Ultimate Tuna Melt

I’ve recently been on a mission to turn canned tuna into something that I can eat everyday. After days of trying combinations, I have finally landed on the ultimate tuna melt being the best option for this. The best part is it is quite easy to make and you can just throw it in the air fryer as well.

Why canned tuna?

Tuna is an extremely lean and good source of protein without the extra calories. The fact that it is so lean is the reason why it isn’t the best tasting ingredient in the fridge. However, with a few added seasonings and ingredients, we can find a way to make it taste good. Canned tuna is also relatively inexpensive to buy and lasts a long time in your pantry.

What type of bread to use in the ultimate tuna melt

You can really use any type of bread you like, a very popular option is sourdough. For my recipe, I used an Italian loaf which I like because of how soft it is.

What type of cheese?

If you are more cautious of your health I would recommend getting a low calorie cheese. However, I use monterey jack cheese because it adds a lot of flavor and cheese pull.

Seasonings/ingredients to add to tuna for ultimate tuna melt

Mayo: Mayo is extremely important to making sure the tuna isn’t too dry. If mayo is too many calories you can add something such as avocado or light mayo.

Celery: Celery is one of my favorite ingredients to add and this is because of the freshness and crunch.

Shallots/onions: The shallots are also diced extremely thin and then added in with the tuna. They add flavor and crunch as well.

Lemon juice: Lemon juice for a touch of acidity is a must and you can substitute this for some vinegar or pickles.

Seasonings: The seasonings are totally up to you and you can get crazy with it. I just kept it simple with fresh cracked black pepper.

Ultimate Tuna Melt

This tuna melt is soon to be one of your favorite sandwiches yet.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, brunch, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 can tuna
• ⅓ cup mayo
• ½ shallot
• ½ stalk celery
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 slices Italian bread
• 3 slices monterey jack cheese
• garlic butter

Instructions

 

• Thinly slice your onion.
  1 large yellow onion
  
• Heat up a pot over medium heat then add butter.
  1 tbsp butter
• Add your thinly sliced onions and continue stirring until caramelized. This will take roughly 30-40 minutes over med-low heat and if it starts to burn you can add a splash of water to deglaze the pan.
• Give your shallot and celery a really fine dice.
  ½ shallot, ½ stalk celery
  
• Drain your can of tuna and place into a bowl.
  1 can tuna
  
• Mix in mayo, celery, shallots, lemon juice, and black pepper
  ⅓ cup mayo, ½ shallot, 1 tsp lemon juice, ½ tsp black pepper, ½ stalk celery
• Place your slices of cheese on top of the bread.
  2 slices Italian bread, 3 slices monterey jack cheese
• Add tuna, top with caramelized onions, and cover with top bun.
• Spread garlic butter on both sides of the bread then air fry at 400F for 10 minutes flipping halfway through.
  garlic butter

Keyword cheese, melt, sandwich, tuna

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