How to Make Better Tuna Melt Sandwiches with Better Breads from $2.99! (under construction)

Tuna melt sandwiches are an important part of your kitchen arsenal. With melted cheese and tuna that isn't the least bit fishy on great bread, they make a fine  meal. You'll find that your family welcomes them, that they don't take long, and it may not matter, but they're affordable. If your family can't quite embrace tuna, use canned chicken.

Build them the way your family likes. Help them fall in love with tuna melts.

This sandwich was built on homemade bread. Get the mix $2.99 bread.

This sandwich is made on Country Farm White Bread, on sale for $2.99!

The First Secret is in the Bread

Choose a great bread! You can make better breads than you can buy. And they're easy with a mix.

Better breads are homemade breads--they're better and better for you.

Starting with homemade bread at $2.99, you may even save money. We have an assortment of over 50 homemade breads--amazing breads that you won't find in the store:

• At the top of the page, that's a Tuna Melt on Tuscany Tomato Bread made with ripe tomatoes and a spiced filling.
• How about a Tuna Melt on Black Russian Bread with melted Swiss cheese?
• Or maybe aa South of the Border Tuna Melt Sandwich on Diego's Jalapeno Cheese Bread. 
• Maybe you want to get a little crazy with Mozzarella and Beans on a Tuna Melt on a Pumpkin Walnut Bread.
• But maybe my favorite is a Tuna Melt on Cranberry Nut Bread.

See, you get the idea. Check out this list of 50 homemade breads. You're going to have a good time making crazy and not-so-crazy tuna melt sandwiches--all from $2.99!

The Second Secret is in the Filling

Choose your tuna.

All canned tuna is not the same. After Covid, we stocked up on tuna. We tried several kinds. Some of it just wasn't very good, and we never used it. I don't think it was so much the brand, though some brands are definitely better than others. Merri Ann brought home some albacore white tuna; that was much better.  Albacore is much better regardless of the brand.  

Don't scrimp on price. Even the best tuna is not expensive.

Get all the oil or water out.

That's where the fishy, salty taste is. It's oily.

When I take the lid off the tin, I turn it upside down and squeeze the lid hard into the can, pressing the tuna. Then I set the inverted can with the lid upside down in the sink while I gather the mayo, pickles, and such.

Merri Ann dumps the tuna into a small strainer and then presses the tuna with the back of a large spoon. She probably gets more oil out.

Nathan, our son, found a little perforated gizmo that fits inside the tin and squeezes the dickens out of the tuna. All three methods work. Just be aggressive. 

Choose a Filling to Match Your Bread

Now that you've chosen your tuna, choose a fabulous filling for your fabulous bread. We'll give you a choice of five fillings to get you started. 

Then we'll give you a list of goodies you can add to your chosen filling that you or your family will love.

The world of tuna melt sandwiches is yours to discover.

 For me, the basic is a good mayonnaise. Usually, that's good enough, but I'm generous with the mayo. If we have it, I use low-fat mayo or avocado mayonnaise. I often add sweet pickle relish, sometimes a little horseradish, and occasionally, sour cream. Ranch dressing is fine addition. It's fun to be creative.

Merri Ann likes her food more seasoned than I. She will add minced onion, garlic, or chives and she's not afraid to attack the spice cupboard. Chopped basil is good.

I tend to be creative. Try chopped apple or dried cranberries if you don't get carried away with the savories. Chopped cashews are incredible.

If I want a little kick, I'll drizzle in a little Thai Sweet Chili Sauce. It adds a little color too.

The Third Secret is How You Make It

We won't just tell you, we'll show you with expert videos. 

These are “tuna melts” and they are really good sandwiches. For me, if the sandwich is warm, cooked, it's more of meal not just lunch.

Making the sandwich

Add a slice of cheese. I love ooey, gooey melted cheese. Mild cheddar works but mostly, I use a white cheese like provolone, mozzarella, or Havarti–something that won’t overpower the tuna.

I butter both outer sides of the sandwiches.  Of course, the butter melts and makes the sandwich crispy. Occasionally I'll use mayonnaise on the outside instead of butter. That makes it even more crispy. I put a lid over the sandwich when it starts to cook to trap the heat and melt the cheese. 

Cooking the Sandwich

The heat should be no higher than medium so that it has time to heat and soak through the sandwich and melt the cheese. I take the lid off the sandwich for the last few minutes to let the steam escape.

When the sandwich is done and before the cheese sets, I pull the top slice of bread off the sandwich and add the pickles and lettuce or avocado.

I’ve tried both tomato slices and cucumber slices on my tuna sandwiches. My dad would add radish slices to his sandwich, but then, he would add radishes to anything.

Dennis Weaver

***************************************************

My mother made a cheese and tuna melt sandwich—nothing fancy but better than either tuna or cheese alone.  Her sandwiches inspired these recipes.

This recipe calls for tuna but it works with any fish, even canned or cooked salmon--or canned chicken. 

You can choose your favorite cheese. 

But you can also consider variations like these:

• Most of the time I just slap a deli slice of cheese on top of the tuna. Both Merri Ann and my mother often grated the cheese and then mixed the cheese into the tuna salad or piled grated cheese on top of the tuna, like in the sandwich right above.  
• I love tomato on my sandwiches.  Tomato goes very well on top of the tuna and with the melted cheese.  Pull the hot sandwich apart to insert the tomato. See the billboard image above.
• And of course, the tuna salad can handle extras: chopped onions, watercress, chopped green peppers, celery, relish and/or pickles. 
• I often use ranch dressing with the mayo. Don't forget the pepper and salt. It makes a difference.

See also how to make spectacular grilled cheese sandwiches.

Ingredients

1 tin of tuna, well drained and crumbled
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoon sweet relish
2 green onions, chopped (optional)
1 stalk celery, finely chopped (optional)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
salt to taste
1 slice cheese, mozzarella or other, for each sandwich
bread
butter

Directions

1. Mix the tuna, mayonnaise, lemon juice, chopped onion, and celery together with a fork.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Spread on bread slices.  Add a slice of cheese. Top with additional slices of bread.
2. Spread butter on both sides of the sandwich and grill in a moderately hot skillet, turning once, until the bread is fried to a golden brown and the cheese is melted. I usually put a lid over the top of the frying pan or over sandwich on the griddle to get the cheese melting sooner.