To make the hot honey, place honey, cider vinegar, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper and salt in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat; let cool slightly. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the solids, if desired. Set aside.
To make the chicken tenders, in a shallow baking dish, whisk together egg and buttermilk. In a separate shallow baking dish, stir together flour, garlic powder, pepper, onion powder, salt, paprika and thyme. Toss chicken tenders in the egg mixture. Dip each in the flour mixture on both sides, shaking off any excess flour. Place on a plate or baking sheet until ready to cook.
In a large Dutch oven, deep-sided skillet or electric fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry the chicken tenders, a few pieces at a time, for 2-3 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165°. Transfer to a wire rack placed over a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chicken tenders.
Preheat oven to 350°. Without separating rolls, cut horizontally in half; arrange roll bottoms in a greased 15x10-in. baking dish or pan. Place cheese slices over roll bottoms, overlapping as needed. Bake until cheese is melted, 3-5 minutes. Toss chicken in hot honey sauce, place on top of cheese. Top with coleslaw and pickles; replace top halves of rolls and serve.