Kentucky Derby Benedictine Sandwiches (Printable version)

Light cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches with dill and chives for a Southern classic touch.

# What You'll Need:

→ Spread

01 - 1 large English cucumber, peeled and seeded
02 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
04 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
05 - 1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
06 - 1 tablespoon onion, grated
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
09 - 2-3 drops green food coloring, optional

→ Sandwich Assembly

10 - 12 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, optional

# How to Prepare:

01 - Grate the cucumber using a fine grater. Place the grated cucumber in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
02 - In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, dill, chives, grated onion, salt, and white pepper. Mix until smooth.
03 - Stir in the drained cucumber and mix until well blended. Add green food coloring if desired and mix until the color is uniform.
04 - If using, lightly butter one side of each slice of bread to prevent sogginess.
05 - Spread a generous layer of the Benedictine mixture on half of the bread slices. Top with the remaining bread slices to form sandwiches.
06 - Gently press and trim crusts if needed. Cut each sandwich into quarters using rectangles or triangles.
07 - Arrange on a platter and serve immediately, or cover with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They taste elegant but come together faster than you can brew tea, which feels like cheating in the best way.
  • The spread can be made ahead, so you're never rushed on game day or whenever you need to impress.
  • Somehow this becomes the thing people ask you to bring to every gathering after that first time.
02 -
  • The cucumber squeeze is everything; I've made these with lazy squeezing and watched them collapse by the second hour, which taught me to treat this step like it matters, because it absolutely does.
  • Crusts removed means actually removed, not just trimmed on one side; people notice when you do this properly, and the presentation shifts from homemade to polished in that one detail.
03 -
  • A sharp bread knife dipped in hot water between cuts gives you edges so clean that people will think you bought these from somewhere fancy, which is the best kind of secret to keep.
  • If your cream cheese is even slightly cold or hasn't softened completely, the mixture won't blend properly and you'll have tiny lumps that persist through every stir; patience on that front saves frustration later.
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