Description
This classic Tuna Melt recipe combines a creamy tuna salad with melted cheese on toasted bread, creating a warm, comforting sandwich perfect for a quick lunch or dinner. The tuna is mixed with flavorful ingredients like celery, garlic, capers, dill, and lemon juice, then grilled between slices of buttered bread and American or cheddar cheese to golden perfection.
Ingredients
Tuna Salad
- 4 5-ounce cans drained tuna
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 small diced ribs of celery
- 1 finely minced garlic clove
- 1 tablespoon finely minced capers
- 1 small diced dill pickle (about ¼ to 1/3 cup)
- ½ peeled small-diced medium sized red onion (about ½ cup)
- 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh dill
- Juice of ½ lemon (about 1 ½ tablespoons)
- Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Sandwich Assembly
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 slices white bread
- 8 slices American or cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the tuna salad: In a large bowl, combine the drained tuna, mayonnaise, diced celery, minced garlic, capers, diced pickle, diced red onion, minced fresh dill, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly incorporated to form a creamy and flavorful tuna mixture.
- Heat the cooking surface: Place a griddle or large cast-iron skillet over low-medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Allow the butter to melt and start bubbling gently before proceeding.
- Toast the bread: Add 4 slices of bread to the melted butter in the skillet. Let them toast for about 2 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown and crisp.
- Build the sandwiches: Flip the toasted bread slices over, then add 1 more tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Place one slice of cheese on each piece of toasted bread. On half of these slices, add a generous amount of the prepared tuna salad. Continue cooking for 2 minutes to melt the cheese and warm the tuna filling.
- Assemble and serve: Take the remaining slices of bread with melted cheese and place them on top of the tuna-topped slices to form sandwiches. Remove them from the griddle, slice each sandwich in half, and serve hot.
- Repeat for remaining sandwiches: Repeat steps 2 through 5 with the remaining 4 slices of bread, remaining butter, cheese, and tuna mixture to make a total of 4 tuna melt sandwiches.
Notes
- Use fresh bread and good-quality cheese for best flavor.
- Adjust mayonnaise for creaminess according to your preference.
- Adding a touch of Dijon mustard to the tuna mixture can enhance the flavor.
- You can substitute white bread for whole wheat or sourdough for a different texture and taste.
- Serve with pickles or potato chips for a classic deli-style meal.
