Open-Faced Sandwiches for a Crowd

We think sandwiches are easily one of the best foods out there. We love how creative you can get with ingredients that go between two pieces of bread. The same goes for open-faced sandwiches, of course, which are what you’ll find on our smorgasbord. It’s funny how a sandwich just tastes better when you pile toppings as high as they’ll go and throw out that top slice. (Though you are free to use a top slice too — we won’t tell.)

When we design a board that’s made for sandwich building, bread isn’t the required carb. From bagels to rye bread to toast to pretzels and crackers, how you want to create a spread is totally up to you. Just a couple of options besides bread, or even different types of bread, can make a totally different sandwich.

If you’re feeling uninspired as to what to put on your open-faced sandwich, here are a few of our favorite combinations.

1. Rye Bread + Smoked Trout + Dill + Pickles + Mustard
2. Bagels + Deviled Eggs (mash or chop them) + Bread and Butter Pickles + Pepper
3. Rye Crackers + Gravlax + Cream Cheese + Dill + Pepper
4. Rye Toast + Pork Liver Mousse + Mustard + Capers + Greens + Pickles
5. Pretzels (sliced horizontally in half) + Soft Cheese + Pickles (heat up the sandwich, then add pickles for something really special)
6. Bagels + Butter + Ham + Cheese
7. Rye Bread + Pickles + Pickles + More Pickles + Mustard
8. Toast + Meatballs + Gravy + Cocktail Onions
9. Crackers + Crab + Lemon + Dill
10. Rye Bread + Butter + Cucumber + Pepper

Reprinted with permission from Northern Hospitality with The Portland Hunt + Alpine Club © 2018 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc. Text and photography © 2018 Briana and Andrew Volk. Photography: Peter Frank Edwards. First published in 2018 by Voyageur Press, an imprint of The Quarto Group.

Briana and Andrew Volk are the owners of Portland Hunt + Alpine Club and Little Giant in Portland, Maine. They live in Maine with their two children.