Make a Tuna Melt

A tuna melt is a satisfying hot sandwich commonly available at restaurants. It's cheap to make and perfect for lunch. Want to make your own at home but unsure how? Read on and find out!

Ingredients

  • Canned tuna
  • Mayonnaise (regular or light)
  • Bread
  • Cheese
  • Butter
  • Extras (lettuce, tomatoes, etc.)

Steps

Mixing the Tuna Salad

  1. Drain a can of tuna. Empty the can of tuna into a strainer or use the lid of the can to drain off most of the liquid. If you want to avoid more of the oil, you can also give the tuna a rinse under the faucet.
    • Solid white tuna generally makes a better tuna salad mix than chunk tuna. It's got a thicker, heartier meat, so it holds up better with the condiments. Use whatever kind of tuna you like best.
  2. Using a fork, mix the tuna with mayonnaise. In a bowl, break up the tuna in the mayonnaise, creating smaller chunks and coating the mixture in mayo. This makes basic tuna salad.
    • If you like smoother tuna salad, you can mix this up in the food processor as opposed to the bowl-and-fork method.
    • If you like relatively dry tuna salad, you only need to add {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of mayonnaise. Be careful not to add too much at first. If you want more mayo, you can add more at any point. Use however much you like.
    • If you don't like mayo, you can use any type of salad dressing or oil to bind together the tuna. Try using Italian salad dressing, or even just a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Brown mustard also makes for a good mayo substitute in tuna salad.
  3. Add condiments to taste. To make a basic tuna salad, add a tablespoon or two of pickle relish, a teaspoon of brown mustard, and pinch of dry dill. Salt and pepper the tuna salad to your desired taste. Mix thoroughly.
    • Onion and garlic make for good additions to tuna salad. Add a quarter teaspoon each of the dried versions for less potent additions, or chop up a small amount (half a clove of garlic, and an 1/8th of an onion) if you're into the raw version.
    • Add whatever tastes you like. A pinch of curry powder and hot sauce can make for a spicy Indian style tuna salad, while some Parmesan, chopped green olives, spring onion, and dried oregano can be a delicious Mediterranean alternative. Experiment and find what you like.

Making the Sandwich

  1. Choose your bread and cheese. The tuna melt is basically a toasted or grilled cheese sandwich with the addition of tuna salad, so the only other essential is any kind of bread and cheese you like to eat. For a basic tuna melt, you can use simple white sandwich bread and a slice of yellow cheese.
    • Rye bread and swiss makes for a delicious alternative. Parmesan and crusty Italian bread are likewise a good combination. Use whatever kind of bread and cheese you've got on hand, or whatever kind you like on other sandwiches.
  2. Heat up your skillet or pan. On medium-low heat, heat up your non-greased skilled until it's hot. Meanwhile, lightly butter your bread on both sides. Begin by toasting the first side of the bread. If you see it start to smoke, turn the heat down slightly and flip the bread over. Crisp both sides of both slices of the bread.
    • If you don't want the added calories of the butter, one alternative to a tuna melt is to toast the bread in the toaster and heat the tuna and cheese in the microwave. Scoop some of the tuna salad on a microwave-safe plate and lay the cheese slices over the top. Microwave in 10-15 second increments until the cheese is melted.
  3. When you've got your bread toasted, turn the heat down to low. In the skillet, assemble your sandwich. Lay the cheese slices down on both slices of bread to let them melt. Carefully scoop some of the tuna salad on one of the slices. Cover the skillet with a lid and let the heat melt the cheese and heat up the tuna salad.
    • Make sure to watch for smoke. If you've already toasted the bread too much it can burn rather quickly. Keep the heat on low and watch the sandwich carefully. It won't take long for the cheese to melt.
  4. Remove the sandwich from the skillet and put it together. Popular additions to the sandwich might include slices of tomato, raw onion, green pepper, or lettuce. Add arugula and yellow peppers for a spicy alternative.
  5. Finished.



Warnings

  • Keep an eye on the heat you are using and don't walk away from the stove (especially if you are cooking on a high heat!).

Things You'll Need

  • Pan/griddle
  • Spatula
  • Optional food processor

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