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Whether you’re hosting a special event or enjoying a snack at home, these Tea Sandwiches are the perfectly beautiful way to add a tasty treat to your tea.
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These Teas Sandwiches are always a HUGE hit with my little girls and even my husband helped himself to a few and was pleasantly surprised by how good were. They are just so dainty and are perfect for little tea parties, showers, or birthdays. Plus, they are SUPER easy to make! The combination of cheez whiz and ham doesn’t usually sound appealing but together it is a soft and delicious flavor.
Where we grew up in Cedar City we had these for parties all the time. They were a popular food item to order from a local shop called Ron and Chris Bakery. I actually called the bakery in Cedar City to see how they make them and they told me exactly how they do it. I know the Cheese Whiz sounds strange but it holds the sandwich together better than any other cheese. Cream cheese will rip the delicate bread apart and other cheeses won’t hold the bread together and will make it hard to cut (as explained to me by the bakery workers).
Perhaps you’ve heard of these sandwiches by one of their other names. Ribbon Sandwiches or Finger Sandwiches. No matter what you call them, they are a fun, versatile option to consider next time you’re in charge of the party food.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- White bread – Pick your favorite soft white bread.
- Deli ham – chopped in a food processor.
- Mayonnaise – added to the ham to make a creamy mixture.
- Cheez Whiz – I know Cheese Whiz sounds strange but it holds the sandwich together best.
How To Make Tea Sandwiches
- Blend – In a food processor, process ham (in batches if needed) until ham is well chopped. Place ham in a medium-sized bowl and stir in mayonnaise until smooth and well combined.
- Spread – Lay out 3 rows of 12 slices of bread. On 12 slices of bread, spread about 2 tablespoons of Cheez Whiz (like you would peanut butter). On another 12 slices, spread the ham mixture.
- Layer – Top the cheese slice of bread with the ham spread slice, then top with the plain slice of bread. Repeat with all bread slices.
- Slice – Using a sharp serrated knife, gently cut away the crust from each “sandwich”. Cut each square in half and then half once again in the same direction (making long rectangles as seen in the picture).
Alternate Filling Ideas
- egg salad
- cucumber with cream cheese
- pimento cheese
- smoked salmon with dill cream cheese
- turkey with cranberry spread
Reviews from Our Readers
“I love these–they’re my go-to item for holiday pot-luck parties, and always get raves from the other guests.”
-MAB
Frequently Asked Questions
The best bread for tea sandwiches is soft, thinly sliced sandwich bread. White, wheat, rye, or pumpernickel all work well, especially when you want to create layered ribbon-style sandwiches with contrasting colors. Be sure to use bread that’s fresh and not too crusty so it’s easy to slice cleanly and doesn’t fall apart.
Yes, you can easily make gluten-free tea sandwiches by using a soft gluten-free sandwich bread. Just make sure the fillings you use are also gluten-free. Because gluten-free bread can be more delicate, handle the sandwiches carefully when layering and slicing.
For a tea party or light luncheon, plan on 4 to 6 small sandwiches per person. If you’re serving a variety of foods, 2 to 4 per person might be enough. Ribbon sandwiches are rich and colorful, so even a few can make a pretty and satisfying presentation.
Making Sandwiches Ahead
These can be served immediately but in my opinion, they taste best when refrigerated for at least 3-4 hours. They will easily keep if made a day ahead of time.
There is a careful way of preparing the sandwiches to stay fresh overnight. Assemble the sandwiches and loosely cover them with wax paper. Add a damp paper towel to an airtight container then store it in the refrigerator. This will help keep the sandwiches fresh overnight without drying out the bread.
More Finger Food Recipes
There’s something so fun about a variety of finger foods at any social function. Here are a few more to add to your party menu:
Tea Sandwiches
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 loaves white bread I like to find the largest size I can find, or 36 large slices
- 1 pound sliced deli ham
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 12 ounces Cheez Whiz (the spreadable kind in the glass jar)
Instructions
- Lay out 3 rows of 12 slices of bread.
- In a food processor, process ham (in batches if needed) until ham is well chopped. Place ham in a medium-sized bowl and stir in mayonnaise until smooth and well combined.
- On 12 slices of bread, spread about 2 tablespoons of Cheez Whiz (like you would peanut butter).
- On another 12 slices, spread the ham mixture.
- Top the cheese slice of bread with the ham spread slice, then top with the plain slice of bread. Repeat with all bread slices.
- Using a sharp knife, gently cut away the crust from each “sandwich”. Cut each square in half and then half once again in the same direction (making long rectangles as seen in the picture).
- Place finger sandwiches (trying not to overlap) in large Ziploc bags and refrigerate until ready to serve (up to a day ahead of time– *see above note).
This was so easy and simply!
The only problem was for the first time EVER I ran completely out of them. Although I had several different kinds to pick from and left over people were asking for your. So thank you. Definitely the ⭐ of the party.
I love these–they’re my go-to item for holiday pot-luck parties, and always get raves from the other guests. For colors in the bread, I use pumpernickel (dark brown) and potato bread (yellow). Yes, the loaves are all different sizes and shapes, but you’re going to cut off the edges anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. And I always toss those scraps out into the back yard for the birds and squirrels to lunch on. My favorite fillings: ham salad from the local supermarket deli, and spinach leaves cut chiffonade-style and whipped into cream cheese. To introduce ribbon sandwiches to picky-eater kids, try a good old PBJ so it’s still familiar food, it’s only a different presentation.
Do you make ahead the ham spread or the whole sandwiches?
You can make either ahead of time. The sandwiches can easily be served the next day if made ahead of time. Just be sure to store them in an airtight container so they don’t dry out. Hope this answers your question!
I was thrilled to come across this recipe! My mom used to make these all the time for various parties. As a child I loved the colored bread! I have thought about these from time to time and wondered how to get the colored bread. My mom always did the deviled ham filling and possibly one other that I can’t remember, so these suggestions are all great. My mom is gone now so I appreciate you rekindling the memory.
So glad this recipe brought back fond memories for you! This is our main goal here at FFR! We want to gather families around recipes that they loved when they were growing up and bring back fond memories such as this one. <3 Thank you for sharing!
I I used to make these with bread that I got the bakery to slice horizontally, I could do a whole loaf at once! Just made some for a tea party with grandkids. Whipped cream cheese with chives, chicken salad a d cream cheese with grape jelly. Thanks for memories
Gret idea! It is definitely easier to get a whole loaf and slice it yourself, horizontally. Huge time saver!
A quick tip, use bread sliced lengthwise. Make more faster!
Surely these are known almost everywhere (bur Cedar City) as club sandwiches or is it the fact that you cut them narrower that makes them a teensy bit different. Most would cut in three lengthwise. Personally I prefer to cut in half as you do and then in thirds crosswise making six dainty sandwiches easy to arrange on a plate and to pick up.
I’m sorry to say that I can’t think of anything worse to put on them than ‘cheese whip’ out of a jar. You can add pretty much anything to cream cheese which make it as easily spreadable as soft butter. I buy the spreadable variety in the first place. Below are a few suggestions (which also add a colour variation to the layers without the (mind-boggling) idea of dyed bread – shudder).
A little lemon juice and finally chopped fresh (soft-leafed) herbs of your personal preference (basil and coriander are mine) with the second layer thinly sliced cucumber – a touch of green
With any cold meats try beetroot relish; spiced orange & apricot chutney; onion marmalade or caramelized onion relish; bell pepper relish.
I love sweetcorn relish (super colourful as it also contains red capsicum/bell pepper). It blends more easily with the cream cheese if you add a little lemon juice and you may need to chop it up a bit more. Great with pastrami.
For a little more texture very finely chop one of the following to blend with the cream cheese and partner with ham: gherkins; tinned pineapple (dry with paper towel).
Fed up with cream cheese? Very thinly sliced chicken breast is fantastic with cold cooked stuffing mixed with mayonnaise, as is finely chopped celery and walnuts (don’t use too much of either so the flavours both come through).
This is all making me hungry so I am leaving to make an entirely different kind of sandwich: thinly sliced (long strips) of cold raost carrots placing them on freshly made, thickly sliced, multigrain toast with mayonnaise and lettuce. Yes, lettuce with hot toast! Yum.
Wow thank you for this wonderful comment and all the delicious suggestions! We will definitely have to try some of them!
I grew up in northern Minnesota and I remember helping my mother make these. For showers and ladies church meetings. So it not just a Utah thing. Thanks the teciperecipe.
Yes, I think Ribbon Sandwiches were very popular during the 70’s. It’s funny how food trends come and go. This is one I’ve definitely missed!
I worked there in college and I was thinking we put cream cheese and relish in the ribbon sandwiches. We would whip the cream cheese and add just a little bit of relish. This would be one layer and the cheese wiz the other. I wasn’t sure so I googled. I will now try the ham and see if that brings back the memories. Thanks for the post!
Oooh relish would be a great addition! It seems like some of the sandwiches we had in Cedar DID have relish in them. Gonna have to order some next time I am back in town 😉
I loved the raisin filled cookies. That was my lunch many times in high school. I would get a half dozen of those and buy a milk and be a happy girl!! lol
Oh my heck! I’m so excited to see this here. I loved ribbon sandwiches and cherry chip cookies. I wish that the bakery had never gone out of business. I’ll definitely give them a try very soon! SO AWESOME! 🙂
Thanks Cami! I will be on the search for those Cherry chips for sure! Those cookies were the best!
I definitely remember and loved these. There is nothing quite as wonderful as Rob and Chris’s bakery! Thank you for sharing.
You are very welcome! Can’t wait for you to try them!
Whenever my family had an event, we ordered finger sandwiches from Ron and Chris’ bakery. Apparently growing up in Cedar City made everyone love them! I went to Pinterest looking for a recipe to recreate the goodness and found your post.
So glad you found us! I figured most of the people coming to this recipe would be from Cedar 😉
We had these often at ladies’ activities when I was growing up ( Salt Lake City) and well until my adult years (Provo) we served them for Young Women and Relief Society (Church) activities. Maybe they’re a Utah thing but I kind of doubt it.