Kentucky Derby Tea Sandwich Trio (Print version)

A trio of Southern-style tea sandwiches featuring cucumber, egg salad, and ham with soft bread.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cucumber Sandwiches

01 - 6 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
02 - 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
03 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
04 - 2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
06 - Pinch of salt and black pepper

→ Egg Salad Sandwiches

07 - 3 large eggs
08 - 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1 teaspoon chives, minced
11 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
12 - 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
13 - 6 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed

→ Ham Sandwiches

14 - 6 slices rye sandwich bread, crusts removed
15 - 3 ounces thinly sliced deli ham
16 - 2 tablespoons Dijon or honey mustard
17 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
18 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Place eggs in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, remove from heat, and let stand for 10 minutes. Cool eggs under cold water, peel, and chop finely. In a bowl, combine eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, chives, salt, and pepper. Mix well and set aside.
02 - Stir together cream cheese, butter, dill, salt, and pepper. Spread mixture thinly on each slice of white bread. Arrange cucumber slices evenly on three bread slices. Top with remaining bread slices. Press gently and cut each sandwich into two or three finger sandwiches.
03 - Spread butter on one side of each rye bread slice. Spread mustard over the butter on three slices. Top with ham and a sprinkle of parsley. Top with remaining bread slices and press gently. Cut each sandwich into two or three finger sandwiches.
04 - Spread egg salad evenly over three whole wheat bread slices. Top with remaining bread slices. Cut each sandwich into two or three finger sandwiches.
05 - Arrange all sandwiches on a platter. Cover with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap until serving to keep fresh.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You can prep everything hours ahead and just arrange it all when people arrive, which means you're actually relaxed during your own gathering.
  • Three different fillings means there's something for everyone, and honestly, people find themselves sneaking back for just one more of their favorite.
  • The whole thing screams elegant without a single complicated technique or hard-to-find ingredient.
02 -
  • Removing crusts isn't fancy fussiness; it's practical because soft bread without crusts holds together better when you're cutting and handling, plus the texture is just more delicate and pleasant to eat.
  • Softening your butter and cream cheese beforehand is the difference between spreading easily and tearing your bread into confetti, so take them out thirty minutes before you start.
  • Cold egg yolks stay pale yellow and creamy; overcooking them turns them gray-green and chalky, so that ten-minute timer is genuinely important.
03 -
  • Slicing your cucumber on a mandoline or with a vegetable peeler creates thinner, more delicate slices that stay crispier and look more refined on the plate.
  • Whisking your mayonnaise with a tiny squeeze of fresh lemon juice in the egg salad adds brightness that people taste but can't quite identify, and that's the good kind of cooking secret.
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