Lämpimät voileivät or lämppärit as this Finnish sandwitch recipe is called in Finnish. So we are talking about open-faced warm sandwiches. This was very popular in the ’80s. I remember we often had these as evening snacks, especially after the sauna on Saturdays. Lämppärit were always served with fresh salad.

This was also one of the first recipes I taught my son how to make when he was little. Nowadays, he’s already 18 and quite a pro in the kitchen. He likes cooking. This is still one of his go-to recipes when he has friends coming over, surprisingly, and he wants to cook something for them.

I serve these sandwiches as a side dish when making light vegetable soup. Today, we had pumpkin soup, and my men needed something hardier with the soup so their hunger would be satisfied. I will make tuna fish and ham-cheese sandwiches. Ham cheese sandwiches will also have some pickles, tomato, and onion on top.

This is an excellent food because combination possibilities are endless. One of the most popular ones in Finland is ham, tomato, and cheese. I listed some filling recipes underneath just as an idea of what you could use. I make these sandwiches by opening the fridge and looking at what I have there that I could use. I usually end up using leftovers that I have just a little bit.

About the bread: use what you have. Toast bread is commonly used on these. A couple of days old bread and bread rolls work very well with this, and you will get rid of them in a useful way. Finnish rye bread is also really good at the bottom.

Toppings: Use bell pepper, onion, pickles, tomatoes, and other vegetables and spices as desired. There are no rules on how these should be. One nice combo is figs, blue cheese, and prosciutto baked over! Or pear, walnuts, and blue cheese. After baking, top this with tasty Tirolean smoked speck! Yummy! Ham,blue cheese and pineapple baked over with cheese, well I love it, and rest of the family hates it 😀

Cheese: experiment with different combinations. I love strong Austrian Berg Käse mixed with milder Edam. Just take care that you are using cheeses that melt well.

This is the basic recipe:

Ingredients

• 8 slices of large toast bread (graham or multigrain or whatever other bread you want to use)
• 4 tbsp butter
• 4 tbsp mustard (and ketchup)
• 4 eggs
• 300-400 g cheese, grated (Choose the cheese you like. I like a simple emmental-mozzarella combination. It melts nicely.)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C
2. Spread butter and mustard on the slices of bread. Place the bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
3. Beat the eggs lightly with a fork. Mix in the grated cheese (3–4 dl). Spread the mixture evenly over the bread slices.
4. Bake in the middle or upper part of the oven at 200°C for about 7 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown.

Here are some suggestions for you on what kinds of toppings you could make:

Tuna topping

• 200 g drained tuna in oil
• 150 g bell pepper chopped fine
• 1 tsp pizza seasoning
• 1 onion chopped fine
• 1 garlic pressed
• (200g cocktail tomatoes chopped fine)
• (chili)

Mix all ingredients together. Place the slices of bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Divide the mixture evenly onto the bread slices and top with the cheese mixture. Bake as instructed above.

Chicken curry topping

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 250 g chicken fillet strips (or leftover rotisserie chicken shredded)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 200 g cream cheese
• 1 bunch fresh coriander
• 1 can pineapple rings
• Arugula (rocket)

Heat the oil in a pan. Add curry powder and stir briefly to release the aroma. Add the chicken strips and cook until entirely done. Season with salt. Mix in the curry cream cheese and chopped coriander, then heat until warm. Place the slices of bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Divide the mixture evenly onto the bread slices. Place a pineapple ring on top of each portion. Bake as instructed. When the breads are ready, top them with fresh Arugula and serve immediately.

Tofu topping

• 300 g tofu Cold-Smoked or Marinated
• Butter or margarine (plant-based if needed)
• 2–3 tbsp red or green pesto or mustard
• 1 can pineapple rings (halved into thin slices)
• 1 bag of well-melting grated cheese (plant-based if needed)

Open the tofu package and pat the surface dry using paper towels or a kitchen cloth. Slice the tofu into thin pieces. Spread butter or margarine on the bread slices. Add a thin layer of pesto or mustard on top. Arrange the halved pineapple slices and tofu pieces on the bread. Top with grated cheese. Bake in the middle rack of the oven at 200°C (390°F) for 10–15 minutes or until the toast is fully cooked and golden. You can add whatever vegetables you want and substitute ingredients with vegan products.