This Tuna Melt is an open-faced sandwich piled high with creamy tuna salad, fresh sun-ripened tomatoes, and tasty cheddar cheese. They are popped in the oven long enough to warm everything up and melt the cheese. I love to serve these with homemade French fries, potato chips, green salad, or carrot sticks.
This Tuna Melt sandwich is a true blast from the past and brings back such wonderful memories of my older sister making delicious lunches for us. I am pretty sure that she left off the tomatoes. Try tuna noodle casserole and tuna pasta salad if you like this recipe.
Kids don’t know what they are missing until their palates mature. Then they realize how good a sun-ripened tomato tastes. Please don’t leave off the tomato; it is integral to the final presentation and taste.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Tuna: I like albacore white tuna, but you can use any canned or vacuum-packed tuna
- Mayonnaise: My absolute favorite is Duke’s, but you can use your favorite brand. Or make it homemade.
- Mustard: I like the tangy flavor of Dijon, but regular yellow or spicy brown mustard also works well.
- Pickle relish: sweet or dill works depending on your flavor preference.
- Bread: any good, sturdy bread such as country white, rye, or pumpernickel.
How to make a Tuna Melt
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
First, flake some albacore canned tuna in a medium bowl with a fork. Stir in the mayo, sour cream, Dijon mustard, celery, red onion, pickle relish, parsley, dill weed, and black pepper. Toast each slice of bread until golden brown and lightly butter it. Spoon the tuna mixture evenly onto each bread slice. Top with thinly sliced tomatoes and shredded cheddar.
Now place in the oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the sandwich has warmed. These open-faced Tuna Melt sandwiches are best served promptly.
Preparations Tips
- Good sturdy bread is ideal for this sandwich. European White, whole wheat, Pumpernickel, Rye, and sourdough bread are great choices.
- Tuna is naturally salty, so additional salt is not needed in this recipe; however, a good helping of freshly ground pepper is always welcome.
- Are you always pressed for time? Make the tuna salad 1-2 days in advance, skip shredding the cheese, and use sliced instead.
- If you have access to homegrown tomatoes, use them. They are so flavorful and take this sandwich to the next level.
- Top the sandwiches with fresh herbs like parsley, chives, dill, or tarragon. Or add avocado slices dipped in lemon juice.
Recipe Variations
- Spicy Pepper Jack: add finely minced jalapenos to the tuna salad and top the sandwiches with shredded pepper jack instead of cheddar.
- Bacon Swiss: top each sandwich with crispy cooked bacon and shredded Swiss in place of the cheddar.
- Pineapple Green Onion: replace the chopped red onion with snipped green onions and thin pineapple slices instead of the tomatoes.
Best Tuna Melt Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 (7 ounce cans) albacore tuna packed in water – drained
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
- 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
- 1 1 /2 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 slices sourdough white, rye, whole wheat, or pumpernickel
- 12 thin slices tomato
- 1 1 /4 cup shredded cheddar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Mix together tuna, mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, celery, red onion, pickle relish, and 1 tablespoon of parsley, dill, and black pepper.
- Lightly toast the bread. Divide the tuna evenly between the toast. Top each sandwich with 2 slices of tomato. Top evenly with shredded cheddar.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the sandwich has warmed. Serve promptly.
Notes
- Good sturdy bread is ideal for this sandwich. European White, whole wheat, Pumpernickel, Rye, and sourdough bread are great choices.
- Tuna is naturally salty, so additional salt is not needed in this recipe; however, a good helping of freshly ground pepper is always welcome.
- Are you always pressed for time? Make the tuna salad 1-2 days in advance, skip shredding the cheese, and use sliced instead.
- If you have access to homegrown tomatoes, use them. They are so full of flavor, and it will take this sandwich over the top.
- Top the sandwiches with fresh herbs like parsley, chives, dill, or tarragon. Or try avocado slices dipped in lemon juice.
Nutrition
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Suja md
This looks amazing and such a treat! Thank you!
Bob Cadloni
I made this delicious sandwich but added a hard boiled egg to your recipe. I also added parmesan cheese to the buttered sourdough bread and toasted for extra crispiness, and topped with avocado after baking. You’re right about the fresh tomatoes; they’re the star of the show! Yum!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Bob! So glad that you liked it and thanks for the tips. They sound delicious!
Steph
Absolutely delicious. I choose to not use celery (it’s a texture thing) and I swap out pickle relish for actual pickles. Highly recommend this recipe
Beth Pierce
Thanks Steph! So glad that you liked it!
Sharron Diaz
Nothing beats a classic tuna melt! My kids love this!
Betsy
I LOVE a good tuna melt! Absolutely fantastic! I had to substitue green onion in for the red onion because I have low fodmap people in my family, but it’s still so fantastic! Absolutely delicious! Love the melty cheese! Tuna is so incredibly delicious warmed up and topped with melted cheddar!
Kathryn
Yum yum! This was so good and very satisfying! Even my 7 year old liked it (once she picked out the celery of course). Thanks for the recipe!
Sue
I made this for my husband yesterday and he said it was the best he’s ever had!
Erika
This looks amazing!! Such a perfect and flavorful lunch idea!
Sara Welch
This was everything a gourmet sandwich should be, and then some! So flavorful and hearty; definitely a new favorite in my home!
Angela
This is my perfect lunch! Thanks for the wonderful recipe. I will make it often.
Katherine
These are absolutely the perfect flavor-packed tuna melts!
Jessica Formicola
I love a good sandwich, and this tuna melt looks amazing! I will definitely be making this for lunch today!
Marlynn
I love tuna melts and this one is AMAZING!! So many great flavors in one sandwich.
Gail Montero
I was just thinking of what to have for lunch and this looks absolutely delicious! Need to make soon!
Melissa
I just love tuna melts and that crunchy sourdough bread is so good! Great recipe!
April
Tuna Melts are one of my go to easy meals! I’ve never put tomato on mine before – such a good idea, it was great!