Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.
Prepare the Ingredients
To prepare the cooked ham, add shredded or diced pieces to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Place ham in a large mixing bowl.
Using a chef's knife and cutting board, dice the celery.
Make the Ham Salad
Add to the ground ham, the mayonnaise, diced celery, chopped pimento, and if desired, your favorite chutney or sweet relish.
(Adding chutney or relish to the mixture is optional, but each condiment adds its own element and flavor to the ham salad. If you don't have chutney in your pantry or are unable to find it at the store, use sweet relish, or simply omit this ingredient altogether.)
Next, add in the dried minced onion, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and smoked paprika. Stir until all is combined and well mixed.
Place the ham salad in covered container and allow to refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow all the flavors to meld.
Assemble the Tea Sandwiches
To make the tea sandwiches, butter the inside of wheat or rye bread. Lay bread on the prepared baking sheet with buttered sides up. Spread ham salad on one buttered side and top with a second piece of bread.
Using a sharp knife or a bench knife, remove crusts. (Place crusts in a freezer bag for later use for croutons or dressing.) Slice sandwiches in halves or thirds, depending on the number of people or how many varieties of sandwiches you will be serving. You might also choose to cut the sandwiches in shapes such as bears, hearts, or circles.
Cover sandwiches with another sheet of waxed paper and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to an hour prior to serving.
Garnish and Serve
Garnish the finger sandwiches with fresh parsley or mint, or poke toothpicks in baby dill pickles or green olives to adorn the sandwiches. Arrange on a pretty serving tray or tiered serving dish.
If serving on a traditional 3 tiered serving dish, you may serve the sandwiches on the bottom, with scones on the second level, and desserts on top.
Another option, is to serve the ham salad in a pretty bowl, as a spread for crackers.
This recipe will make 20-30 tea sandwiches and will serve 10-15 people.
Notes
*Unless otherwise indicated, all butter on this recipe site is salted.**People always wonder whether to slice the bread before or after making the sandwiches. Tea Party afficionados recommend removing the crusts and slicing the sandwiches after they have been assembled.