17 Tea Sandwiches to Snack While You Sip
Before we lose you in a sea of pumpernickel and rye breads, cream cheese mixtures, and other sandwich fillings, a warning: We’re inclusive when it comes to tea sandwiches. Traditionalists may say the English tea sandwich must have two slices of crust-free bread and must be small enough to be easily picked up with one hand, but we’re not fans of “musts.” Call them “deconstructed,” if you like, but we say open-face sandwiches such as tartines belong here too. (And if that bothers you, just add another slice of sandwich bread on top.) And if they must be finger sandwiches? Cut them down.
Okay, our serious discussion is out of the way. You’ve chosen your beverage from the big catalog of teas. Now, here are our favorite tea sandwiches (and tartines, snacks, or whatever you’d like to call them).
Photograph by Heami Lee, food styling by Frances Boswell, prop styling by Sophie Strangio3/17Bombay Sandwich
This savory tea sandwich recipe, which we think of as grown-up grilled cheese, would feel at home at high tea, Mother’s Day brunch, or a baby shower alike. (Speaking of cheese sandwiches, they don’t need to be grilled to be good. Try Brie with watercress and pesto or cheddar and pickles.)
Photo by Alex Lau4/17Fruit Sandwiches
This is the dessert tart of finger sandwiches: Soft, fluffy Japanese milk bread soaks up the whipped cream and fresh fruit juices, but it won’t turn to mush, even if you make it eight hours ahead of time.
Photo by Alex Lau6/17Green Goddess Crunch Sandwich
Think of this as a salad sandwiched between carbohydrates (a.k.a. two slices of bread). One reader “even forgot to add the yogurt to the dressing and it was still delicious.”
Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Susie Theodorou9/17Green Goddess Tuna Salad Sandwich
There’s only one thing you have to do in order to take these from lunch sandwiches to teatime: quarter them. Boom! Now you have two-bite tea sandwiches.
Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Sean Dooley, Prop Styling by Beth Pakradooni12/17Cheesy Chickpea Salad Toast
Humble canned chickpeas become the stuff of open-face tea sandwich dreams with the help of a few flavorful, crunchy mix-ins and a whole lot of sharp cheddar.
Gentl & Hyers13/17California Veggie Sandwich
If we were the betting types (and we are), we’d say this simple spread will likely find its way into other dishes you make once you see how easy it is. Just mash goat cheese with some olive oil in a small bowl until it’s softened, season it with salt and black pepper, and there you have it.
Alex Lau16/17Apple-Fennel Chicken Salad
You know what most chicken salads are missing (even the late Queen Elizabeth’s famed coronation chicken)? Crunch. Not this one: Apples and fennel bring textural contrast to the tender shredded chicken, making this chicken salad fit for all the queens at your table.
Photograph by Isa Zapata17/17Cucumber Sandwich With Green Chutney
Perhaps the most classic of tea sandwiches are English cucumber tea sandwiches. White bread—this is not a time for whole wheat or really anything other than sweet, pillowy dough—sliced cucumber, and a cream cheese spread are the pillars. This riff has a little extra: cilantro chutney made with fresh herbs, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil.
