I remember often seeing mountains of these little finger sandwiches in my Aunt Elsa’s kitchen. She would make vast numbers and freeze them in advance of big catered events like baby showers or wedding receptions (see below for tips on getting ahead). I love these creamy and crunchy chicken salad sandwiches—with lots of mayonnaise, crunchy celery and nuts, and sweet grapes and relish, they are perfect picnic fare. Judging by how quickly I’ve seen them fly off the serving platter, my friends and family agree! Red onions are a little sweeter than white ones; use what you like.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 4 cups chicken salad; 8 servings

　　3 cups cooked, chopped chicken (page 89) or turkey

　　1 cup halved green and red grapes

　　1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

　　1/4 cup chopped celery

　　1/4 cup chopped white or red onion

　　1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

　　1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

　　1 cup mayonnaise

　　16 slices white sandwich bread

　　4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened (optional)

　　

Step 1

In a medium mixing bowl, place the chicken, grapes, nuts, celery, onion, relish, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined. Add the mayonnaise and stir until the chicken is well coated.

　　

Step 2

Arrange a few slices of bread in a neat stack and use a serrated knife to slice off the crusts. Repeat until all of the bread slices are trimmed.

　　

Step 3

Place about a 1/2 cup chicken salad on half of the slices. Place the remaining slices on top. Slice each sandwich into 4 squares or triangles. Arrange on a platter and serve.

　　

from aunt elsa’s kitchen

Step 4

Aunt Elsa would make these ahead of time for a party and refrigerate them for a few hours or freeze them for up to a week and remove them from the freezer the morning of the event. Her secret was to spread a thin coat of butter on the bread, which prevents the sandwiches from getting soggy without changing any flavor.

　　

Step 5

To make ahead, spread a light coat of butter on one side of each slice of bread. After slicing as directed above, cover the sandwiches with wax paper, and then cover with a damp towel. Refrigerate until needed.

　　

Step 6

For longer storage, cover the platter of sandwiches with plastic wrap and freeze. Uncover the sandwiches and let stand at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

　　Eva's Kitchen