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Sarah Titus | From Homeless to 8-Figures

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The Perfect Tuna Melt


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My daughter is obsessed with tuna. I will buy 10-20 cans when it goes on sale, put some at the tip top of the pantry, and somehow they always disappear by time I go to make this delicious, supreme Tuna Melt sandwich.

THIS TIME, I hid some in an undisclosed location (a locked safe. HA!) and was able to make this perfect Tuna Melt.

It’s ooey-gooey and packed full of delicious flavor, and perfect for the nights when you just want to put something on the table super quick or for that lunch date with your friends.

Delicious looking Tuna Melt grilled sandwich

The Perfect Tuna Melt

This Tuna Melt is so perfectly DELICIOUS and super easy to make recipe! It’s definitely not your classic Tuna melt!

Ingredients:

  • Tuna, 2 x 5-oz cans, drained
  • Onion, medium size, chopped
  • Celery, 1/2 a stalk, chopped
  • Garlic (1 clove), minced
  • Parsley, 1 tablespoon, chopped
  • Mayonnaise, 3-4 tablespoons
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3 tablespoons, divided
  • Mozzarella, 1/3 cup, shredded
  • Bread, sliced. A panini is a great option too!
  • Butter, softened
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Serving:

Serves four. Though…if you have hungry eaters like I do, it could make 3 easy Tuna Melt sandwich recipes. 🙂 

The perfect Tuna Melt is ooey-gooey and packed full of delicious flavor, and perfect for the nights when you just want to put something on the table super quick or for that lunch date with your friends.

Directions:

Step 1: Drain water from tuna and put the tuna into a medium bowl.

Step 2: Chop onion, celery, and parsley.  Mince garlic and add ingredients to tuna.

The perfect Tuna Melt is ooey-gooey and packed full of delicious flavor, and perfect for the nights when you just want to put something on the table super quick or for that lunch date with your friends.

Step 3: Add mayonnaise, olive oil (for a lighter version, omit olive oil), and mozzarella cheese. Combine all ingredients until well incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste.

*Note: I try to add in the Extra Virgin Olive Oil a little bit because it’s healthier than mayonnaise, but you have to add mayonnaise because just using the olive oil alone and no mayonnaise would be gross. 🙂 If you want to just use mayonnaise, totally fine, but again for me, I try to use a little olive oil to make it a tad healthier. 🙂 

The perfect Tuna Melt is ooey-gooey and packed full of delicious flavor, and perfect for the nights when you just want to put something on the table super quick or for that lunch date with your friends.

My Recipe Binder is full of recipes, charts, saving money tips, everything you need to get dinners on the table quick (I’m a single mom, yo! I understand needing to have good quality meals that you can depend on) 🙂 It’s normally sold in my shop for $57 (and sells like hotcakes) but through this post ONLY, you can score this Recipe Binder FOR FREE for a limited time when you click here and enter discount code: YUMMYRECIPES (if needed). You’ll see the discount in checkout. <3

My shop won’t ask you for any debit or payment information because it’s a free order, but it’ll ask you for your address (it’s a system thing). Since this is a digital download and nothing is shipped, just put whatever you want for the address (doesn’t have to be a legit one, just so the city and state are correct). 🙂 

If you order using a gmail email address, be sure to check your promotion and spam tabs just in case the Recipe Binder gets stuck in there. 

—

 

Step 4: Place a non-stick skillet on the stove and add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. When the skillet is hot, take a slice of bread and generously spread butter on one side. 

Adding butter AND extra virgin olive oil helps the cooking process. The olive oil helps the crust not burn as fast so that you get a golden brown exterior, not burnt. 🙂 The butter adds the flavor and helps it toast up better. It’s a great trick to use when toasting bread on the stove top to use BOTH (the flavors play well together and comes out super yummy!) 

Step 5: Place the bread (buttered side down) in the hot skillet. Be sure to keep the temp at a consistent heat (and don’t cook too fast.)

The perfect Tuna Melt is ooey-gooey and packed full of delicious flavor, and perfect for the nights when you just want to put something on the table super quick or for that lunch date with your friends.

Step 6: Using a spoon, scoop about 2 tablespoons of tuna mixture on bread while it is browning.

Step 7: Butter another slice of bread with butter and place non-buttered side on top of tuna.

Step 8: Using a spatula, check to see if the bread is grilled and toasted brown. If so, turn the tuna melt over and grill the other side until it’s golden brown. Bon appétit!

As an alternative, you could use a toastie maker or a George Foreman type grill instead!

The perfect Tuna Melt is ooey-gooey and packed full of delicious flavor, and perfect for the nights when you just want to put something on the table super quick or for that lunch date with your friends.

Download The Perfect Tuna Melt Recipe free printable here.

 

 

 

Switch it up…

Don’t have bread on hand? No problem, substitute with English muffins.

Want less carbs? No problem, substitute with tomatoes instead. Cut the tomatoes in half and use as bread. Yum! Grill and just use the olive oil (omit butter) for that option. 

Open Faced Tuna Melt? Use one side of the bread or an English muffin as an open faced sandwich and the other side (top), put a couple tomato slices and voila, you have a perfect open faced tuna melt on English muffin.  

The perfect Tuna Melt is ooey-gooey and packed full of delicious flavor, and perfect for the nights when you just want to put something on the table super quick or for that lunch date with your friends.

Open faced Tuna sandwich with avocado? Avocados seem to be all the rage right now. It makes a meal seem more gourmet! Do the same recipe as the above, except exchange the tomato slices for avocado. 🙂 

Another really great idea for Tuna that I like to do for quick lunches for friends. Grab two Albacore Tunas in the pouch (water). Add chopped celery (1-2 stalks), chopped pickles (1-2 spears), and a small can of olives. Add a teaspoon of mustard and 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise.  Salt and pepper to taste. Use that mixture on saltine crackers or bread. 

Make it healthier. Use healthier tuna. Here’s what I started using most recently, Wild Planet Albacore Wild Tuna. You can get it on Amazon there at the link. I buy it at my local co-op for $4.99. I know it’s spendy but I encourage you to do a taste test. Buy an Albacore Tuna pouch in water at your local store or canned tuna, whatever you want. Open both your kind of tuna and the Wild Planet Tuna. Taste the Wild Planet Tuna FIRST, THEN taste your tuna. After tasting your tuna, your mouth will definitely tell the difference. You’ll taste a metallic taste. Wild Planet’s you won’t. You will, like me, never go back to any other tuna again! 🙂 

Other ideas to make this recipe healthier:

  • Use more tuna, less cheese.
  • Don’t butter the bread, just use extra virgin olive oil. 

Metal Detox

No matter what you do, no matter what you eat, our bodies love to collect metal toxins.

If it’s something that concerns you, not to worry, put a couple drops of therapeutic grade Cilantro essential oil on the bottom of your feet.

Cilantro is known for binding to the metals in our bodies and helps clear them from our system. I like to use a couple drops every day, whether I’m eating Tuna or not because metal is seriously everywhere. 

The Perfect Tuna Melt

The Perfect Tuna Melt

Ingredients

  • Tuna, 2 x 5oz cans, drained
  • Onion, medium size, chopped
  • Celery, 1/2 a stalk, chopped
  • Garlic (1 clove), minced
  • Parsley, 1 tablespoon, chopped
  • Mayonnaise, 3-4 tablespoons
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3 tablespoons, divided
  • Mozzarella, 1/3 cup, shredded
  • Bread, sliced
  • Butter, softened
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Drain water from tuna and put the tuna into a medium bowl.
  2. Chop onion, celery, and parsley. Mince garlic and add ingredients to tuna.
  3. Add mayonnaise, olive oil, and mozzarella cheese. Combine all ingredients until well incorporated. Salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Place a non-stick skillet on the stove and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the skillet is hot, take a slice of bread and generously spread butter on one side.
  5. Place the bread (buttered side down) in the hot skillet.
  6. Using a spoon, scoop about 2 tablespoons of tuna salad on bread while it is browning.
  7. Butter another slice of bread with butter and place non-buttered side on top of tuna.
  8. Using a spatula, check to see if the bread is toasted brown. If so, turn the tuna melt over and grill the other side until it's golden brown.
© Sarah Titus, LLC.

The perfect Tuna Melt is ooey-gooey and packed full of delicious flavor, and perfect for the nights when you just want to put something on the table super quick or for that lunch date with your friends.

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About Sarah Titus

After being homeless, this stay-at-home mom wouldn’t let anything stop her from going after her dreams. Now, Sarah has achieved more than she ever imagined, while balancing being a single mom and only working part-time. She is most known for her beautiful printables that help moms organize the chaos in their lives, and how to create multi-million dollar empires.

Comments

  1. Sue says

    Sarah, I made your tuna melt the other day and it was delicious! The only suggestion I might offer is that I used a cast iron grill pan
    and used organic coconut oil instead of olive oil. I still buttered the bread and I added some parmesan cheese to the outside but when you cook it in coconut oil it has a higher heat point so it won’t burn. Instead, you get a crispy outside that looks fantastic. Anyway, I had never made one before and yours was absolutely delicicious! I even put pictures on my Facebook page of it lol.

    Reply

  4. Amber says

    I just made this for lunch and it is the best tuna melt I’ve ever had! Thanks for the great recipe it’s definitely a keeper!

    Reply

  8. Nancy Moore says

    I LOVE tuna, and tuna melts. I’m vegan now, but I may make an exception. I’ll use gluten free bread, fake cheese, and real tuna. What I wanted to tell you is that I hope your daughter doesn’t eat so much tuna these days. It’s really not safe with all the Mercury it contains. I’m sorry, but it’s really not. Mercury is the cause for Alzheimers and Autism, as well as many other problems. All the best to you!

    Reply

  9. Jen says

    It’s the middle of the night, but my stomach woke me up, screaming, “Feed me!” (I only ate a sandwich today, period.) I wanted to distract myself, so I got online .. and found this recipe! LOL! So, I made this sandwich. Oh man, it was good! I went down to one can, 1/2 onion, and didn’t have any celery or parley, although I bet that would have made it even better. Still, MAN THIS WAS GOOD! Gosh, if you’re reading this, try it. It was so good, I can’t wait to share this with my 18 year old daughter. Thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  10. Michelle says

    Hi, I’d like to try your tuna melt recipe, I’ve heard of tuna melts, I’ve never had one, but we are desperate for something different. What might go great as a side? Then again, tuna is pretty filling so a side may not be needed huh?
    Well thanks for sharing, I’ve pinned this tuna melt recipe, and will make it.

    Reply

    • Robbie Bryant says

      About 40 years ago I went to lunch at a little up scaled place. I ordered the soup and sandwich of the day. It turned out to be a tuna melt and french onion soup. Needless to say, my lunch was outstanding!

      Reply

  11. Teeda says

    The picture looks soooo good. I just wonder how you got the crust on all sides so crispy. I always try to do it like the pic and it never turns out this way, lol

    Reply

  13. Erin says

    Hi Sarah- your tuna melt recipe sounds yummy. Forgive me if this is intrusive but please make sure your daughter isn’t consuming too much tuna per week. There are serious concerns with mercury buildup in your blood stream from eating too much canned tuna. You can find a lot of information on the internet.

    Reply

    • Sarah Titus says

      Erin, thank you for letting me know. Yeah, I watch that with her very closely. Most of the time, we buy the pouches, which I think is healthier than canned. We also don’t purchase the Albacore tuna (which is higher in Mercury), but the regular chunk tuna. 🙂 Thanks again.

      Reply

  14. Denise says

    Does this recipe make 2 sandwiches? I can’t wait to make them my husband isn’t so sure but I think he’s even gonna like them, right? Lol

    Reply

  16. Tess says

    How many melts will this recipe make? I’m cooking it for two adults and a growing teen boy. Should I double any ingredients? Sounds absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to make it.

    Reply

  17. Emily Arnold says

    I am a very senior senior. Do everything myself, and momentum is what keeps me going! Anyway, I just printed out The Perfect Tuna Melt and will try it out on my husband who just loves melts. His favorite at the present is Reuben, and I know this one will be right up there on top too. I may, on my second try, make it on my OptiGrill if that looks feasible. Please wish me luck!

    Reply

  18. Sheryl says

    This really is the BEST tuna melt. The only thing I do different is press 2 garlic cloves rather than mince 1 garlic clove. If you love garlic, it really adds a superb flavor to the tuna. Also, if I don’t have mozzerella, I use Monterey Jack which melts beautifully!

    Reply

  19. Melissa says

    This was terrific! I left out the olive oil and used 2T of fresh lemon juice. Thanks for a great lunch! My hubby was super excited about it too! Definitely my new “go-to!”

    Reply

  20. Samra says

    My husband is not a fan of tuna but when I made this sandwich, he kept on asking for more. He now loves it so much that he asks for this as breakfast every now and then. I love it too…. very easy to make and even if you omit some of the ingredients, it is still nice. Thanks for this yummy recipe.

    Reply

  21. Haven says

    I love these. Of course I had to modify as I don’t like celery, but I love pickle relish in my tuna…I also added an American single cheese slice.
    It was an ooey gooey tuna grilled cheese. So good.

    Reply

  22. T Brown says

    I tried this, and while very yummy I was overwhelmed by raw onion. Next time I will rinse the onion before adding it to the mix.

    Reply

  24. Amanda says

    I just made this and it was my first ever tuna melt. It was amazing!! I used marble cheese cuz that’s all I had and so good!!

    Reply

  27. Lori Servia says

    This is “The” Perfect Tuna Melt!! My picky nine year old loved it too! Thanks for the awesome recipe! We will be making it often!☺

    Reply

  28. Melanie says

    We made this tonight and it was delicious! I did not use the olive oil and just butter to toast the bread! I also did green onions in place of regular ones. I did used gluten free Canyon House bread and it was really good! Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

  29. Dee Dee Puddy says

    I am just wondering, what is the purpose of the olive oil being added to the mixture before you grill it?

    Reply

    • Sarah Titus says

      Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a little bit healthier than using just butter. You still want to use butter, for the flavor aspect, but it helps you not have to use as much butter. I hope you enjoy the recipe, Dee Dee!

      Reply

  30. Wendy says

    I made these tonight for my family and friends – 9 of us total – and everyone loved them! I will definitely be making them again!

    Reply

  32. Cass says

    Hello, can I sub the mayo out and use plain Greek yogurt? If not, any other substitutes for mayo? I’m not a fan of it! Thank you

    Reply

  35. Pete says

    Can’t wait to try this. Not sure if you have standard size cans over there but when I visited the supermarket (down under) there was a huge variety of sizes. Can you elaborate? Thanks for a great recipe!

    Reply

  36. Sarah says

    I’d like to know how many sandwiches this makes. Also, will this cook the tuna thoroughly? I like my tuna really well done

    Reply

    • Sarah Titus says

      It will depend on how much you fill within the sandwich. For cooking it thoroughly, I would cook on a lower heat for longer, or cover the pan with a lid while cooking so the steam cooks it better.

      Reply

  38. Davey says

    Miss sarah your recipe looks wonderful I always follow recipes to a tee if you don’t mind I don’t know what country you’re in but what kind of bread did you use it looks delicious please advise that is the kind I want specifically I don’t like substitutions thank you in advance!

    Reply

    • Sarah Titus says

      I’m in the USA. 🙂 This time I used Breadsmith, but usually I use Seattle Sourdough Baking Bread (classic or waterfront). 🙂 Just a good “sturdy” bread will work. As long as it can hold up to the sandwich. I wouldn’t use regular, cheapy bread for this particular recipe.

      Reply

  39. Tina says

    Oh my goodness! I am hooked 🙂 At first I thought, “what, add olive oil and cheese to the tuna instead of butter the bread and add a slice of cheese “? I decided to try it…what a difference! I added green onion instead of onion and use red bell pepper instead of celery (I didn’t have celery which is a staple in my house…eek). I will make it this way forever! Thank you so much!

    Reply

  44. Diane says

    Oh my! This looks amazing! Now to figure out how to make a ‘grain-free’ version!
    ALSO… thanks for tip on metal detoxing with cilantro!

    Reply

  47. Deanna says

    We love tuna around here (still make my grandmother’s tuna casserole several times a year, but I add more veggies to make it a one-dish meal!).
    Thanks for sharing this recipe… looks amazing! Definitely going to try it soon!!

    Reply

    • Sarah Titus says

      The first time, I don’t remember now, but the second time I made it for this post (second set of pictures), it is the Sara Lee Artesano Bakery Bread, but any sturdy-in-the-middle bread will work. 🙂

      Reply

  49. Dixie Lee says

    Thanks for sharing. While hubby is a big fan of tuna, I’m not but your recipe looks so good I’m going to give it try.

    Reply

  50. Jan says

    Try very thin spread of mayonaise on Outside of bread instead of butter. It gives it that crunchy deli texture. Beware of too much tuna due to mercury issues with this fish.

    Reply

  53. DAVE WYLLIE says

    I MIGHT TRY THIS TOMORROW.IM EXPECTING A SHORT DAY.I AM A FRONT LINER.YES I WORK IN A HOSPITAL,HOWEVER WE ARE NOT SNOWED UNDER YET. I WILL KEEP YOU POSTED

    Reply

  54. Will says

    Sarah,

    Do you think this will be good by using a sandwich maker? Nothing changed from your recipes aside from buttering the bread and using the sandwich maker.

    Reply

    • Sarah Titus says

      I think it would still be really good. Without the butter/oil combo, the bread won’t be as tasty, but definitely a way you could go and try it. I think it would be really good. 🙂

      Reply

  55. Lois says

    Can the tuna melts be made ahead, thinking they would be good for work and I usually do a 3 day meal prep.

    Reply

  56. BelindaS says

    Made this for lunch and used marble rye for the bread. All I can say is WOW! It was fantastic! Thanks for the recipe

    Reply

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