Simple Tuna Melt Recipe

Tuna salad on its own makes a serviceable sandwich, and grilled cheese is another solid lunchtime choice. When you combine the two, however, you get an amazing sandwich that is far greater than the sum of its parts: the tuna melt.

Recipe developer Michelle McGlinn tells us that she eats tuna sandwiches every week, going so far as to call them her "favorite lunch." But she doesn't always make them into melts, citing her infrequent cheese consumption. Every once in a while, though, she allows herself to indulge in one of these "warm and gooey" toasted sandwiches. When she does, she tells us, her cheese of choice is often provolone. She's been known to create these deliciously creamy sandwiches in a panini press (and you can, too), but tells us that for this particular version, she opted for a greased skillet to give it that true melt look and feel (as opposed to a pressed sandwich).

You can't make a tuna melt without tuna salad, so you'll need some canned tuna and mayonnaise for this. McGlinn also likes to add a little crunch to her salad with red onion and celery, and she flavors it with lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper. (You might even want to add a teeny pinch of sugar, too.)

Thinking beyond the tuna, you'll need nice, thick slices of bread. McGlinn favors sourdough, but if you're not a fan, you can use French, Italian, or even rye bread instead. The last component (but a very important one) of a melt sandwich is the cheese. As previously mentioned, McGlinn is partial to provolone, but sharp cheddar would be another good choice.

Mix the tuna, red onion, celery, and mayo together in a bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and dill, then season with salt and pepper. "If you'd like [your tuna salad] more creamy, add more mayonnaise, ½ tablespoon at a time," McGlinn advises.

Spray one side of each slice of bread with cooking spray (alternatively, spread one side of each with butter or mayo). Divide the tuna salad between two slices, piling it onto the ungreased side. Top the tuna salad with the cheese (two slices for each sandwich), then place a remaining slice of bread on top of each (again, the greased side should be on the outside).

Lightly grease a frying pan with cooking spray and heat on medium. Add the sandwiches to the pan (depending on the size of the bread, you may have to cook them one at a time) and heat until the bottoms are golden-brown and the cheese is beginning to melt. Flip them over and cook until the other side is also browned, and the cheese is melty.

Potato chips or fries would be an appropriate accompaniment for this diner classic, but you could opt for a slightly healthier green salad or bowl of soup.