Hanky Pankys are a delicious, old-fashioned appetizer served at potlucks, get-togethers, and holidays. The Hanky Panky sliders spin is super easy and will be a crowd-pleaser for sure!

taking a hanky panky slider off a plate of slider sandwiches

In my opinion, the best things in life are easy to make and delicious. This recipe for Hanky Panky Sliders checks both boxes. If you've never had Hanky Pankys, you're in for a real treat! The combination of sausage, beef, cheese, and spices is a magical thing! Variations of the recipe have also been known to be called Party Pizzas, Polish Mistakes, Polish Disasters, and S*%& on a Shingle.

I've been in love with this appetizer for 30 years. I don't have a clue of its origin, but for me, it began with my aunts throwing Home Interior parties (home decor in the 1980s). These little numbers would always be included in the spread of goodies.

Traditionally, the cheesy meat filling is spread on cocktail rye bread slices and baked in the oven (see recipe below). To be honest, I went to 3 stores and cocktail rye bread slices were nowhere to be found. They're more plentiful in the bakery department around Thanksgiving and Christmas. My usual plan B is to use regular rye bread slices cut in half, but they're just not as cute. Plan C, which might be my new favorite, is King's Hawaiian Pretzel Slider Buns!

The combination of the savory filling, salty pretzel exterior, and sweet bread is a beautiful thing! Obviously, they're great in their classic rye bread form, but these just might become your new favorite way of making them too! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!

Table of Contents

What You'll Need

Breakfast Sausage
Hamburger
Cayenne Pepper
Oregano
Garlic Powder
American Cheese
King's Hawaiian Pretzel Slider Buns

ingredients for hanky panky slider sandwiches

Tools You'll Need

How to Make Hanky Panky Sliders

Cook and crumble the meat in a skillet on medium-high heat until no longer pink and cooked through. Drain any excess grease in a colander or with a paper towel.

Turn the heat to medium, and add the spices. Stir until combined well.
Lay the cheese slices on top of the meat, and allow it to warm for 3 minutes. Stir the mixture until the cheese has fully melted and it's a cohesive mix.

Separate the tops from the bottoms of the buns. To each of the bottom buns, add 2 tablespoons of the cooked filling. Add the top buns to the top and serve. (Optional: butter and toast the inside of the buns in a skillet prior to adding the filling.) Hanky Panky sliders are best served warm.

adding beef mixture to hanky panky sliders

Tips and Substitutions

Velveeta can be substituted for American cheese. You can also use a combination of the two. Substituting with cheddar will not yield the creaminess that makes this recipe so delicious, but you can use it as well.
You can use ground turkey, mild, hot, or homemade breakfast sausage.
The leftover filling is also excellent used as a filling for a grilled sandwich, quesadilla, or over tortilla chips.
Hanky Panky sliders can be an easy gluten-free appetizer by using corn tortilla chips or gluten-free bread as the base.
For a low-carb version, halve and remove the membrane from mini sweet peppers, fill with the filling, and bake in the oven or air fry.
If you want to make this a dip, add a can of Rotel, ¼ pound more American and/or Velveeta cheese, and a splash of milk to your desired consistency. This is great to serve in a slow cooker with tortilla chips and raw veggies.
You can make the filling ahead of time and reheat it before your get-together.

Storage

Store any leftover filling mixture in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
The filling can be frozen in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.

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This is a picture of a miniature sandwich. Between the pretzel bun is a filling of yellow cheese and hamburger and sausage meat. There’s also a tray of these sandwiches in the background.

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