Easy Cucumber Sandwich Recipe (with Cream Cheese!) - Oh Sweet Basil (2024)

FAQs

Where did the cucumber and cream cheese sandwich come from? ›

The cucumber originated in India, and so did its famous sandwich, as British colonists in India invented the cucumber sandwich when they were looking for foods to help relieve them from the heat. The sandwiches soon made their way to England and became a beloved part of Victorian Era high tea.

Cucumber Sandwiches

Algernon explains that the sandwiches are for his Aunt Augusta and refuses to allow Jack to get near them. However, Algernon won't keep his hands off them. Algernon's position on who can have sandwiches and who can't is a characterization of the relationship between the two men.

Spread the cream cheese blend onto slices of French bread. Top with a cucumber slice, and sprinkle with dill. You can make as many or few as you like. the cream cheese mixture keeps for about a week in the refrigerator so you can make them over and over again!

Because cucumbers are watery, the sandwiches are best assembled just a few hours before serving to keep them from becoming soggy.

Cucumber Sandwiches Appeared During The Victorian Era

When British army officers sought sanctuary in tea houses to avoid the sweltering heat, they were served cucumber sandwiches, which kept them hydrated and cool due to the veggie's high water content.

Benedictine is a cucumber sandwich in a spread—cucumber and onion mixed into cream cheese with a little seasoning and maybe some mayonnaise or sour cream to make it more spreadable. It might be made rustically chunky, with copious bits of cucumber and onion to chew, or it might be whipped fine, airy and light.

In Oscar Wilde's comedy of manners The Importance of Being Earnest the cucumber sandwich is a running joke throughout. Algernon inadvertently indulges himself by eating all the cucumber sandwiches he's ordered for his Aunt Augustus, Lady Bracknell, before she arrives.

Ernest Hemingway enjoyed peanut butter and onion sandwiches on white bread. Raise your eyebrows and scoff, but - breath implications aside - consider this combination: the saltiness and texture of the peanut butter amped by the bitter pungency of the onion slices.

Although cucumbers originated in India more than 3,000 years ago, putting them in a sandwich is very much a British invention. The crop arrived in England in the late 14th century for the first time. However, they weren't put in sandwiches until the Victorian era, when they were served during afternoon tea.

20 minutes is all it takes to avoid soggy cucumber sandwiches. To avoid soggy cucumber sandwiches with little added prep time or effort, all you need to do is give them a quick salt. The reason this simple method works is due to osmosis, which draws out the veggie's excess water.

What to eat with a cucumber sandwich? ›

Serve these cucumber sandwiches with your favorite store-bought or homemade potato chips, cauliflower chips, sweet potato chips or beet chips. They also pair well with a chilled soup and chopped salad.

Kirby cucumbers are usually short and they're always bumpy. They have a range of skin color from yellow to dark green. Kirbys are wonderfully crunchy for eating raw, but flavorful enough to be perfect for pickling too. Sometimes, they're even sold under the name "pickling cucumbers."

Steps to Make It

Lay 2 slices of bread on a work surface and spread each slice evenly with 1 tablespoon cream cheese. Cover 1 side of the sandwich with sliced cucumber. Season with a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper, and chives, if using. Cover the cucumbers with the other slice of bread, cream cheese side down.

“They may be a joke to some people, but when you've had a cucumber sandwich out on the grass at the back of Buckingham Palace, and the sun is shining, and there's mint in it, then you know you've made it! I will never make a cucumber sandwich without chopped mint in it again.”

Can Dogs Have Cucumbers? Cucumbers are perfectly safe for dogs to eat, and offer a low-calorie, crunchy snack that many dogs love. Cucumbers only contain about 8 calories per one-half cup of slices, compared to the 40 calories in a single medium dog biscuit. Cucumbers are also very low in sodium and fat-free.

Some attribute the original Sloppy Joe to a cafe in Sioux City, Iowa, where, many years ago, in 1930 a cook named Joe added tomato sauce to his “loose meat” sandwiches. Voila: a new between-the-bread offering, and the sandwich's official name.

The Sandwiches

A picnic sandwich for most families would be a substantial pairing of thick-cut whole wheat bread with fillings of salted meat and salad such as cress, lettuce or celery. Cheese was also a popular filling, often grated and mixed with cream or chopped nuts. The sandwich was a wholesome feast.

A cheese and pickle sandwich (sometimes known as a cheese and chutney sandwich or a ploughman's sandwich from its resemblance to a ploughman's lunch) is a British sandwich.