Of course I tried to search, but the word “tea” is too short, and “sandwiches” appears in just about every thread, apparently.
Anyway, I need to make a variety of girly tea sandwiches for a baby shower, and although I’m set on the concept, I’m interested to hear some ideas for fillings. I’d like there to be a variety, and there should be enough substance to them that along with the other nibbles they’ll constitute a sufficient meal, while the ladies graze and gossip and giggle.
I know I’m going to do cucumber sandwiches (of course) and watercress sandwiches (likely with goat cheese instead of cream cheese) and peanut butter and jelly. I should probably also do a salmon or tuna one. I may also do my garlicky-olive tapenade and do some sandwiches with that. Any other ideas for good tea sandwich fillings?
Here’s one I’ve always liked, although it doesn’t really go with tea. Take one slice of bread spread with pimento cheese, top that with a second slice of bread spread with deviled ham on top - so that the bread is between the layers of cheese and ham. Top it off with a third slice of bread. Cut off the crusts, and cut the bread into four triangles.
Turkey with cranberry-mayo, garnished with a craisen (dried cranberry).
-Mix mayo with enough cranberry sauce to make it tasty.
Crab and avocado, garnished with cilantro sprig.
-Slice avocado and place in lemon juice for a minute, to prevent it from turning brown. No spread needed, the avocado takes its place
Mini BLT - Procuitto, Butter Lettuce, and sliced cherry Tomato.
-Plain Mayo will work for a spread, or make a dijon-mayo
Just make sure the bread you use is good, and there is a variety of different kinds (of the bread). I’ve had tea sandwiches made with plain old supermarket bread andit just doesn’t make it – even if the fillings are all different, having the bread the same made the sandwiches seem all the same.
One tea sandwich I’m especially fond of is good old raisin bread with slightly-sweetened cream cheese.
A good fancy-tea sandwich if you and your guests are partial to seafood:
Pumpernickel bread, either cocktail squares or slices cut into rounds with about a 1&1/2 or 2 inch diameter.
Spread on a little cream cheese (or other similar spread if you don’t like cream cheese).
Place 1 thin slice of cucumber with the seedy middle cut out on each slice of bread.
Put a small scoop of crab or other seafood salad (I usually buy it ready-made) into the middle of the cucumber slice, then two shrimps curved around the crab salad. If you have Bay seasoning, you can sprinkle a little on.
Garnish the top with a spring of dill or other greenery.
That’s what I came in to suggest. I’m not generally that fond of tea sandwiches, as it all seems a bit frou-frou to me, but a cinnamon-raisin bread with cream cheese (and better yet, add some nuts too) is good. Maybe use commercially prepared honey-walnut cream cheese for ease of preparation.
Chicken salad on whole wheat or dark brown bread (the good kind of chicken salad, with nuts and stuff)
Another that I love is take a baguette and slice into tiny rounds. Toast the rounds then top with a sun-dried tomato/basil spread. (Dead easy to make. Put sun-dried tomatoes, basil and cream cheese in food processor and whirl away. Also good if you add pine nuts.)
Campion - you could always do a sandwich loaf - it’s filling. Here’s a recipe. I made one for a friend’s wedding shower many years ago - {I didn’t decorate it all fancy like that of course) it was a big hit.
Thanks, guys. I think we’re going to do about five or six different types, and I agree that the bread is the key. I’ll make sure to pick pretty bread.
I think it probably will, since I won’t need much. I guess I need to find a deli for this? (Yes, I’m not a fish person. I presume a deli would have some? Or Whole Foods?)
Now that’s resolved, I just need to figure out the hot hors d’oeuvres and drinks. And the games, and where everything’s going to go…
