Boat Bites
Delicious on Land or at Sea
These make ahead Boat Bites are perfect for any summer outing. They’re easy to assemble ahead of time and cut and serve when ready to eat.
Made on Hawaiian Dinner Rolls, these mini sandwiches don’t get soggy thanks to a spread of butter and the layering of the cheese and cold cuts. These little deli sliders will hit the spot whether you’re on the boat, at the beach, by the pool, or at the park.
While I am pretty sure this is a pretty self explanatory “recipe,” I did include a full, printable and Pinterest(able) recipe card at the end of this post.
The next few paragraphs have some photos to get your appetite going and information that you will find helpful for clarification.
Not Just For The Boat
I call these Boat Bites because they are perfect for taking out for a day on the water. You’re still allowed to eat them on the land if you’re worried about getting sea sick, so don’t worry about that!
Truth be told, I have been making these sandwiches for longer than I care to share. I used to teach an Early Childhood Education program for the Chicago Park District, and these were an easy way for me to make food for the kids who didn’t have a lunch on field trip days.
You can make many varieties of these sandwiches so that there is something everyone likes. You can substitute the meat and cheese for vegetarians and vegans as well.
There are some good nondairy spreads you could look into, like Smart Balance, and there are some decent fake meat alternatives out there these days.
The Ingredients
I like to use the King’s Hawaiian Rolls for this recipe. To me, they stay soft without getting soggy. I also think they have great flavor.
That’s why I use these rolls to make my famous Beef and Cheddar Sliders as well. They’re a copycat version of a famous restaurant dish.
I won’t spoil which one, but there’s a hat involved and they’re rumored to have some meats.
These Boat Bites are tasty and moist but hold together well enough that you don’t need to risk making a mess.
Boat Bites
These make ahead boat bites are perfect for any Summer outing. Easy to assemble ahead of time and cut and serve when ready to eat. Made on Hawaiian Dinner Rolls these mini sandwiches don't get soggy thanks to a spread of butter and the layering of the cheese and cold cuts. These mini sandwich sliders will hit the spot whether you're on the boat, at the beach, the pool or at the park.
Ingredients
- 1 package of Hawaiian Dinner Rolls (12 slider buns)
- 1/4 pound of Rotisserie Chicken Deli Meat
- 1/4 pound of hard salami
- 1/4 pound of swiss cheese
- 4 tablespoons of mayo
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 2 cups of shredded lettuce ( I used the pre shredded lettuce in a bag)
- 2 roma tomatoes, sliced thin
- Mustard (optional)
- Pickles (optional)
Instructions
- Carefully slide your dinner rolls out of the plastic bag and fold down the sides of the box tray they come in (see pictures above)
- Slice the lids off the rolls horizontally so that you are just removing the lids and not separating each individual roll. The lids should be one cohesive sheet.
- Soften your butter for 3 to 5 seconds in the microwave and spread the butter evenly across the base of the buns, make sure to get the butter to the edges.
- First layer the salami on top of the butter. then spread the mayo over the salami.
- Next layer the chicken deli meat and then spread with mayo.
- Top with the Swiss cheese. This layering prevents the buns from getting soggy.
- Top the sandwiches base with the lids of the buns. Then close up the sides of the box tray and slide the rolls back into the plastic bag packaging.
- This can be stored overnight in the fridge and then kept cold in a cooler with ice all day.
- When. ready to serve, lift the lids off again and layer the lettuce and tomatoes, replace the lids and cut into individual sandwiches. You can also serve the lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and mustard on the side.
*You can make many varities of sandwiches and write the varities on the packages to keep them straight.
For another great summer sandwich you should try the Best Tuna Sandwiches Ever.