When our kids were little, we didn’t live close to either side of the family, so seeing family meant an extended visit. All of grandparents would travel to wherever we were living (either New England or the Midwest, depending on the year) to see us a few times a year and we would travel back to Pennsylvania to see all of them. We enjoyed those times having our kids and our parents together, whether we were doing special or routine things.
One of the things we made time for with my Mom was lunch at Friendly’s Restaurant. The kids loved those outings for the ice cream sundaes that came with their meal. I loved the time with my Mom. And I always ordered a tuna melt sandwich for lunch. Last weekend, with Fall in the air, I was reminiscing about those ordinary but special times with my Mom and decided that Eric & I needed to make that tuna melt sandwich for lunch. And so, we did. They were just as good as I remembered them to be!
While I typically substitute something lighter for the mayo, creamy and tangy mayo does a great job of tying tuna and the mix-ins together. We used kewpie mayo here, but regular mayo also works. The mayo is thinned and brightened with fresh lemon juice. Red pepper flakes add just a bit of heat to the mixture. There’s some celery for crunch, dill pickles for a touch of tang, and red onion for a little extra zing in the tuna salad. Buttering the bread slices adds rich flavor and a nice toastiness to the sandwich. The tomato slices are optional, but in my book, the cheddar cheese slices are required!
Tuna Melt Sandwiches
Tuna Melt Sandwiches (adapted from delish.com) Total Time Required: 30 minutes, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 12 ounces canned tuna
- 1 celery rib, finely chopped
- 2 dill pickles spears, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 8 slices bread
- 1 tomato, sliced (optional)
- 8 slices cheddar cheese
Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes.
Combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes.
Drain the tuna, then add it to the mayonnaise mixture. Using a fork, break up the tuna into flakes.
Add the tuna to the dressing.
Add the celery, pickles, onion, and parsley and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the celery, pickles, onion, and parsley and seasoning to the tuna salad.
Spread butter on one side of each bread slice. Top an unbuttered side with about 1/2 cup tuna salad, 1 to 2 slices tomato if desired, and 2 slices of cheese. Top with another slice of bread, buttered side up. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
Build the sandwiches.
Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 sandwiches to the pan, with the cheese side down (to be closer to the heat), and cook until the sandwiches are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the sandwiches and continue to cook until golden brown on the other side and the cheese is melty, 2 to 3 minutes more.
Cook the sandwiches on both sides until the are toasted.
Transfer the sandwiches to a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining sandwiches. Cut each sandwich diagonally and serve warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 5 days.
Cut the sandwiches diagonally before serving.
This is a wonderful retro meal! ~Linda
Tuna Melt Sandwiches (adapted from delish.com) Total Time Required: 30 minutes, Prep Time: 15 minutes, Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 12 ounces canned tuna
- 1 celery rib, finely chopped
- 2 dill pickles spears, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 8 slices bread
- 1 tomato, sliced (optional)
- 8 slices cheddar cheese
Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes.
Drain the tuna, then add it to the mayonnaise mixture. Using a fork, break up the tuna into flakes. Add the celery, pickles, onion, and parsley and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
Spread butter on one side of each bread slice. Top the unbuttered side with about 1/2 cup tuna salad, 1 to 2 slices tomato if desired, and 2 slices of cheese. Top with another slice of bread, buttered side up. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.
Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 2 sandwiches to the pan, with the cheese side down (to be closer to the heat), and cook until the sandwiches are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the sandwiches and continue to cook until golden brown on the other side and the cheese is melty, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer the sandwiches to a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining sandwiches. Cut each sandwich diagonally and serve warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 – 5 days.