Tuna Melt

Hot and crispy, tuna melt sandwiches are a delicious combination of tuna salad and a grilled cheese sandwich. Easy to make at home for lunch for dinner.

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Filling and full of flavor, tuna melts are easy to make at home. Hot and crispy, tuna melt sandwiches are perfect for an easy lunch for dinner. 

MORE RECIPES: Tuna Puffs | Tuna Casserole | Macaroni Salad

Tuna Melt

With a flavorful tuna salad mixture and mozzarella cheese, grilled on crispy golden bread, this easy-to-make sandwich is savory and scrumptious. You’ll want to make this tuna melt sandwich for lunch or even an easy dinner. 

Turn your tuna melt into a family dinner by serving it with potato salad and some pickles. Don’t forget a tall glass of raspberry or strawberry iced tea. 

The perfect sandwich for tuna lovers, the tuna melt takes your plain tuna salad to the next level by combining it with a grilled cheese sandwich. Your family will love the combination of the crunch of the grilled bread with the melty tuna inside. 

Tuna Melt Ingredients

• Tuna - tuna in water or oil
• Onion - medium onion
• Celery - celery stalk
• Garlic - clove garlic o ready minced garlic
• Parsley
• Mayonnaise
• Oil - olive oil
• Cheese - shredded mozzarella
• Salt - to taste
• Pepper - to taste
• Bread
• Butter

The onion and the celery add both crunch and flavor to your tuna melt sandwich. Red onion or a sweet yellow onion would be good options to use in the recipe. You could also use chives in a 1:1 ratio instead of onions. 

Any type of bread will do, but a thicker slice of bread works particularly well for a tuna melt. Try using sourdough, rye bread, or heavy artisan bread, for a delicious flavor. 

Squeeze a little bit of lemon into your tuna to add some extra freshness to your sandwich, and, if you like things spicy, you could also add a dash of hot sauce. If you don’t have any mozzarella you can use Swiss cheese or white cheddar cheese. 

How to Make Tuna Melt

FIRST STEP: Drain the water or oil from the tuna.

SECOND STEP: Place the tuna in a medium bowl and using a fork loosen it apart.

THIRD STEP: To the tuna bowl add the onion, celery, garlic, parsley, mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine.

FOURTH STEP: Salt and pepper to taste and mix again.

FIFTH STEP: Place a nonstick skillet on the stove and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Heat over medium heat.

SIXTH STEP: Butter one side of a piece of bread and carefully place that slice butter side down into the now hot skillet.

SEVENTH STEP: Now spoon about 3 heaping tablespoons of tuna filling onto the slice of bread in the skillet, more or less depending on how thick you like your sandwiches.

EIGHTH STEP: Now take another slice of bread and butter one side. Place that slice of buttered bread on top of the sandwich in the skillet with the butter side up.

NINTH STEP: Watch for browning on the underside of the sandwich and grill until golden brown. Next, flip the sandwich over and brown the other side.

TENTH STEP: Remove from the skillet and place on a paper towel-lined plate.

What type of tuna fish should I use? 

Chunk light tuna or albacore tuna are both great choices, but you can choose whichever tuna you prefer based on your personal preference.

How do I make my sandwich less soggy? 

Place the tuna in a paper towel or a clean dish towel to wring out even more liquid.

What is the best bread for tuna melt sandwiches? 

A thicker bread will be better at holding up to the grilling, as well as holding the filling of the tuna melt sandwich. Sourdough, rye, or another heavy artisan bread are all good choices.

How to Store Tuna Melt 

IN THE FRIDGE: Store your tuna melt sandwich in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Tuna Melt

Hot and crispy, tuna melt sandwiches are a delicious combination of tuna salad and a grilled cheese sandwich. Easy to make at home for lunch for dinner.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 minutes mins

Total Time 18 minutes mins

Course Lunch, Sandwich

Cuisine American

Servings 6 sandwiches

Calories 416 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• tuna (in water or oil, drained (four 5-ounce cans)) 20 ounces
• medium onion (chopped (about ¼ cup)) 1
• celery stalk (chopped) ½
• clove garlic (minced (or ½ teaspoon ready minced garlic)) 1
• parsley (chopped) 1 tablespoon
• mayonnaise 5 tablespoon
• olive oil (divided) 3 tablespoon
• mozzarella (shredded) ½ cup
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• slices bread 12
• butter (softened )

DIRECTIONS

 

• Drain the water or oil from the tuna.
• Place the tuna in a medium bowl and using a fork loosen it apart.
• To the tuna bowl add the onion, celery, garlic, parsley, mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine.
• Salt and pepper to taste and mix again.
• Place a nonstick skillet on the stove and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Heat over medium heat.
• Butter one side of a piece of bread and carefully place that slice butter side down into the now hot skillet.
• Now spoon about 3 heaping tablespoons of tuna filling onto the slice of bread in the skillet, more or less depending on how thick you like your sandwiches.
• Now take another slice of bread and butter one side. Place that slice of buttered bread on top of the sandwich in the skillet with the butter side up.
• Watch for browning on the underside of the sandwich and grill until golden brown. Next, flip the sandwich over and brown the other side.
• Remove from the skillet and place on a paper towel-lined plate.

Nutrition

Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 1384mg | Potassium: 296mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 197IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 4mg

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