Classic Tuna Melt Sandwich

Why I’m Obsessed with Tuna Melts: A Delicious, Quick, and Easy Weeknight Dinner

As a true tuna melt sandwich enthusiast, I find myself craving this classic sandwich often. The combination of crispy, buttery bread and tangy dill pickles always hits the spot. Not only is a tuna melt irresistibly delicious, but it’s also a quick and easy meal, making it perfect for busy weeknight dinners. During my pregnancy, I even opted for sardine melts as a lower mercury alternative because my love for tuna melts was so strong. (Note: This is not medical advice. If you are pregnant, always consult your doctor to determine what’s best for you.)

To make the ultimate grilled cheese sandwich or tuna melt sandwich, the secret is in the butter. A light spread of butter ensures that your bread gets the perfect golden-brown crunch every time. While you can use mayonnaise as an alternative, I personally prefer the rich flavor that butter adds. Here’s a pro tip I learned: butter one side of each slice of bread and then stack them with the buttered sides facing each other. This technique keeps the butter from spreading all over your prep surface. When you're ready to cook, simply flip the bread so the buttered sides face out. Assemble your sandwich with all the ingredients on top of the two slices of bread, then carefully place the sandwich in the pan by first setting the top slice down and then placing the remaining slice on top, with the butter side up.

For my tuna melts, I prefer to chop pickles from pickle chips or spears rather than just using premade pickle relish. I find that starting with pickles gives the sandwich more of a crunch. I'm a big fan of dill pickles, so that's usually my go to, but use whatever type you prefer. We love Grillo's Pickles. They are sold at our local Costco.

Another key to making a good tuna melt is to keep the pan from getting too hot. You'll want to set the heat to medium, so that the outside browns slow enough to allow the cheese to melt in the inside. Putting a lid over the pan can also help to melt the cheese. This is probably highly controversial, but I will also sometimes use the pan to get the outside nice and crispy, and then throw the sandwich in the microwave for 10-15 seconds to get the cheese to melt at the end. As long as you only place it in the microwave for a short time, it shouldn't make your sandwich soggy.

Classic Tuna Melt

Yield: 1 large sandwich

Ingredients:

2 large pieces of bread, or 4 smaller pieces (I prefer sourdough, but use whatever you like)

1 can tuna

1/8 - 1/4 c mayo or plain yogurt

1/2 c chopped dill pickles

2-4 slices of cheese (havarti or cheddar are some of my favorites)

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp garlic

1/8 tsp paprika

Enough butter to coat outside of bread, and a little more for pan

Instructions:

1. Open can of tuna and drain.

2. Add tuna, mayo or yogurt, and spices to small bowl and mix until incorporated.

3. Coarsely chop pickles and add to tuna mixture. Fold chopped pickles into tuna until well balanced throughout.

4. Butter one side of each piece of bread and place the two pieces of bread stacked butter side together.

5. Layer 1-2 pieces of cheese on top of the stack of bread, covering the entire piece of bread.

6. Spoon tuna mixture on top of the cheese.

7. Add another 1-2 pieces of cheese on top of the tuna mixture.

8. Bring saucepan to medium heat.

9. Add small amount of butter to pan.

10. Once butter is melted, add sandwich to pan. Pick up the sandwich from the top of the two pieces of bread first. Place that part of the sandwich in the pan, bread side down so it's open faced. Then place the remaining piece of bread on top, buttered side out.

11. Place a lid over the top of the pan.

12. Let the sandwich cook until the bread is golden brown. Check the sandwich often as every pan heats a little different and you don't want your sandwich to burn.

13. To flip the sandwich, I find that placing the spatula under the sandwich, then flipping the pan upside down (only if you don't have too much oil in the pan) and placing the upside down pan on the sandwich, then turning the pan + sandwich back right side up together helps to keep the insides of the sandwich from falling out.

14. Once flipped, return the lid, and let this side cook until golden brown.

15. Once both sides of the sandwich are golden brown, if the cheese is not sufficiently melted, you can turn the pan down to the lowest setting and return the lid to let it cook a little longer. Alternatively, you can place the sandwich in the microwave and cook for 10-15 seconds to melt the cheese.

16. Slice sandwich and enjoy.