Make Cuban Sandwiches For A Crowd With An Easy Sheet Pan Hack

The Cuban sandwich is a classic — containing a delicious combination of marinated pork, ham, cheese, dill pickles, and yellow mustard, and brought together in a Cuban sandwich loaf, it's easy to see why. But when cooking these sandwiches for a crowd, it may get a bit tedious to toast each individual sandwich in a panini press. Luckily, if you're low on time, there is a simple way to prepare enough Cuban sandwiches for a crowd that requires much less work. The solution is to turn them into sliders and use the oven to toast them up.

You can refer to Tasting Table's recipe for the all-out Cuban sandwich for the ingredient list and instructions on everything leading up to the toasting step. Then, swap out the loaves for slider buns — or, for something a bit sweeter, King's Hawaiian rolls — and prepare each slider. Next, arrange the sliders on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for about 10 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. To check if they're done, look for melting cheese and your desired level of toastiness.

With this method, you'll be able to make about a dozen sliders at once. And, if needed, you can always prepare a second batch while the first is baking.

Now that you have an easy method for serving Cuban sandwiches to a crowd, you'll need some ideas as to what to serve on the side. The most straightforward side option for sandwiches is, of course, chips — you can't go wrong with traditional potato chips, or maybe barbecue chips (or both, so the guests have options). Or, since the slider buns give the sandwiches more of a burger feel, you could go with the classic burger side: fries. Maybe try Tasting Table's recipe for shoestring garlic parmesan fries or, for something a bit less hands-on but still classic, the air fryer french fries.

If you want to stick to Cuban cuisine, you could opt for Cuban black beans or garlicky Cuban-style yuca. Tostones — aka fried plantains — are also a great option for a tasty, easy-to-make side dish. Or, there's the classic side dish combo of rice and beans — perhaps cilantro-lime rice and refried pinto beans.