Savory Tea Sandwich Recipes

Every tea party deserves mouthwateringly good tea sandwich recipes.

As the first course in the traditional Full Afternoon Tea, it's up to the tea sandwiches to make a good impression. If you are one who assumes tea sandwiches are tasteless bits of fluff, you have several savory surprises in store!

Traditional Tea Sandwich Recipes Produce Sandwiches that Share Five Characteristics:

• They're small. Regular-size sandwiches are cut into 4 squares or triangles, or about 3 fingers. Less often, they are cut into decorative shapes with a cookie cutter, but much of the sandwich goes to waste that way.
• They're crustless. Remove the crusts before cutting the sandwiches to size.
• They're thin-sliced. Several types of bread come thin-sliced. Another option is to purchase square-topped unsliced loaves of bread and have the bakery slice them thinly for you. Or you can do it yourself with a sharp knife or electric carving knife and a little practice. A 2-pound loaf of bread yields at least 20 slices, 10 uncut sandwiches, 40 tea sandwiches.
• They're flavorful. (Yes, even the cucumber sandwiches.) Tea sandwich recipes are savory fare, not sweet, often prepared with scallions, garlic, spicy mustard, pepper or hot sauce.
• Each tea sandwich is spread with soft butter or cream cheese, or something similar, to prevent soggy sandwiches. Peanut butter (with banana slices or jelly) is just right for a child's tea party.

Wheat, white, sourdough, pumpernickel, rye…the choice of bread is yours. Or, for a creative checkerboard effect, use one white slice and one wheat per sandwich.

It takes about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of soft butter or cream cheese spread, 1 to 1 1/2 cups of spreadable filling, (2 cups if it is a composite of spread and meat, seafood, cheese, or nuts, etc.), and 3/4 lb. of sliced meat to make 10 sandwiches, 40 quarter sandwiches.

Deviled Egg Sandwiches

3/4 cup soft butter or cream cheese
20 slices bread of your choice
4 or 5 hardboiled eggs
8 ounces canned sardines in oil, oil reserved
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste

Spread 1 side of each slice of bread with butter or cream cheese. Place all the remaining ingredients except reserved oil in a food processor. Whirl until a spread is formed, adding reserved oil and/or mayonnaise to bring it to spreading consistency. Spread the mixture evenly over 10 slices of bread, top with the other 10, remove the crusts and cut into tea sandwiches. Makes 40 quarters or 30 finger sandwiches.

Seafood Tea Sandwich Recipe

Shrimp, crab, or lobster may be used in this tea sandwich recipe, or any combination thereof.

3/4 cup soft butter or cream cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
20 slices bread of your choice
2 cups finely chopped crab, shrimp or lobster
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the butter and chives and spread the mixture onto one side of each slice of bread. Mix the remaining ingredients together in a small bowl, then evenly spread the mixture over 10 of the bread slices. Top with the other 10 slices, remove the crusts, and cut. Makes 40 quarters or 30 finger sandwiches.

1 cup soft cream cheese
20 slices bread, your choice
1/2 cup capers
12 ounces thin-sliced smoked salmon
Juice of 1 lemon
Black pepper

Spread the cream cheese on one side of each slice of bread. Dot with capers. Arrange the smoked salmon on 10 of the bread slices and brush with lemon juice. Pepper generously. Top with the other 10 slices, remove the crusts and cut. Makes 40 tea sandwiches or 30 fingers.

Cucumber Tea Sandwich Recipe

Cucumber sandwiches are still the quintessential tea sandwich recipe. No tea party recipe page would be complete without them.

1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced very thinly
Salt
3/4 cup soft butter
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
20 slices bread
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pepper to taste

Lightly salt the cucumber slices and place them in a colander to drain for 1 to 2 hours. Then combine the butter and garlic and apply to one side of each slice of bread. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper. Add the cucumber slices, coating them well. Arrange the cucumber on 10 of the bread slices, top with the other 10 slices, remove the crusts, and quarter. Serve immediately. Makes 40 tea sandwiches.

Variation: Tomato Tea Sandwich Recipe

Prepare as above, substituting about 2 pounds of seeded, thinly sliced tomatoes for the cucumber. You do not need to drain them as you would the cucumber slices. These can be messy, though, so it's best to arrange the tomato slices so that each slice touches a portion of the outer spread to keep the filling from slipping.

Almond Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Spread:
Combine 3/4 cup butter, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, a pinch of salt, and 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves or 2 tablespoons dried basil.

Filling:
1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken meat
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Salt and pepper to taste
20 slices bread, your choice

Combine the filling ingredients. Spread each slice of bread with a thin layer of the butter mixture. Add the filling to half the bread slices and top with the other half, buttered sides in. Remove the crusts and cut the sandwiches as desired. Makes 40 tea sandwiches.

Pepper Cheese Sandwiches

Spread:
Cream together 1 cup soft butter, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.

Filling:
1 1/4 cups Stilton cheese, finely grated
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brandy
1/4 cup, more or less, heavy cream
20 slices bread, your choice

Combine all filling ingredients except the cream in a small bowl. Gradually add the cream to bring the mixture to spreading consistency. Spread a thin layer of the butter mixture to the edge of one side of each piece of bread. Top half the slices with the filling. Place the remaining bread slices on top, remove the crusts and cut as desired. Makes 40 tea sandwiches.

3/4 cup soft butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg
20 slices bread of your choice
11/2 cups soft cream cheese
1/2 cup pineapple, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
Salt and pepper

Combine the butter with cinnamon or nutmeg and spread the mixture over 1 side of each slice of bread. In a small bowl, cream the cream cheese, if necessary, and stir in the pineapple and nuts. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over 10 slices of bread and top with the other 10 slices. Remove the crusts and cut. Makes 40 quarter tea sandwiches.

Hummus in Pita Bread

This is not a traditional tea sandwich recipe, but it exhibits the same features. Any small-portioned, savory (not sweet) sandwich or appetizer may be served with or instead of the traditional tea sandwich.

1 cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), liquid reserved
1/3 cup tahini paste*
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
12 mini pitas
Chopped olives and tomatoes, optional

*You can make your own tahini paste in a food processor or blender by grinding toasted sesame seeds. Toast the sesame seeds over medium heat until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

In a food processor, puree the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, and garlic until smooth, adding a little of the reserved liquid if the mixture seems too thick. It will be slightly grainy. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the pita pockets in half and fill each with about 2 tablespoons of Hummus. Top with chopped olives and tomatoes, if desired. Makes 24 tea sandwiches.

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