Well Lent is over now, but this humble, simple tuna melt sandwich was our go-to Friday meal for busy evenings or those times, too often than I should admit, that I didn't have dinner figured out yet by 4:00 in the afternoon. (Have you tried out this meal planning program yet? It's affordable, SO simple to use, plus a bunch of your favorite bloggers' recipes can be uploaded easily too.)
The best part is that the kids actually cheer when I say that this is what we're having. 🙂
It's so fast to pull together, I can usually do it in 20 minutes or less! Find other fast at-home meals here. Or other meatless recipe ideas are here.
Simple Tuna Melt Sandwich
Ingredients
- 4 cans tuna fish, I use this kind or this kind
- 1 batch homemade mayo, about 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups or so (don't let this freak you out, it literally takes 5 minutes!)
- Sea salt — add it according to your own taste preference
- Pepper — “”
- Optional to go in with your tuna for best flavors:
- Celery chopped small
- Onion chopped small
- Relish
- Cheddar cheese for the top, sliced or shredded — we like a lot, try to find raw organic pastured cheese if possible
- Tomato slices if desired
- Your favorite bread — you could use my homemade soaked bread recipe, or this sourdough bread recipe, OR we sometimes use bread from a local baker who makes a fermented loaf. You could also find a true sourdough at the store, which means one that has no yeast in the ingredients. (Best to also find organic so it has no preservatives or other scary ingredients.)
- Butter for spreading on the bread, pastured butter is best
Instructions
Mix the tuna, mayo and optional ingredients. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Butter enough bread depending on how many you're feeding. We like to serve each tuna melt sandwich open-faced, but closed is fine too. Toast the bread lightly on both sides under the broiler in your oven. (I sometimes do this in my favorite pan, just because it's easier to keep an eye on how toasted the bread is getting.) Spread tuna on the bread, make sure it goes all the way over the edge of the bread to cover the edges so they don't burn. Add tomato slices on top if desired. Lay on the cheese. Put them back under the broiler until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
This makes 8-9 tuna melt sandwiches, so adjust the cans of tuna and other ingredients accordingly if your family is smaller or if your eaters aren't as voracious as mine
Did you make a real food recipe?
I want to see it! Tag @KitchenKop on Instagram and hashtag it #KitchenKopRecipes OR share anything you know I’ll love by tagging @KitchenKop and hashtag #KitchenKop -- see you over there!
Have you made these before? Is that how you make a tuna melt sandwich at your house? If not, tell us how yours is different?
More you might like:
- Again, here are more fast at-home dinner ideas — I refer to this list a LOT
- From my sister: Low-carb Tuna Delight
- More seafood recipes
- More meatless recipes
I look forward to trying it with my newfound Violife vegan cheese, as I’m very sensitive to milk proteins. Glad to see you feature my favorite brand of tuna, Wild Planet, fish caught young on the northern California/Oregon coast, as well as, lately, New Zealand.
Ha! My son just “meal planned” this idea for tonight, but with salmon… he just made the mayo and we have some fresh einkorn sourdough waiting!
What a great son @Hailey Thoelke !
Love this.
I like to do this with salmon as well. We add shredded carrots and pumpkin seeds. YUM!
I make salmon patties @Dani but we’ve never tried shredded carrots and pumpkin seeds! Here’s my recipe: https://kellythekitchenkop.com/fried-salmon-patties-recipe/
What about mercury content in Tuna?
Sardines are my alternative to Mercury and possibly radiation laden tuna (albacore in the Pacific migrate near the coast of Japan), but not sure how good they would be in a warm recipe. Great for sandwiches though in place of tuna!
Good question, Stephanie. The kind I use (linked on the post) is low mercury.
We buy skipjack tuna for a lower mercury option. They mature faster so less time to migrate around and get extra mercury.
I had never had a tuna melt, until today. Thank you for a very good recipe– definitely a comfort food. I did mine open-faced too with Kerrygold Dubliner on top. 😛
Hi Heather, I’m so glad you loved it too! 🙂
Kelly