All about Tea Sandwiches

Tea sandwiches are small finger sandwiches with a variety of fillings. Your sandwiches can be traditional cucmber and cress, or go the more “punk” route and put virtually anything between those dainty slices.

Tea sandwiches generally have a fatty layer included. For instance, the classic cucumber sandwich starts with buttered slices of bread. Butter is typical and is often flavored with herbs or lemon, but cream cheese or mayonaise work just fine too. If you’re using a “salad” type filling, that fatty ingredient is usually included in the filling and no additional butter is needed. Unless you like it.

For a pretty and tasty table, try to vary the breads used. White sandwich bread is traditional for vegetable sandwiches, but you may want whole wheat or rye for more hearty flavors. Try small picnic rolls, a cocktail loaf, or sandwich thins. Mini-bagels, petite toast, or crostini work great for open-faced sandwiches. Loaf bread can be cut into rounds with cookie cutters.

Using a serrated knife, cut the crusts off your loaf breads to make them look neater and easier to bite into. You may also freeze bread to make it easier to cut after the sandwiches are assembled.

Yes, you can assemle tea sandwiches the night before. Keep them whole in the fridge, and cover loosely with wax paper and then a damp paper towel. (Don’t let the damp paper towel touch the bread, because it will make it soggy.) Cut crusts off and into smaller bite-sizes the morning before the tea; tea sandwiches should be served at room temperature.

DVSS Teas are generally pretty hearty affairs. While many Tea organizers plan for 3 or 4 tea sandwiches per person, we generally expect Tea-takers to enjoy about 6 tea sandwiches each.

Here are some simple, beginning ideas for tea sandwiches. Assemble a variety of:

  • Breads - white, seeded, whole wheat, cocktail loaf, mini bagels, sandwich rounds, petit toasts

  • Cheeses - soft like Boursin, hard like cheddar or parmesan

  • Vegetables - cucumbers, sprouts, peppers, diced onions

  • Fruits - ripe pears, pineapple, tomatoes, berries, apples

  • Eggs

  • Meats - ham, roast beef, turkey

  • Fig paste or other preserves

Some classic (and punk!) combinations

  1. Rare roast beed and bleu cheese salad dressing on rye or wheat bread

  2. Mascarpone cheese and sliced pears on raisin bread

  3. Fig paste and gorgonzola on petit toasts

  4. Cream cheese and jalapeno jelly on seeded bread

  5. Ham and herbed cream cheese on wheat bread

  6. Alouette or Boursin cheese and red pepper strips

  7. Smoked salmon cream cheese with garnish of capers, diced red onions, and dill

  8. Guacamole and tomatoes on wheat

  9. Gouda or mozzarella slices, basil leaves, and sliced cocktail tomatoes on white bread

  10. Curried egg salad on white bread

  11. Chicken salad, tuna salad, avacado salad, shrimp salad, tarragon turkey salad, ham salad with pineapple - you can go wild here

  12. Mint and cucumbers on buttered white bread

  13. Ham and smoked cheddar cheese on mayo’d bread

  14. BLT

  15. Peanut butter and jelly between three slices of white bread - cut the bread before applying the filling.

  16. Roast beef, horseradish mayo, and watercress

It’s hard to refrain from making them all!

Melanie

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Grilled Mascarpone Cheese Sandwiches

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Bacon & Avocado Tea Sandwiches