The Ultimate Tuna Melt Sandwich with Gooey Cheddar Cheese
This tuna melt is made with a creamy tuna salad packed with crunchy pickles, celery, green onion, and Dijon, then topped with cheddar and grilled until golden and gooey. It’s an easy, tried-and-true sandwich that never disappoints.
Ingredients
- 2 5-ounce cans of tuna, see notes
- ½ cup mayonnaise, see notes
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 medium dill pickles, diced - see notes
- 1 celery rib, diced
- Salt and pepper, to taste - I like lots of pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter, softened
- 8 slices bread, see notes
- 4 slices cheddar cheese, see notes
Instructions
- Drain the cans of tuna and then add it to a medium-sized bowl. Add the mayo, green onion, dijon, pickles, and celery and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.2 5-ounce cans of tuna, ½ cup mayonnaise, 2 medium dill pickles, ¼ cup chopped green onion, 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 1 celery rib
- Spread ½ tablespoon of butter over one side of each slice of bread.2 tablespoons butter, 8 slices bread
- Turn the buttered sides down and then place a slice of cheese over four pieces of bread. Top with the tuna and finish with a slice of bread, buttered side facing up.4 slices cheddar cheese
- Heat a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the sandwiches cheese side down, working in batches if needed.
- Cook until they are golden brown and then flip them over to cook on the other side. They are done when both sides are crispy and golden and the cheese has melted.
Notes
Tuna: I love this with water-packed, wild albacore tuna, but any tuna will work in this recipe. Just make sure the tuna you buy is pole-and-line caught.
Mayo: I like the tuna to be really creamy, so I use a generous amount of mayonnaise. You can reduce the mayo to ⅓ cup if you'd like. Light mayo also works well.
Kewpie: Some tuna melt recipes call for Kewpie mayo, but I personally find it too sweet for this recipe. But if a little sweet sounds good to you, go ahead and use that instead of regular mayo.
Pickles: Instead of dill pickles, I sometimes add pickled jalapeños, and it's SO GOOD!
Cheese: If you're not using precut cheese slices, you may need a few slices for each sandwich.
Bread: I love making a tuna melt with sourdough Pullman bread. Pullman bread is perfectly square and great for sandwiches, but it can be tricky to find. If you have a favorite bread, go for that! Ideally, try to use bread that is not too thick.
Serving: 1 tuna melt, Calories: 412kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 24g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 994mg, Potassium: 267mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 442IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 221mg, Iron: 3mg