5 Yummy Tea Sandwich Recipes

Is anything cuter than small plates of finger food, tastefully arranged for tea time? Whether you're having a traditional high tea for company, an adorable tea party with your children, or a quick picnic in the garden for yourself, an easy but visually impressive (and completely scrumptious) menu item is a tea sandwich.

Tea sandwiches, also called finger sandwiches, come in many varieties. Traditionally they are made with white bread, thinly sliced, often with the crust cut away, and served cut into small pieces so they are bite sized and easy to eat daintily. 

You can make tea sandwiches however you like them, but here are five of our favorite options.  

Chicken Salad

• Cube or shred (depending on your personal taste) 2 cups of cold roasted chicken.
• Finely dice 1 stalk of celery
• Mix chicken and celery with a 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and a dash of ground mustard (or other seasoning to your personal preference)
• Spread a thin layer of this mixture over bread (with the crusts removed) then cut into four smaller sandwiches. 

A great way to repurpose leftover rotisserie chicken, this classic sandwich filling is delicious and easily adaptable to personal taste. A personal "cheat" for me is to substitute the usual mayo with ranch (leaving out the salt and other seasoning), but you could also do blue cheese or whatever your favorite dressing is.  

Cucumber and Cream Cheese

• Thinly slice a cucumber.
• Spread softened cream cheese across slices of white bread (with the crusts removed).
• Next, layer the cucumbers over the cream cheese on half the bread slices and sprinkle with fresh cracked paper and salt to taste.
• Finally top with a second slice of cream cheese spread bread and cut into triangles.

For a fun variation add in garden fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced, along with the cucumbers! Or give it a kick with some sliced red onion.

As a bonus, this one is easy to make vegan. Just substitute the cream cheese for a dairy free spread. 

Strawberry and Cream Cheese

For a sweet treat, this sandwich hits the spot!

• Slice 8 to 10 (depending on the size of your berries) strawberries into thin cross-sections.
• Mix 4oz of softened cream cheese, a dash of vanilla extract, and 2 tbsps. of powdered sugar.
• Spread the cream cheese mixture across slices of white bread (with the crust removed). 
• Layer the strawberries over half the slices of bread, then top these with the remaining bread. 
• Cut into wedges and chill before serving.

You can mix this one up simply by substituting your favorite fruit for the strawberries or try swapping out the cream cheese mixture with Nutella for something truly decadent.

Shrimp Sandwich

• Mix together 2 tbsp. of mayonnaise and 2 tbsp. of plain Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp. of chopped fresh chives, 1 tbsp. of chopped fresh dill, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Add cooked, cold shrimp and toss to coat.
• Remove the crust from 8 slices of bread of choice then place a leaf of green lettuce on top of four of the slices.
• Divide the shrimp mixture evenly across the four slices, then top with the remaining slices.
• Cut into desired shapes, then serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until tea time. 

(I think this is the one I'm the most excited about personally.)

Zesty Turkey Sandwich

• Mix together two tbsp. of mayo with a splash of zesty Italian dressing. 
• Prepare your bread, removing the crust. For this sandwich you may wish to try toasting the bread, but this step is optional. 
• Shred iceberg lettuce and mix with the mayo and dressing mix, then spread this evenly across half the bread. 
• Place a thin slice of tomato, a few deli style pickled banana peppers, then a thin slice of turkey on top of the lettuce spread in that order.
• Top with a slice of provolone cheese, then finally the remaining bread.
• Cut into triangles and serve.

You may want to use more dressing to taste, but be warned, this can make the sandwich a little harder to eat cleanly.

Not into turkey or provolone? Swap them out for your favorite meat and cheese.

Final Quick Tips:

• Pretty much ANY favorite sandwich can become a tea sandwich. Want to fancy up PB&J? Or use your favorite deli meat? Just make the sandwich, then cut it small! The possibilities are endless.
• Want things to be even fancier? Use a cookie cutter to craft your sandwiches in different shapes.
• Using fancy toothpicks can make your presentation even more appealing. 
• Consider your garnishes, a few tastefully placed olives or a strawberry cut into a fan can impress with little effort. 
• Pair your tea party with a perfect, cozy candle. We have some suggestions.