The charm of open-faced sandwiches

While growing up, open-faced sandwiches were the only type of sandwiches I knew. We all knew – my neighbors, friends, family. So, I thought there was nothing special to them. We had them for Saturday or Sunday breakfast, or second breakfast (similar to lunch), they were often prepared for family gatherings like birthday parties or holidays. Kids who were picky eaters usually enjoyed them so caring mothers used their imagination and created endless varieties.

Once I came to the US, I learned that here, open-faced sandwiches were not very common. Instead a “sandwich” is mostly associated with different ingredients placed between two pieces of bread.

While there are many varieties of sandwiches in the US and I really like most of them, none of them look as appetizing to me as traditional Polish (most likely prepared in other neighboring countries as well) open-faced sandwiches.

I would like to challenge you with the task of preparing the open-faced sandwiches you can serve at any gathering. They will serve not only as a pretty decoration of your table but I am sure you will receive compliments on their taste.

The most common base is a slice of rye bread, covered with a thin layer of butter. If you use ham as your second layer, you may use mayonnaise instead of butter. If you prefer not to use ham, you can layer cheese on the buttered bread or spread cream cheese directly on the slice. You can use lettuce (a loose-leaf lettuce) as the next layer, then thin slice of tomato, cucumber or pickles, slice of hard boiled egg, and chopped chives. You are free to add fresh or marinated pepper or slices of radish. Sprinkle the top with some salt and pepper.

The listed ingredients are just an example and can be replaced with others of your choice. Do not be afraid to experiment as the open-faced sandwiches taste great with baked veggies, fish paste, or bacon.