Tuna Melt
Yesterday was dreary and rainy. To make matters worse, I had a sick(ish) kid at home. It was a day that made me want a hot cup of tea on my sofa with a blanket and a book. But since there was no time for curling up on the couch, I moved on to the next best thing: comfort food.
After tomato soup, I think a good old fashioned tuna melt sandwich tops my list. Crispy buttered and grilled wheat bread, peppered tuna with the crunch of celery and onions, gooey melted cheddar jack cheese... Mmmmmmmmmm.
I make my tuna melt sandwiches just like I make a grilled cheese- in a hot cast iron skillet with butter and a shredded cheddar jack blend.
Topped with shredded iceberg lettuce and a meaty red slice of tomato, this sandwich was the cure for my rainy day kid-with-a-cough blues.
Tuna Melt
Ingredients
1 large (12 ounce) can of tuna in water, drained and flaked
¼ cup diced onion
¼ cup diced celery
salt & pepper to taste
about 3 tablespoons of lowfat mayonnaise (nothing makes tuna salad better than Dukes- and they don't even pay me to say that.)
½ cup shredded cheddar jack cheese, divided evenly between the sandwiches
8 slices of whole wheat bread
butter for grilling the bread
sandwich toppings of your choice (lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, etc)
To Make
In a medium sized bowl, using a fork, stir together the tuna, onions, and celery. Add the salt and pepper (I go heavy on the pepper and barely use any salt-- canned tuna is a bit salty anyway) and then stir in the mayonnaise. ***Note: this is how I make my tuna fish salad. Make yours however you like it best!*** Set the tuna salad aside. In a large skillet, melt a little butter. place two slices of bread in the melted butter over medium to medium high heat. Spread a quarter of the tuna salad on one slice of the bread and then sprinkle with a quarter of the cheese. When the bread is grilled to a toasty brown, put your sandwich toppings on top of the melted cheese. Place the other grilled slice of bread on top, grilled side up.
Huge addict of Tuna and that kicks it up a notch 😀
My school of thought is that cheese improves everything
Absolutely! it's all you need 😉
MMmmm... makes me want to make this today!
I know! It's a splurge for sure, but definitely one of my favorites 🙂
If tuna melt were a person, I'd marry it. For real.
This is totally going on my menu plan next week. Along with 50 extra jumping jacks, oy.
I used whole wheat bread, lowfat cheese, and light mayo... and then I did 100 jumping jacks for good measure. In my head they cancel each other out.
Light mayo?!? Oh pshaw.
You know how Monica feels about low fat mayonnaise?... IT'S NOT MAYONNAISE! (Friends reference, I couldn't help myself)
😉
Monica is my hero.
I'm not sure what I want more...a cast iron skillet or a tuna melt made in a cast iron skillet! That just sounds like the perfect remedy to a rainy NC day. I saw you mentioned Dukes. It's the best!
I hope your little one was feeling better today and enjoy the long weekend!
Allison
Thanks, Allison! Little fella is better- chicken & rice soup!- and my vote is cast iron skillet (because I don't think I could function without mine), and THEN tuna melt. It's win, win.
This was my husband's specialty when we were in college! So delicious. Thanks for sharing. You have a great blog!
Thanks, Georgia! I eat tuna salad all the time, but once in awhile it begs for melty cheese and toast. It hit the spot.
I haven't had a tuna melt in so long. Looks good!
It was happy 🙂
One of my favorites!
Mine too!