super good!
Patricialynn
January 28, 2015 at 6:05 pmThese do look good…but the name. Lol!
Will Schmelzle
March 24, 2015 at 10:03 pmSoooo good! Ironically, a friend made these for my father-in-law’s funeral dinner. We actually crave them. Highly recommended! Thanks for the great recipe!
connie robinson
March 28, 2015 at 7:07 amI make the funeral sandwiches but they came out soggy why I baked them about 30 minutes and I pour off a lot or the butter sauce. Can y o u help me
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
March 28, 2015 at 11:10 amDo you follow this recipe exactly?
Jc
February 3, 2019 at 4:51 pmYou need to bake uncovered for at least 5 mins until lightly browned.
Christine
March 29, 2015 at 12:24 pmWhat keeps the bread from becoming a soggy mess? I have a husband who is very concerned about that, but I’d like to try these for Easter lunch.
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
March 29, 2015 at 3:02 pmThey aren’t soggy – they are delicious. My husband LOVES these. They would be perfect for Easter! Plus you can make them in advance and then just bake that day.
kim Downey
May 9, 2015 at 11:05 amI absolutely love these I used honey turkey instead of ham and they were awesome!!!
Nancy
July 11, 2015 at 4:13 amI assume you put them in the fridge to marinade?
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
July 16, 2015 at 3:04 pmYes for sure!
Mary Huml
September 28, 2015 at 12:38 pmThese “funeral rolls” have been long standing Super Bowl food…… Delicious at any event!!
Carol
November 29, 2015 at 7:18 pmWe make sandwiches like this and ours are called Tailgating sandwiches. Kinda like that better than funeral rolls.
Rose
January 31, 2016 at 7:45 pmI want to make these for a card party what can I serve with them?
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
January 31, 2016 at 8:29 pmHashbrown Casserole would be a great choice – https://www.stockpilingmoms.com/2013/10/crockpot-hashbrown-casserole/
Denise
February 9, 2016 at 11:46 amThey sound yummy, can’t wait to make them… Can you freeze them after they are baked??? If so, how would you freeze them???
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
February 9, 2016 at 11:56 amI have never tried because there are never any left 🙂 You could freeze before baking I would think for best results?
Suzan Greenberg
June 8, 2016 at 11:18 pmI’ve been wanting to try these for Book Club, but I like to try out a recipe first. I had a Groupon for Sam’s Club which included 2 dozen dinner rolls for free and $10 off a ham. It is just hubby and Me, so since we had all these ingredients, it was the perfect time to try this recipe out. They were delicious! We both loved them. I made mostly ham and Swiss cheese since we had so much of that, but I also had some honey turkey from the deli and a good Brie left over from company. So 4 of them I made with the turkey and Brie and added a slice of already cooked bacon I had in the house. Those were were even more delicious than the ham ones, and even though my hubby is a ham fan, he thought the turkey were the best too. I made these the night before and cookHappy Tuesday!e them exactly 15 minutes. We also had them again the next night and I cooked them the same amount of time. They were still delicious. I was not crazy about the rolls I used and know Hawaiian would be better as recipe states. Also, my rolls had a very rounded top so the sauce I poured on rolled right off so most was in the bottom. Nevertheless, they weren’t soggy, but were wet on the bottom which I thought was fine. It wasn’t mushy, and the roll stayed together even with a wet bottom. However, I really want to try these with pretzel buns, the miniature ones (sliders). Because they are firmer than Hawaiian rolls, I may try pouring the sauce on them, then the next morning flipping them over so the top soaks in the sauce and them back to original way before popping them in the oven. This recipe is a keeper! So good. PS I used Honey Dijon mustard.
Tina
September 17, 2016 at 10:39 amI’ve made these for a tailgate today. I wanted to make them last night to marinate but ran out of time. I also only had enough ham for 1pan. So the 2nd one was roasted turkey. Then, I remembered that I had some pulled BBQ beef in the freezer. I added Swiss cheese to the ham, sharp Cheddar’s to the turkey, and sprinkled the BBQ with shredded cheddar. I thought the Worcestershire sauce would taste too good with the beef, so, I melted some butter, added some onion and some garlic powder plus a little parsley. They’re marinating now, ready to bake in a few hours. I’ll let you know how they go over with the crowd. They have to be heated on the grill when we reach the game, so this should be interesting. Thank you for the recipe!
Debbie Waite
January 25, 2017 at 7:27 pmI have two different kinds of Hawaiian rolls at my local grocery store, one is like a dinner roll, the other a bun like a slider. which one would be best? I am having a jewelry party this weekend and plan on making them for the first time. I’m a little nervous about making something new for a gathering. I can’t believe the rolls won’t be soggy, especially if you marinade them overnight. I don’t think I will do that. I will make them ahead but possibly not put the sauce on until a few hours ahead. I hope they turn out!
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
January 26, 2017 at 12:56 pmYou use the bun that looks like a slider 🙂 I would suggest marinading them in the morning if you are concerned. They are YUMMY!
Crystal
April 17, 2017 at 3:34 pmI’m making these for a ladies meeting Thursday…. I am a lil concerned now after reading the comments of being soggy mushy??
Also is it deli ham? TIA
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
April 19, 2017 at 5:19 pmYou will LOVE this! Wrap them in foil and they will be great!
Katy
May 26, 2017 at 5:42 pmI have a batch of these currently in the fridge, waiting for baking tomorrow, and the glaze is so good, I had to kick my kid out of the kitchen since he was literally trying to drink the stuff. Can’t wait until the guests try them!
Teri
April 3, 2018 at 7:59 pmI made these tonight and they were FABULOUS! I used an 8×8 square pan and sweet dinner rolls (a bit larger than King’s Hawaiian) so I was able to fit 9 in the pan. I used a bit less on all the marinade ingredients since I was using a smaller amount and it came out perfectly! Hubby gave them two thumbs up and said I could add them into the dinner rotation! Thanks, Melissa! 🙂
Melissa@StockpilingMoms
April 4, 2018 at 5:05 pmSo glad you liked it! This is one of our favorite recipes 🙂
Robin
November 21, 2018 at 10:33 amWhat an incredibly small world. I am in Somerset, KY!