Holiday Sandwich Wreath

The sandwiches that make up this Holiday Sandwich Wreath are small, delicious, and festively shaped with your favourite cookie cutters. With four different flavours, there’s one for everyone! Serve these finger sandwiches with a cup of hot tea at an afternoon holiday gathering!

Let’s face it, for most of us, springtime brunches with friends, family gatherings on Mother’s Day, and backyard get-togethers are where we would commonly find finger sandwiches. But, I like sandwiches anytime, in fact, I could probably eat sandwiches every day and never grow tired of them. Preparing and including this Holiday Sandwich Wreath in this series was absolute!

I don’t know about you, but when it comes to celebrations, I make every effort to make sure there is something that everyone is going to love. In this particular case, that means preparing more than one type of sandwich. Honestly, even if it’s just the three of us, I do the same thing. Why not host a holiday tea party this year? Not every get-together needs to be at night, after all!

These are so easy to prepare, so make a bunch and package them up well. You can even drop them off to your friends and family. Pack at least three or four sandwiches per person. Maybe add some of your homemade shortbread cookies to the package as well! And, be sure to include packets of tea or a thermos of prepared hot tea. Your friends and family will be so grateful!

EDIBLE WREATHS ARE THE CHARCUTERIE OF CHRISTMAS!

Charcuterie boards are everywhere these days, and it seems that there’s a theme for just about everything. With that in mind, why not create wreath-shaped charcuterie boards for Christmastime!? I started out with a few varieties in mind, but the more I thought about it, the more I loved the idea and before long, I had a list of twenty themes. Narrowing it down to 12 was hard, but I managed to put some of the themes aside until next year!

I put together this Holiday Sandwich Wreath quite quickly and easily. Everything you see in the wreath is available at most larger chain stores, which means all you have to do is assemble it. Christmastime is busy enough as it is! Putting out a nice spread for friends and family shouldn’t add to your holiday stress!

Most charcuterie boards will include thinly sliced meats and cheese too. And, you can certainly add those things to your wreath if you’re putting it out before dinner as an appetizer. But, in this case, I’m keeping these wreaths simple and very on theme.

WHAT IS CHARCUTERIE ANYWAY?

Charcuterie is a French term meaning “flesh” and “cooked.” It is a branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products, such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, and pate, etc. Originally intended as a way to preserve meat before the advent of refrigeration, they are prepared today for the flavours derived from the preservation processes.

Today, when we hear the term charcuterie, most of us immediately know that we are referring to the preparation and artful assembling of arranging items like cured meats, hard and soft cheeses, dried and fresh fruits, vegetables, and crackers or bread on a large wooden board.

Charcuterie has been popular in many parts of Europe for many, many years. In fact, there’s documented evidence of charcuterie being present in ancient Roman times. The popularity of these boards did not catch on here in North America until recently. Now, they’re everywhere! And, I’m going to show you how to make wreath-shaped charcuterie boards specifically for Christmas, in this specific case, it’s my Holiday Sandwich Wreath!

HOW TO PREPARE A HOLIDAY AFTERNOON TEA PARTY

I read so many blog posts on this! You can find some really wacky ideas out there and even though they seem fun, I wasn’t about to break the bank. The goal of an afternoon tea party should be this – delicious finger foods, a hot beverage, and good company.

When it comes to hot beverages, you can serve tea or coffee. To be honest, even though this is all about a tea party, I’m a coffee drinker and that’s exactly what I had in my cup. If you have a tea set, dig it out and dust it off. Use the sugar bowl and the creamer too. Set it all up and make it look fancy!

Prepare enough sandwiches so that each person at your party can have at least three or four. They are small, so you will want to make sure everyone has their fill. The goal of a tea party is to relax with some nibbles and tea, while you chat with your family and friends. Everyone can put down their phones and put away any other devices or electronics for an hour or so. Sit together and talk about whatever you feel like talking about. Just enjoy each other’s company for a little while.

CHOOSING SANDWICHES

There are hundreds of tea party sandwich ideas out there. But, of course, you can’t make them all. Pick a few of them – the ones that you know your family will enjoy and prepare only those. I chose to prepare one classic tea party sandwich, which is a cream cheese spread made with finely chopped roasted red peppers and marinated artichokes.

Then, I prepared everyone’s favourite – a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Next, I prepared another classic, which is thinly sliced ham with cheese on pumpernickel bread. Finally, I had to prepare one for the kids. This one was so much fun to make, and surprisingly, both John.e and I loved it! Apparently, it wasn’t only for kids after all!

That particular sandwich was prepared by spreading a cream cheese mixture over two slices of bread. I topped one slice with a layer of Christmas sprinkles. I use a small star-shaped cookie cutter to cut out a star and placed that slice onto the candied slice. Next, I used an ornament-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the shape. They were a hit!

All of these sandwich recipes are prepared pretty much the same way. Choose a bread that you like. It might be a good idea to use different types of bread as I did for variety. I used plain white bread for the kid’s sandwich, rye for the peanut butter and jelly, and also for the roasted red pepper and marinated artichokes. And, as I already said, I used pumpernickel bread for the ham and cheese.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE:

The following is a list of the items needed to prepare a Holiday Sandwich Wreath. Please keep in mind that the amount of each ingredient needed will greatly depend on how many people you are serving. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SPREADS

• Peanut Butter – Use smooth peanut butter or the chunky kind with pieces of peanuts in it. You can use natural peanut butter but use it sparingly because it is much funnier than processed peanut butter.
• Jam – Use your favourite jam. I think peanut butter pairs very well with strawberry or raspberry jam.
• Mayonnaise – Use your favourite mayonnaise. In fact, I know some people prepare sandwiches with butter, so you can do that too if you wish.
• Cream Cheese – Use brick style rather than whipped or cream cheese in a tub.  The brick style is firmer and more condensed. 
• Sour Cream – Use full-fat sour cream. Low-fat sour cream is thinner and has more moisture content. This can make sandwich bread soggy if made too far in advance.

SANDWICH FILLERS

• Roasted Red Peppers – The type that you can buy in a jar, packed in water, is what you will need for this recipe. If you have fresh bell peppers at home, you can make your own roasted red peppers in your oven. Here’s my recipe on how to do just that!
• Artichokes – Jarred marinated artichokes are always present in our pantry. Drain them well and gently squeeze the excess marinating liquid out of them before roughly chopping them.
• Ham – Thinly sliced deli-style ham is perfect. Don’t get the ham too thick, because you need to cut through it with a cookie cutter.
• Cheese – Any thinly sliced cheese will do just fine. I like to pair cheddar with ham on sandwiches.
• Sprinkles – Nonpareils are best because they are quite small. Again, like the ham, it makes cutting the sandwich shapes with a cookie cutter much easier.

BREAD AND OTHER ITEMS

• Pumpernickel Bread
• White Sandwich Bread
• Light Rye Bread
• Cedar Branches – For wreath assembly.

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR WREATH BASE

The first thing you want to do is to source a serving plate or bowl. The number of people you are serving and the number of items you have to place on the board, will help to determine the size you will need. You can use a cutting board, a charcuterie board, a marble slab, or an old silver-plated tray.

Next, using fresh sprigs of edible greenery, such as summer savoury or kale, create a circular pattern on the board. I used cedar branches that I cut from one of our cedar trees. They were washed very well and dried in a salad spinner. Whatever greenery you choose to use, position the sprigs so that the leafy end is pointing out from the center of the board. The wreath size will be determined by how many sandwiches you will be piling onto it, so size the wreath accordingly. It’s always best to make the wreath a little bigger so that the green leaves are not completely covered with the sandwiches. Once you’re happy with positioning those, it’s time to make the sandwiches and assemble the wreath.

HOW TO MAKE THE SANDWICHES

If you have a favourite sandwich, you can use that recipe. The recipes provided here are suggestions only. The first thing I like to do is to prepare the cream cheese mixture. A cream cheese-based spread is used for two of the sandwiches. Add the softened cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat on high speed until smooth. Add in the sour cream and beat into the cream cheese until well combined. Half the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and save one-half for the Holiday Sprinkle Sandwiches.

To the other half, add the chopped roasted red peppers, chopped marinated artichokes, salt, and black pepper. Beat well until combined. Spread a thin layer of the mixture onto the light rye bread, or the bread of your choosing. Top it with a second slice and press down gently to bind. Use a Christmas-themed cookie cutter to cut out your desired shape. Set the sandwich aside and make the next. Continue until you have used up the red pepper and artichoke mixture.

To prepare the Holiday Sprinkle Sandwiches, spread one slice of white bread with the cream cheese and sour cream mixture. Sprinkle the middle of the sliced bread with nonpareils. Lay the second slice flat on a cutting board and use a small cookie cutter to cut a small star shape out of the bread. Save those little stars! Place the slice onto the prepared slice and press gently to create a bind. Use a cookie cutter to cut out the desired shape. Keep in mind that this shape should be much larger than the star shape in the middle.

There is no preparation needed for the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches. Smear one slice of bread with peanut butter and the other with jelly. Press the two together and cut out a shape with your cookie cutter of choice. The same goes for the Ham and Cheese. Lightly spread mayo onto two slices of bread. Place a slice of ham onto one slice, followed by a slice of cheese, and the second slice of ham. Top with the remaining slice of bread and cut out your favourite shape.

PLATING THE SANDWICHES

Working with one sandwich at a time, lay the sandwiches down in a single layer, alternating between the types of sandwiches as you go. The goal is to create a circular pattern for your Holiday Sandwich Wreath while staying inside the bed of greenery you have created. Once you get the base layer done, pile the rest of the sandwiches one by one onto the base, filling in the gaps and creating different levels of height and composition as you go.

Next, go around the board and evenly distribute the little white stars you saved from the Holiday Sprinkle Sandwiches. You can layer them or fill in some of the gaps if there are any. Your beautiful Holiday Sandwich Wreath can be served immediately or you can cover it well with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until needed. When you’re ready to serve, fetch the wreath from the fridge, unwrap it, and it’s ready to go!

MAKE IT AHEAD OF TIME

You can make this Holiday Sandwich Wreath earlier on the day you are serving it, however, I would not make it a day or two in advance. As you know, it’s very easy for bread to absorb moisture, so it might become a little soggy. If you do make it ahead of time, I would not recommend any longer than 2-4 hours. Cover the board well and keep it refrigerated until ready to serve.

If you need to make this wreath further in advance, you can, but don’t assemble it. You can prepare the cream cheese mixtures for both the Holiday Sprinkle Sandwiches and the Red Pepper Artichoke Sandwiches. Cover them and refrigerate them for up to 2-3 days. Remember to remove it from the fridge at least 30 minutes before you begin to assemble the sandwiches, otherwise, the mixture might be too firm to spread easily.