Easy Ham Salad Tea Sandwiches

A round tea sandwich with a ham salad filling, leafy greens, a cucumber slice, and dill on top is served on a white plate with a small purple flower garnish—an elegant addition to your collection of easy recipes for tea sandwiches.

Easy Ham Salad Tea Sandwiches

Easy Ham Salad Tea Sandwiches are made with creamy ham salad, soft sandwich bread, tender greens, cucumber, and fresh dill. They’re a simple and elegant savory bite for afternoon tea, showers, luncheons, and summer gatherings.

Prep Time20

Total Time20

Servings: servings

Calories: 181kcal

Author: Stephanie Wilson

Ingredients

16 slices sandwich bread soft white or whole wheat
1 to 1½ cups prepared ham salad chilled
2 tablespoons softened butter or cream cheese
½ cup baby spinach or arugula, or watercress, loosely packed
8 cucumber slices thinly sliced
Fresh dill fronds for garnish
Edible flowers or decorative sandwich picks optional

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Instructions

Place the bread in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until firm enough to cut cleanly.
Using a 2 to 2½-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut 16 rounds from the bread.
Spread one side of each bread round very lightly with softened butter or cream cheese.
Arrange a few tender greens over 8 of the bread rounds. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of chilled ham salad onto each bread round and gently shape the filling so it reaches close to the edges without spilling over.
Top each filled round with one of the remaining bread rounds, buttered side facing the filling. Press together very gently.
Secure a thin cucumber slice on top of each sandwich with a small dab of butter or cream cheese. Garnish with fresh dill and a decorative sandwich pick, if desired.
Serve immediately, or arrange the sandwiches in a single layer, cover tightly, and refrigerate until serving.

Notes

Ham salad quantity: The full ham salad recipe makes approximately 4 to 4½ cups—enough for two to three batches of these tea sandwiches. Use 1½ cups for this recipe and serve the remaining ham salad on sandwiches, crackers, or cucumber slices. For a smaller batch, you can halve the ham salad recipe; this will make about 2 to 2¼ cups.
Bread: White, whole wheat, or a combination of both can be used. Slightly firming the bread in the freezer makes decorative shapes easier to cut.
Making ahead: Prepare the ham salad one or two days ahead. For the best texture, assemble the sandwiches within a few hours of serving and add the cucumber garnish close to teatime.
Bread scraps: Save the scraps for breadcrumbs, strata, bread pudding, or croutons.
Yield: The yield will vary according to the size of the cutter and how generously the sandwiches are filled. I would confirm the final quantities the next time you assemble them.

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