Club Tea Sandwiches
on Feb 05, 2024
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These stacked club tea sandwiches are a bite-sized, 7-ingredient version of the diner classic. The combination of salty, crunchy, yet fresh makes them the perfect savory for afternoon tea.
Homemade Club Tea Sandwiches
Club sandwiches are a classic diner dish, but this recipe turns the iconic, towering sandwiches into bite-sized snacks perfect for afternoon tea. It’s the same great taste with a dainty, delicate presentation.
Just like classic club sandwiches, these club tea sandwiches are also triple-deckers. They have 3 different kinds of meat (bacon, turkey, and ham) and 3 layers of bread.
Enjoy the sandwiches with a cup of your favorite tea or serve as an appetizer the next time you’re hosting guests.
RELATED: 24 Best Tea Sandwiches
Recipe Highlights
- These tea sandwiches have everything you love about club sandwiches, but they are daintier and easy to eat in 2 bites.
- The only ingredient that requires cooking in this recipe is the crispy bacon, which no club sandwich is complete without.
- The recipe makes 4 tea sandwiches for 2 people, but you can easily scale up to make a bigger batch for a group.
RELATED: Ham and Brie Cheese Tea Sandwiches
Ingredient Notes
- White bread: Use thinly sliced white sandwich bread for these tea sandwiches, such as the one from Pepperidge Farm. Since there are 3 bread layers you don’t want to use anything too thick.
- Mayonnaise: Any mayo will work for this sandwich.
- Bacon: Get thin-cut bacon so that the sandwich will be easier to bite into.
- Turkey: Medium-thick slices of turkey are best for these tea sandwiches. Ask your deli counter to slice the turkey about 1.5 mm thick.
- Ham: Use packaged ham or from the deli counter. If it’s from the deli counter, slice it the same thickness as the turkey (1.5 mm).
- Butter lettuce: Butter lettuce is preferred because it’s softer and easier to work with, but you can easily swap it out for iceberg lettuce.
- Cocktail tomatoes: The size of cocktail tomatoes is what makes it perfect for a tea sandwich. Other types of tomato are harder to work with because they’re either too big or too small.
For full ingredients and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook 2 slices of bacon and then cut them into 4 pieces.
Step 2: Find a round cookie cutter that’s the size of the cocktail tomatoes. Slice cocktail tomatoes with a knife.
Blot them dry with paper towels.
Step 3: Cut the bread into circles with the same round cookie cutter.
Step 4: Cut circles out of the lettuce with the cookie cutter.
Step 5: Cut circles out of the turkey.
Step 6: Cut circles out of the ham.
Step 7: Assemble the sandwich.
Spread mayo on a slice of bread, then layer on the lettuce, tomato, and bacon. Put mayo on both sides of another slice of bread. Place lettuce, ham, and turkey on top. Spread mayo on another slice of bread and cover the sandwich with the mayo side down.
Step 8: Skewer together with a cocktail fork.
Recipe Notes
Make sure to blot the tomatoes.
Juicy tomatoes will instantly make the bread soggy so it’s important to leave them out on paper towels to drain slightly before assembling the sandwich.
Freeze the bread for the cleanest cuts.
Frozen bread cuts cleaner than room temperature bread since it holds its shape better.
Enjoy tea sandwiches at room temperature.
Tea sandwiches are traditionally served at room temperature, not cold so they’re best when made right before tea time.
Make the sandwiches ahead of time.
To prep the club tea sandwiches early, cut out the bread, turkey, ham, and lettuce.
It’s not recommended to do the assembly ahead of time as the tomatoes will release its juices and the bacon will get soggy in the fridge.
RELATED: Blue Cheese and Pear Tea Sandwiches
Expert Tips
- Tea sandwiches don’t usually include crusts, so be sure to cut those off.
- While not traditional, you can toast your bread slices if you want these tea sandwiches to taste even more like a classic club sandwich.
- If you’re making a big batch of these tea sandwiches, cook the bacon in the oven.
Questions You May Have
Black tea is the traditional tea of choice for afternoon tea. But if you’re serving these club sandwich tea sandwiches at a brunch or party, they would pair perfectly with an cool, refreshing iced black tea or a simple mint iced tea.
Yes, sliced turkey is often easier to find, but sliced chicken definitely works as well. Just make sure that it’s also sliced medium-thick at about 1.5 mm. Club sandwiches were originally made primarily with chicken, but over the years turkey became more common.
Use a small drinking cup or shot glass to press down on the bread, meats, and lettuce as an alternative.
Related
- Heart Tea Sandwiches
- British Cheese and Pickle Tea Sandwiches
- BLT Tea Sandwiches
- Roast Beef & Watercress Tea Sandwiches
- Easy Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches
- Tiffany & Co. Corned Beef and Cheese Tea Sandwiches
If you tried this Club Tea Sandwiches recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and let me know how you like it in the comments below.
Club Tea Sandwiches
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 slices very thin white bread
- 5 teaspoons mayonnaise
- 2 slices turkey, cut into 1.5mm medium-thick slicers
- 2 slices uncured bacon
- 1 to 1 ½ slices uncured ham
- 2 to 3 leaves butter lettuce
- 2 cocktail tomatoes
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. Cook on a nonstick pan for 3 minutes on each side until crispy. Slice the bacon in half so that there are 4 pieces, and then drain on paper towels.
- Slice the tomatoes. Find a round cookie cutter that's the size of the cocktail tomatoes. Cut 4 slices out of the tomatoes with a knife, then blot them dry using paper towels.
- Cut circles out of bread. Use the same round cookie cutter to cut a circle out of the sandwich bread. Cut 12 circles out of the bread, avoiding the crust.
- Cut circles out of lettuce. Use the cookie cutter to cut 8 circles out of the butter lettuce.
- Cut circles out of the turkey and ham. Use the cookie cutter to cut 4 circles each of both turkey and ham.
- Assemble the sandwiches. Spread mayonnaise on one side of the 4 bread circles. Stack a piece of lettuce, tomato, and bacon on top. Then, spread mayo on both sides of the next 4 bread circles, placing them on top of the bacon. Layer a piece of lettuce, ham, and turkey on top. Finally, spread mayonnaise on one side of the final 4 bread circles and cover the sandwiches with the mayo side down.
Notes
- Use thinly sliced white sandwich bread for these tea sandwiches, such as the one from Pepperidge Farm. Since there are 3 bread layers you don’t want to use anything too thick.
- Get thin-cut bacon so that the sandwich will be easier to bite into.
- Medium-thick slices of turkey are best for these tea sandwiches. Ask your deli counter to slice the turkey about 1.5 mm thick.
- Butter lettuce is preferred because it’s softer and easier to work with, but you can easily swap it out for iceberg lettuce.
- The size of cocktail tomatoes is what makes it perfect for a tea sandwich. Other types of tomato are harder to work with because they’re either too big or too small.
- Juicy tomatoes will instantly make the bread soggy so it’s important to blot them out on paper towels to drain slightly before assembling the sandwich.
- Freeze the bread for the cleanest cuts.
- Tea sandwiches are traditionally served at room temperature, not cold so they’re best when made right before tea time.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
